South American Paludarium Build

[NoodleCats]

Tidied up upper left corner, tucked the egeria in more.



That male BN I got from the local lady is massive, look how big he is compared to Flippy lol I've named him Lorgie Georgie, because he's lorge.


Lorgie Georgie


Eques


Splendens, the dark juvenile is also splendens, they're getting much bigger




Loxozonus

 

[NoodleCats]

Filled it slightly higher than usual.

bonus pics, Flippy


and Lorgie Georgie, who uproots the plants

 

[fishorama]

Lorgie looks like a different kind than Flippy, his spots are much smaller. Is it just a gender or color variation difference? I see small bristles on Flippy's pec spine & back so I don't know...Wouldn't she show some "nose bristles" by now? I know females can have some of the nose "ornaments" but males usually do...

Was Flippy the 1 who was injured & did fast healing with your good care a few years ago?

 

[NoodleCats]

Lorgie looks like a different kind than Flippy, his spots are much smaller. Is it just a gender or color variation difference? I see small bristles on Flippy's pec spine & back so I don't know...Wouldn't she show some "nose bristles" by now? I know females can have some of the nose "ornaments" but males usually do...

Was Flippy the 1 who was injured & did fast healing with your good care a few years ago?

Flippy is the one who got tangled up and healed well, yes! She's a tough little lady. And yeah not really any bristles on her, but tbh only one of my female ancistrus had them (my female bodenhameri).

I did ask on planet cat, awaiting answers, but yeah I did notice that Lorgie Georgie does look different. He's got spotted fins instead of striped, like Flippy does. And he's got very small fine spots. Also a lot more timid. And huge, he's pushing 5-6". I'm curious if cf cirrhosis has variance in the standard colouration, or if perhaps one is a different kind.

Lorgie Georgie is a little gentleman anyways, very docile, if very shy. He's not as bossy as Flippy can be. Don't get in her way for food lol

I got them from different people. Flippy from one local, and the Lorgie is from a lady who fell on some hard times and needed to find homes for her fish. Both are at least 2-3 years old, as both have been owned for a couple years before they came into my care. So they could be even older, but either way, Flippy is definitely still a modest 3" size and has not grown at all in the year+ I've had her.

 

[NoodleCats]

Some response on the differences in the BN, they think FLIPPY is the odd one, not Lorgie Georgie. Go figure.

 

[fishorama]

Hmm, I've only had a few bns so not a good experienced judge. Flippy looks like a girly bn of some strain, she's cute & we know she's a tough survivor!

Lorgie Georgie Is bigger but not as "nose bristly" as my "basic brown?" boy I've had for 2+? years or so now. He hides a lot so I can't compare spot sizes (typical male bn behavior IME). I was given 2 but only see the 1 (or the other is very similar size ~4 (+a bit?) inches & also a good hider). I had a "brown" female in MA, she never grew more than Flippy-sized, ~3inches or so, no face bristles. I don't remember her spots size...

I'll be interested to read what the more knowledgeable folks at PC say. Your 2 are similar, even if not the same, they may be able to breed (same genus I bet ancistrus)...I'm not a fan of hybrids for the most part. But mixing color varieties is not the same thing at all...

 

[NoodleCats]

Hmm, I've only had a few bns so not a good experienced judge. Flippy looks like a girly bn of some strain, she's cute & we know she's a tough survivor!

Lorgie Georgie Is bigger but not as "nose bristly" as my "basic brown?" boy I've had for 2+? years or so now. He hides a lot so I can't compare spot sizes (typical male bn behavior IME). I was given 2 but only see the 1 (or the other is very similar size ~4 (+a bit?) inches & also a good hider). I had a "brown" female in MA, she never grew more than Flippy-sized, ~3inches or so, no face bristles. I don't remember her spots size...

I'll be interested to read what the more knowledgeable folks at PC say. Your 2 are similar, even if not the same, they may be able to breed (same genus I bet ancistrus)...I'm not a fan of hybrids for the most part. But mixing color varieties is not the same thing at all...

They think different species, so definitely not gonna purposely breed them. But yeah they could hybridize. And that's what the hobby doesn't need, more obscure ancistrus lol.

Pet wise, it doesn't matter to me that they're different. Only ancistrus I'll stick with breeding are my ancistrus bodenhameri. The rest, no, no more domestic fry please, and definitely no hybrids



Some fish pics.
Not so great shot of Toad the banjo out with one of the brochis (taken after dark with camera flash)


lemon tetras


Them tiny little hyphessobrycon elachys are hard to photograph. They dart away into the shadows when I approach, so my photos all are zoomed in grainy ones of them haha... but they're so cute.

 

[fishorama]

I always love your moody tetra shots! Especially the lemons, mine never looked so pretty! Partly your lighting, partly your camera skills!

 

[NoodleCats]

I always love your moody tetra shots! Especially the lemons, mine never looked so pretty! Partly your lighting, partly your camera skills!

The Lemons used to be so grey and plain haha they've matured really well. Really good tetras imo, they have a good personality. Not really nippy, they school well, and they're easy going. Not very skittish either so it's nice to get some decent shots of them every now and again

 

[fishorama]

I hear you on lemons being less nippy than some tetras. We kept serpae early on & they were pretty bad fin nippers. I always worry about "high bodied" tetras especially...but really almost any tetra can become that way in the "wrong tank" or with the "wrong tankmates". We had neons nip bettas; those long flowing fins are hard to resist. We used to buy a dozen tiny juvenile neons & the betta might eat a few. Then when the survivor neons grew up, the tables were turned. Not shredded betta fins, but we moved the tetras...& often bought more when they were 6/$1.

You know, I've never kept embers partly because they look like tiny serpae I know it's pretty lame...maybe someday I'll try them. So many fish, so many fewer tanks I want to keep up now...