Ancistrus claro
setup
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size: 10 gallon standard
substrate: mostly pea gravel with a slight layer of inert coarse sand.
decor: driftwood, rocks, a lot of java moss, anubias
caves: handmade woodfired clay. I have found these to be consistently the best caves around.
filtration: two DIY HOB repair jobs. prefiltered with aquaclear songes. actual filtration consists of pot scrubbers.
heating: stealth 120
maintenance: filters and water simultaneously cleansed once every week
tankmates: limia tridens, previously endlers, girardinus metallicus, sewellia spp., and gastromyzon.
the fish
The tank currently houses two males and three females. While relatively peaceful to conspecifics, squabbles occur often. I tend to be a bit lax on the water changing regimen (once every week), and ensure that the tank recieves profuse lighting. Any brown algal material is quickly ingested by both fry and adults, and is nibbled on by the livebearers. The fish are remarkably shy, even for ancistrus, hence a thick mat of java moss all around. Large female limia will nip at fry if they are not of a decent size, and they also tend to outcompete said fry for food, hence, i keep my spawns in a perpetually floating fry saver until they are around 1". The feeding regimen for the main tank is erratic, consisting of boiled peas and leafy greens, homemade tilapia mix, carnivore pellets, and algae tablets, as well as the occasional flake or two. Once feeding regularly, females are consistently ripped with eggs, even if fed only every other day.
spawning
Spawning was first triggered by a cool water change, bringing the tank, which usually sits at a comfortable 76, to maybe a few degrees cooler. The water here is soft, so I do not know how the fish would work under less favorable conditions. Males did not respond well to female advances until I added the appropriate caves (small, uneven, and one sided). After the initial spawn, I have not needed to trigger any since, and they go at it twice a month. spawns range from 10-20. Fry are raised mostly unproblematically, though they can be tough to wean. Peas and algae wafers make up most of their diet.
male
female
fry
setup
size: 10 gallon standard
substrate: mostly pea gravel with a slight layer of inert coarse sand.
decor: driftwood, rocks, a lot of java moss, anubias
caves: handmade woodfired clay. I have found these to be consistently the best caves around.
filtration: two DIY HOB repair jobs. prefiltered with aquaclear songes. actual filtration consists of pot scrubbers.
heating: stealth 120
maintenance: filters and water simultaneously cleansed once every week
tankmates: limia tridens, previously endlers, girardinus metallicus, sewellia spp., and gastromyzon.
the fish
The tank currently houses two males and three females. While relatively peaceful to conspecifics, squabbles occur often. I tend to be a bit lax on the water changing regimen (once every week), and ensure that the tank recieves profuse lighting. Any brown algal material is quickly ingested by both fry and adults, and is nibbled on by the livebearers. The fish are remarkably shy, even for ancistrus, hence a thick mat of java moss all around. Large female limia will nip at fry if they are not of a decent size, and they also tend to outcompete said fry for food, hence, i keep my spawns in a perpetually floating fry saver until they are around 1". The feeding regimen for the main tank is erratic, consisting of boiled peas and leafy greens, homemade tilapia mix, carnivore pellets, and algae tablets, as well as the occasional flake or two. Once feeding regularly, females are consistently ripped with eggs, even if fed only every other day.
spawning
Spawning was first triggered by a cool water change, bringing the tank, which usually sits at a comfortable 76, to maybe a few degrees cooler. The water here is soft, so I do not know how the fish would work under less favorable conditions. Males did not respond well to female advances until I added the appropriate caves (small, uneven, and one sided). After the initial spawn, I have not needed to trigger any since, and they go at it twice a month. spawns range from 10-20. Fry are raised mostly unproblematically, though they can be tough to wean. Peas and algae wafers make up most of their diet.
male
female
fry
