So while Blue Panaque
plecs are widely sold and inexpensive, identifying aquarists may want to hold
off from purchasing them until they’ve full investigated the market. There are
plenty of medium to large suckermouth catfish offered to aquarists that are
interesting and much more colourful as opposed to common plecs. As we’ll see in
this post, these alternatives to the Blue Panaque plecs aren't very much harder
to keep, and because they’re so a lot more attractive, they can certainly be
centrepiece fish as opposed to mere scavengers or algae-eaters.
Tank furniture includes
big smooth rocks, several pieces of bogwood, and a few vertical parts of slate.
A few of the leaves of several Echinodorus species plants have been scraped rather
vigorously, and plant tissue is lost. A heads up for serious gardeners that are
aquatic: broad leafed plants may be eaten by L239. The top is covered with
water lettuce plants (Pistia stratiotes) which remove nitrates and offer
shading, both significant to all loricariids, particularly wild-caught species.
Habitat
The type series was
collected from spaces between granite bedrock and boulders.
Other loricariid species
inhabiting the location around the confluence of the Ventauri and Orinoco comprise
Acanthicus hystrix, Ancistrus macrophthalmus, Baryancistrus demantoides,
Hemiancistrus subviridis, Hemiancistrus guahiborum, Hypancistrus contradens,
Hypancistrus debilittera, Hypancistrus furunculus, Hypancistrus lunaorum,
Lasiancistrus schomburgkii, Leporacanthicus galaxias, Leporacanthicus triactis,
Panaque nigrolineatus, Peckoltia vittata, Pseudancistrus orinoco,
Pseudancistrus pectegenitor, Pseudancistrus sidereus, Pseudolithoxus anthrax,
Pseudolithoxus dumus, and Pseudolithoxus tigris.
Diet
Comparatively few blue
panaque suckermouth catfish are exclusively vegetarian and not one of the big
species feeds entirely on algae. This implies that beyond whatever algae they
see in the tank, the aquarist will must provide many different foods for these
catfish.
There are good value
catfish pellets and algae wafers on sale that make useful basics, and these can
be augmented with a number of other things. On the list of foods that are green
that are good are courgette, carrot, sweet potato, cooked peas and blanched
lettuce.
Meaty foods contain
prawns, mussels, cockles, white fish fillet and small portions of beefheart.
Wet-frozen foods for example krill, bloodworms, minced squid and lancefish are
widely sold in pet shops and is going to be readily accepted by all suckermouth
catfish.
Behaviour and Compatibility
Not recommended for the
general’ community that is ‘ although comparatively peaceful aquarium because
of its somewhat fragile nature.
Keep it alone or perhaps
alongside some small characids that WOn't compete with it for food or land.
It’s territorial with
conspecifics and similar-looking species, with this particular behavior being
especially pronounced among males, but in many instances several could be kept
together because of the small size.
Breeding
The Blue-Black Panaque
has been bred in the home aquarium, but it is very challenging and reports are
few and far between and somewhat sketchy. This species would make a great
breeding endeavor for the serious hobbyist.
Essential for success with
one of these cavern-spawners is good-conditioned, sexually mature fish of both
sexes kept in warm (~28 deg C), soft, acidic water with a top level of
oxygenation, plus a choice of several comparatively snug clay or slate
front-opening caves (ideally just a couple centimetres longer, wider, and
higher in relation to the fish and with just one entrance hole).
Care
Like many species that
inhabit running waters it needs spotless water at all times and ’s intolerant
to the collection of organic wastes in order to thrive.
It’s also vital to
provide sufficient levels of dissolved oxygen and water movement using a blend
of canister filters, powerheads, etc., especially if the aim is for the fish to
breed, and weekly water changes of 40-70% should also be considered compulsory.
