Zebra plecos
- Thread starter emmaS
- Start date
the ones you saw in the fish store are probably false zebra plecos or columbian zebra plecos (L-046). a true zebra pleco (L-46) cost hundreds of dollars.
as with any algae eaters, you have to supplement their diet with prepared foods such as sinking wafers, flakes, fresh veggies and etc. please don't purchase a fish because they will help you clean the algae. use some elbow grease instead!
im also curious to know if the pleco in your 20G is a common one or another variety. many pleco's aren't small enough to live in a 20G.
as with any algae eaters, you have to supplement their diet with prepared foods such as sinking wafers, flakes, fresh veggies and etc. please don't purchase a fish because they will help you clean the algae. use some elbow grease instead!
im also curious to know if the pleco in your 20G is a common one or another variety. many pleco's aren't small enough to live in a 20G.
when i was keeping zebras L046 and L46 were one in the same thing and only come from brazil.
as they are on brazils blacklist now they are hard to get as al fish for sale should be captive breb or long term captives.
anyway zebras need more than algae they eat bloodworms etc and need this type of protein in their diet.
i moved this to the catfish forum for you
as they are on brazils blacklist now they are hard to get as al fish for sale should be captive breb or long term captives.
anyway zebras need more than algae they eat bloodworms etc and need this type of protein in their diet.
i moved this to the catfish forum for you
L046, L46, all the same thing, Hypancistrus zebra. These fish are NOT algae eaters by any stretch of the imagination. They are far too pretty to clean anything 
. They have been restricted from export from Brazil for 3 years now and are increasingly difficult to get your hands on. Prices on aquabid usually average about $150 a piece for 1" fry.
The odds are good your LFS has another Hypancistrus species that they were sold as a "type" of zebra, such as L270 (which are sometimes called ColOmbian [although they too are from brazil]or chocolate zebras). Captive raised zebras are becoming more commonly available, but this fish is definitely not suited for a community type aquarium with bigger, aggressive feeders.
There are many species of ancistrus that are well suited to life in smaller tanks. Ancistrus claro is one of my favorites, although it can be a little more difficult to obtain. If you want a fish that does janitorial duties, Ancistrus are definitely the fish for you. If you want a fish that's pretty to look at, with neat behavior, but that definitely needs a meatie diet, look into L134, L260, or even L262 for smaller tanks. They'll be quite a bit easier to find, and easier on the checkbook
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Barbie
. They have been restricted from export from Brazil for 3 years now and are increasingly difficult to get your hands on. Prices on aquabid usually average about $150 a piece for 1" fry.The odds are good your LFS has another Hypancistrus species that they were sold as a "type" of zebra, such as L270 (which are sometimes called ColOmbian [although they too are from brazil]or chocolate zebras). Captive raised zebras are becoming more commonly available, but this fish is definitely not suited for a community type aquarium with bigger, aggressive feeders.
There are many species of ancistrus that are well suited to life in smaller tanks. Ancistrus claro is one of my favorites, although it can be a little more difficult to obtain. If you want a fish that does janitorial duties, Ancistrus are definitely the fish for you. If you want a fish that's pretty to look at, with neat behavior, but that definitely needs a meatie diet, look into L134, L260, or even L262 for smaller tanks. They'll be quite a bit easier to find, and easier on the checkbook
.Barbie