pleco gender
- Thread starter pearllady
- Start date
thats the mystery, they dont really breed, so it would be pointless to try however somewhere down the grapevine I was told that male plec's have a bigger 1st ray on their dorsal fin then females do.
on the BN, the male bristles/barbels on it's head/nose are well pronounced. and are what the species is known for
the female will usually only develop small bristles/barbels if any at all.
the common pleco I don't know of any sexing guidlines
IMHO
the female will usually only develop small bristles/barbels if any at all.
the common pleco I don't know of any sexing guidlines
IMHO
Actualy bristle nose are qiut easy to breed. all you need to have is ONE MALE and one female and that can be told by the bristles and how thick they are. and a tank of 30gal or more and the tank be full of potintiel spawning cavesNorthStar said:
and full of cheap live plants. the fry start on them as soon as they leave the cave. If you want details, mysis is an export at catfish breeding. send him a PM. also, a close cousin of the pleco, the twig catfish (farowela) has been bred at several ocassions and can be breed in captivity
For most of the plecos, males develop odontoides in species-specific patterns on their heads and some on their pectoral fins when in breeding condition and mood. Females of the same species lack these or have fewer - comparable to the situation with bristles on the bristlenose cats.
Many species of "plecos" have been captive bred, they really do breed.
Many species of "plecos" have been captive bred, they really do breed.
Common "pleco" could be pterygoplitchtys pardilis or hypostomus sp, in either case it is difficult to sex those and the differences only become appearent when the fish is fullgrown and in breeding condition. Even then it is difficult to sex them.
Many species of "pleco"(loricaridae) tend to respond to large waterchanges with cool water and lowered TDS, I have observed a number of mine sprout odontoidal growth on the rear of the body and on the pectoral fins after large waterchanges - these were mature fish however.
Ancistrus (bristlenosed plecos) come in many different species and the facial growth varies a bit but generally the male will have the growth, lots of it in some species and always more then the female. The males bristles tend to grow around the mouth and up the nose.
Female ancistrus can be totally without bristles or have some around the mouth but not up the nose and face.
The bristles tend to start developing around 2-2.5" or 6-9months age.
I have some albino ancistrus that have reached spawning size within a year from hatching.
Many species of "pleco"(loricaridae) tend to respond to large waterchanges with cool water and lowered TDS, I have observed a number of mine sprout odontoidal growth on the rear of the body and on the pectoral fins after large waterchanges - these were mature fish however.
Ancistrus (bristlenosed plecos) come in many different species and the facial growth varies a bit but generally the male will have the growth, lots of it in some species and always more then the female. The males bristles tend to grow around the mouth and up the nose.
Female ancistrus can be totally without bristles or have some around the mouth but not up the nose and face.
The bristles tend to start developing around 2-2.5" or 6-9months age.
I have some albino ancistrus that have reached spawning size within a year from hatching.
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