Tfreema’s Bn Pleco Breeding Journal

Thanks for the info I'll give them a little more variety in their diet and try being better on water changes. Of course hauling buckets is hard since I'm having a baby in May so they might still be a little neglected unless I can guilt hubby into that part. The most surprising thing for me was I tried putting 3 into a 30 gallon platy tank I have because the 4 fry that got left in there were growing better then the ones I moved to the fry tank so I figured the water must be cleaner in there with all the wisteria I planted but the plecos I put in there really haven't grown much.
The picture was 7 weeks old. I think that particular fry has grown well but he's the biggest and some of his siblings are much smaller. My adult male pleco has had 4 batches of fry in the past 7 weeks. I'm going to have to move him if he tries enticing the ladies into his cave again because I just don't have any more grow out tanks and this last batch was around 70 fry which is like a 2+ month supply for the lfs if they all survive through grow out. My plan is for all of them to go to the lfs as they grow up. I've already talked with the guy there that does the trade ins about how many they can take each month because I don't want to breed more then I can rehome. I'm in the local aquarium club but regular bristle nose aren't really desirable to most members based on what I saw at the last auction so I'm not going to try bringing them there. I want to get some albino long fin from someone late April that I plan to grow out and breed eventually and I think those would do well at the club sales.. I'm also planning to get some super reds so I can cross them and get long fin super reds down the road.

 

Bizaliz3 can I ask why your eba breeding was brief? I want to possibly get some in the future and they sounded like a good starter cichlid to breed since they tend to be gentler then most and good parents plus I've never seen them locally so it's something I can more then likely find homes for pretty easily.

 

You will want breed the super reds with only super reds. You can find the long fin variety on aquabid. I was actually going to go that route when I saw Mcasella’s marble red and the chocolate marble from someone else.

I haven’t had as much luck with my EBA as others have so they are not always easy. My female has been super duper picky about her spawning site so I am going to do a complete rescape on their tank this weekend and add a couple large swords.

Oh, and plecos of any kind go well at my club auctions in Atlanta. My long fins have done really well.

 

At the recent auction here someone had 4 brown bristle nose up for auction together and they went for $8. They were probably around 2 inches. There were no super reds or long fin that I saw. While I was there two green dragons sold at $60, one lemon blue eye sold for $43 and then a second set of two green dragons sold for $54. There isn't anything wrong with getting $2 a fish but my lfs will give me more then that for credit and might even give me $2 cash or close. Even if I make a little less at the lfs I'd rather not crowd the club with even more regulars because it will just drive down the price for everyone and I really like my lfs so it's nice being able to support them a little.

And as far as breeding super red with albino long fin goes, I know I'll just get browns with either all long fin or half long half short for the first generation. I would be trying to get long fin reds on the second generation by crossing a long fin baby back to a red. Other people have reported success with doing this and I think it will be a fun project even if I'm not ultimately successful. I have someone localish selling albino longfins at criminally low prices so I kind of thought hey why not give it a try. Plus I like the idea of creating a new long fin super red stain so the genes are a little more diverse rather then buying a stain that might have been line breed for quite some time.

 

Well, I thought we had no survivors in the community tank with these guys, but I spotted two from the batch about a month ago during water change today. I have a video, but too lazy to upload to YouTube for sharing, lol.

AND, these guys are at it again. Every month like clockwork without fail.




And I just pulled the new batch from Steph and Buttercup. I will do video as soon as I can.

 

So, I moved the cave Steph was in to the 10 gallon with the first small batch. Last time, he came out of the cave pretty quick so I was able to scoop him back to the tank easy enough. Now, I cannot get him to budge from the cave. He did himself in and hangs on for dear life even when I lift it out of the water and tap it. A couple babies came out, but not him.

bizaliz3 Mcasella, what do y’all do in this case?

 

So, I moved the cave Steph was in to the 10 gallon with the first small batch. Last time, he came out of the cave pretty quick so I was able to scoop him back to the tank easy enough. Now, I cannot get him to budge from the cave. He did himself in and hangs on for dear life even when I lift it out of the water and tap it. A couple babies came out, but not him.

bizaliz3 Mcasella, what do y’all do in this case?

I've squirted water into the cave while the male is hiding/wedged himself in there, it will either shoot the babies out or he will let go and let you have the cave. The cave is close to the water so I can dip it to prevent the male from becoming hurt by the process (lack of water), sometimes it takes a couple minutes to flush the male out (sometimes longer if it is just the babies).

 

I've squirted water into the cave while the male is hiding/wedged himself in there, it will either shoot the babies out or he will let go and let you have the cave. The cave is close to the water so I can dip it to prevent the male from becoming hurt by the process (lack of water), sometimes it takes a couple minutes to flush the male out (sometimes longer if it is just the babies).

He wedges himself so tightly over the babies I think he will smush some of them. That is why I haven’t gotten too aggressive yet. The difference from this to last time is his first batch of babies that are in there. There were no fish before. I wonder if I remove them if he will relax and come out. They are about ready for the growout tank. There is one runt that concerns me, but it should be big enough to not get caught by the filter intake.

 

So, I moved the cave Steph was in to the 10 gallon with the first small batch. Last time, he came out of the cave pretty quick so I was able to scoop him back to the tank easy enough. Now, I cannot get him to budge from the cave. He did himself in and hangs on for dear life even when I lift it out of the water and tap it. A couple babies came out, but not him.

bizaliz3 Mcasella, what do y’all do in this case?

I would just let it be. He will come out eventually. He can't stay in there forever. He is no harm to the babies (shouldn't be anyway). He will just have to decide how long he wants to live in such a cramped tank! haha

 

I would just let it be. He will come out eventually. He can't stay in there forever. He is no harm to the babies (shouldn't be anyway). He will just have to decide how long he wants to live in such a cramped tank! haha

The concern I have is the added bioload to the little 10 gallon tank, but he doesn't even seem to be coming out to eat so maybe that is unwarranted. I wanted to give the 1st batch little guys this last week of growth before moving them in with the larger batch of marbles.

 

Welp, I took the risk to see what would happen if I let the marble male keep the spawn. Now I have two different sizes popping up. No clue how many are in there or how I will get them out, lol.







Time to figure out how to catch up some fish for switching out a male for a female. Plans are to put Red in the 125g with Steph and Fabio and pull Buttercup to the 75 gallon with Mable. 3 males in the 125g and 2 females in the 75g.

AND, I need to figure out how to get the green dragon female out of the other 75 gallon to put in with the male for a batch to confirm so I can sell that pair.

I am ready to shut some tanks down. Too much work.

 

I put the older batch of 7 yellow blue eyes in with the younger batch of marbles.

Now the ~15-20 babies have the 10 gallon to themselves.

Time to figure out how to catch up adult plecos in well planted tanks with lots of hardscape.......

 

I saw an opportunity to catch up Buttercup and then low and behold, Red was accessible so I have now switched them out. 2 girls in the 75 gallon and 3 boys in the 125g. No more marble or yellow babies for the rest of this year.

Now I gotta figure out how to get the female green dragon pleco pulled out of the other 75 gallon that has a lot of hardscape and plants. She will go with my mature male in the 40b to confirm with one batch, then that pair will be traded for a batch of adolfoi cory cats a local breeder is raising. He has and breeds standard fin green dragons so a long fin pair would be good for his group. I am just not set up and don’t want to put the time into what it takes to raise fry constantly/long term. He can keep the green dragon market locally, lol.

Whew! I have some tetra shuffling to do as well. And it’s Easter weekend so the tetras and green dragon may have to wait until next week.

 

Steph and Red were not getting along. I was hoping a 125g would be big enough for 3 male bn plecos. I am beginning to wonder. Red was hiding in a rock crevice when I fed them. Hopefully Steph will chill after lights out for the night. There are no females to compete over......

 

You know boys will be boys. Somebody's got to be the Alpha.

Good Luck!

 

You know boys will be boys. Somebody's got to be the Alpha.

Good Luck!

Yeah, and I think it will be Red. He is lodged into Steph’s favorite spot while Steph is below the log sulking. Poor boy. He was the alpha.

Fabio is used to being the betta male so he is still just happily scurrying about the tank without a care, lol.

 

The three boys are getting along in the 125g and the 2 girls seem to be co-existing well in the 75g. So, no more marble or yellow blue eye babies for the rest of this year.

I will be pulling the green dragon plecos out of the 75 gallon tomorrow if I can get time to tear it apart. I will hopefully get a batch or two to confirm them, then that will be it for them. I am making a trade with a local breeder for a batch of corydoras adolfoi. I just don’t know where I will put them AND still take down tanks, lol.

Here are two of the older 5 month old red marbles I moved today.




And here are the youngest yellow blue eyes (about 1 month) (17) graduating from the 10 gallon to a 20L.

 

I pulled my longfin green dragon growouts from my 75 gallon tank today. I had to pull all the driftwood to get to them so that was fun.

What do you think?
I think the first one by herself is a female so she is acclimating to go in with my current male for confirmation. I am pegging the other three as a reverse trio of 2 males and a female. I was hoping for a male and two females so I could keep my male in the 40b and 2 females in the 75 gallon and still have a pair to “rehome.” Those 3 are going into the 55 gallon with pleco growouts because they will be easier to observe and pull when necessary.

After some confirmations of these guys, I am out of the bn pleco breeding business for a while. I want to venture into salt next year so I gotta reduce the freshwater tank numbers.

 

They are "Stunning". I just may have to get a pair or trio from you if and when available.

I had to pull all the driftwood to get to them so that was fun.

LOL,
Yep, are "Wet Pets" are so easy going in and we create such "Beautiful' scapes .Only to see them somewhat demolished when we need to catch them. They are so fast and evade the nets so quickly. In fact, today I decided to move one of my Super Reds, he normally stays put for hours, went in using the 2 net method. It still took me quite a few minutes.

tfreema
Is going to reduce the number of tanks.
I have heard that before.
Good Luck with that.

 

They are "Stunning". I just may have to get a pair or trio from you if and when available.



LOL,
Yep, are "Wet Pets" are so easy going in and we create such "Beautiful' scapes .Only to see them somewhat demolished when we need to catch them. They are so fast and evade the nets so quickly. In fact, today I decided to move one of my Super Reds, he normally stays put for hours, went in using the 2 net method. It still took me quite a few minutes.

tfreema
Is going to reduce the number of tanks.
I have heard that before.
Good Luck with that.

I am determined this time. I really really mean it, lol. It’s these breeding projects that get me ramping up the tank numbers so I am not breeding any more. I probably won’t even pull acaras if they successfully give me a spawn. Hopefully they can tank raise a few for me.

 

I have confirmed that I have a green dragon pleco pair. This will be my last batch in 2019.

I have returned the female to her 75g. That leaves 3 green dragon plecos that I grew out.

Here they are. I think it is two males and a female, reverse trio.



I am trading the trio for a batch of adolfoi cory cats. I want another female in the 75g. Do I grow out some yellows or marbles to keep one?

EDIT: Another option is to keep one out of the longfin green dragon spawn too.

 

My last batch for 2019. My longfin green dragon pair is confirmed. Dad did not want to come out of the cave so he got moved to the 10 gallon with them.

All males and females have been separated and remaining green dragon growouts will be rehomed to another breeder.

 

Nice! If I get room for another BN I'd really like a green dragon. I picture myself wanting to Branch out to a different kind of pleco if I get the space. Already have 3 BNs. Lol.

 

Well, all in all this project has been successful. BN plecos are easier to hatch and care for as far as food is concerned since they pretty much start out on veggies and pellets, pretty much whatever their parents eats just smaller pieces and portions. BUT, they require a big growout space and can really fill up a filter with stuff quick, lol. Two marineland 350 HOBs on a 55 gallon plus a sponge filter and two of the same in a 45g. It was fun, but I am about done. It is too much work.

So, I have raised 3 batches of the super red marble and chocolate marble longfin pair that gave me 100% long fin. I have about 25 left to sell.
I am also raising 2 small batches of yellow blue eyed plecos.
And last, but not least, my very last batch for this project which confirmed my green dragon plecos pair, here are my 1 week old green and albino dragons. (All males and females have been separated for at least this year.)

I love when they realize the veggies is food!

 

This thread is reaching its end. This is my last batch to raise just graduating last week out of the 10 gallon to a 20L. Mostly longfin green dragon bn plecos with about 10 albino. They should be ready for our big auction in September.



I have a few 4-6 month old red marbles I aI'm to clear out this month, then a small batch of yellows I aI'm to clear out in August. Here is 4, 2 long fin and 2 standard fin, that I moved to the 55 gallon to clear out the 20L for the green dragons.




And I also moved the adolfoi cories to another 20L along with the smallest yellow long fin that I have named eensie weensie. It is so tiny, but thriving. It may have to be a keeper, lol.



I need to get some more recent video of the red marbles and post. I will do that sometime this weekend.

All pairs have been separated. The yellow female, Buttercup, and female chocolate marble, Mable, are sharing a 75g. The three males, Big Red, Steph, and Fabio, are sharing the 125g.
I have 1 female green dragon in a 75 gallon so room for one more female. The male green dragon is in the 40b. They do not have names yet.
Also have common brown and albinos that have not been put together for breeding. 2 albino females in the 120g. 1 exceptionally large male in the 45g, and a small suspected female in the 26g bow front.
Also have a small group of otos in a 20L so I am full up with plecos and otos plus a couple SAEs, lol. I love and gravitate to bottom dwellers.

 

This thread is reaching its end. This is my last batch to raise just graduating last week out of the 10 gallon to a 20L. Mostly longfin green dragon bn plecos with about 10 albino. They should be ready for our big auction in September.
View attachment 570549

I have a few 4-6 month old red marbles I aI'm to clear out this month, then a small batch of yellows I aI'm to clear out in August. Here is 4, 2 long fin and 2 standard fin, that I moved to the 55 gallon to clear out the 20L for the green dragons.

View attachment 570550

And I also moved the adolfoi cories to another 20L along with the smallest yellow long fin that I have named eensie weensie. It is so tiny, but thriving. It may have to be a keeper, lol.
View attachment 570551

I need to get some more recent video of the red marbles and post. I will do that sometime this weekend.

All pairs have been separated. The yellow female, Buttercup, and female chocolate marble, Mable, are sharing a 75g. The three males, Big Red, Steph, and Fabio, are sharing the 125g.
I have 1 female green dragon in a 75 gallon so room for one more female. The male green dragon is in the 40b. They do not have names yet.
Also have common brown and albinos that have not been put together for breeding. 2 albino females in the 120g. 1 exceptionally large male in the 45g, and a small suspected female in the 26g bow front.
Also have a small group of otos in a 20L so I am full up with plecos and otos plus a couple SAEs, lol. I love and gravitate to bottom dwellers.

You going to be shipping any of them? That is a teeny blue eye, is it just younger than the others or a bitty runt?

 

If you’d be willing to ship, I’d love to buy the blue eyes!

 

You going to be shipping any of them? That is a teeny blue eye, is it just younger than the others or a bitty runt?

It is the same age as the 4 in the other picture. It is definitely an itty bitty runt.

In the genetics for the green dragons. The albinos have two albino genes and won’t throw greens will they?

If you’d be willing to ship, I’d love to buy the blue eyes!

I am not comfortable shipping especially since I can sell them locally easy enough. Sorry. :-(

 

It is the same age as the 4 in the other picture. It is definitely an itty bitty runt.

In the genetics for the green dragons. The albinos have two albino genes and won’t throw greens will they?



I am not comfortable shipping especially since I can sell them locally easy enough. Sorry. :-(

They throw greens with green partners as far as I know. Most call the albino version of green dragons pineapple. It is a very small difference between regular albino and the pineapple.

 

I am not comfortable shipping especially since I can sell them locally easy enough. Sorry. :-(

No worries! Thanks anyways

 

I am not comfortable shipping especially since I can sell them locally easy enough. Sorry. :-(

Oh, Well. I was gonna ask for 3 green dragons.

 

Oh, Well. I was gonna ask for 3 green dragons.

No worries! Thanks anyways

Y’all can check with Mcasella. I got my male (the dad) from her. Maybe she has or will have some and she ships.

 

Y’all can check with Mcasella. I got my male (the dad) from her. Maybe she has or will have some and she ships.

I'm waiting on my long fin male to work up his courage and spawn with one of the two females lol, so i'm out of those until that happens.

 

Update on my pleco breeding project.

Video 1 - 8 month old longfin super red and chocolate marble
Video 2 - 7 month old longfin super red and chocolate marble and 5 month old longfin and standard fin yellow blue eyes (L144).
Videos 3 & 4 - 2 month old longfin and standard fin green dragon with pineapples (green dragon albino). Looks like I have one leucistic (spelling?) white one.

 

emoji_clap:"Great" job.

 

Welp, I cleared out 15 yellow blue eyes and 21 red marbles today with presold deliveries, auction entries, and a few traded in at lfs.

The lfs would have taken more, but I decided to keep 3 marbles (plus have a couple survivors in the community tank) to raise until I can pick a female to go in 75 gallon with female green dragon. And one standard fin yellow escaped capture so I have it, eensie weensie (a really small runt longfin), and another longfin.

I still have the green dragon batch of about 40 that are not ready yet so plans are to grow them until September auction time. After that, I am done. No more pairs are together.

 

Hey! Tfreema Are you going to be shipping the green dragons? I have been looking everywhere for some so if you have like 3 or a breeding pair I would love them. Just found this post and haven't read it yet but getting ready to do that now. Just got done reading bizaliz's 3 yr thread lol. So sry if those questions have been asked already. Thanks!!

 

Hey! Tfreema Are you going to be shipping the green dragons? I have been looking everywhere for some so if you have like 3 or a breeding pair I would love them. Just found this post and haven't read it yet but getting ready to do that now. Just got done reading bizaliz's 3 yr thread lol. So sry if those questions have been asked already. Thanks!!

I will not be shipping, sorry. I am able to sell locally and I am too much of a nervous nelly to endure the stress of shipping.

 

I will not be shipping, sorry. I am able to sell locally and I am too much of a nervous nelly to endure the stress of shipping.

Lol ok. Ya no I understand. I had to ask though! What state are you in. Any chance down the road from ohio?

 

Lol ok. Ya no I understand. I had to ask though! What state are you in. Any chance down the road from ohio?

I am in Northwest Georgia so not close to Ohio. :-(

 

I am in Northwest Georgia so not close to Ohio. :-(

Oh darn. Nope not close at all. Lol

 

Quote from Mcasella’s post since Coradee called us out for not being related to BST,
Lol.

Sorry I must have missed this response. Wouldnt the males fight? I mean it makes sence to have that ratio ive just always heard 2 females to 1 male in most species does that ratio work good for you?

You just have to have a large enough tank and give several choices for territory and caves. There would be a dominate male with some occasional skirmishes. If they grow up together it helps.

I have 3 males in my 125g. They scuffled some at first, but have been great for months.

Fish personalities are different so you would have to monitor the situation and separate if necessary.

 

Yup, one single male can also decide everything is his and go out of his way to kill off other males (had it happen, he killed three of my starlights within days before I caught on, and injured another young male severely enough in that same time that he later passed), i've also have four males and three females in a smaller tank without issue (except the top breeding male kept winning over the females, so the other males were left out in the cold for affection).
Lots of caves in both cases, plenty of hiding places separate from each other, ample food, just one had a turd of a personality and was separated by himself because he was also a little mean towards non plecos.

As long as the dominant male stays healthy he will keep everyone else in check (assuming another male doesn't get a sudden testosterone boost). Keep a larger feeding area is advisable, separate sides of the tank or even just in each territory.

 

Hmm all good points. Right now I only have 2 adults and they get switched cause one usually in with baby tank with eggs the other is in with females. So I haven't seen them together yet. Buut is it normal for a female to only breed with her male? My pair of albinos are older and bigger and have been paired off since before I got them and then I got my lemon pair which are smaller and younger and albino was egg bound and about to explode but the 2 lemons bred and the albino didnt show any interest until I just put the albino male in. I didnt need or want anymore albino but she was laying on back on bottom of tank cause so fat and I just wanted her to get them out. Can they die if they are with eggs for too long?

 

Hmm all good points. Right now I only have 2 adults and they get switched cause one usually in with baby tank with eggs the other is in with females. So I haven't seen them together yet. Buut is it normal for a female to only breed with her male? My pair of albinos are older and bigger and have been paired off since before I got them and then I got my lemon pair which are smaller and younger and albino was egg bound and about to explode but the 2 lemons bred and the albino didnt show any interest until I just put the albino male in. I didnt need or want anymore albino but she was laying on back on bottom of tank cause so fat and I just wanted her to get them out. Can they die if they are with eggs for too long?

If a male cannot trap a female she will not spawn with him. The blue eye being smaller couldn't keep her in his cave long enough to convince her to lay eggs.
Egg bound means the eggs won't come out under normal means, she was likely just very gravid.

 

Ok. Yes that makes sense its just she wouldnt go near him and was staying far away. No interest. But now that her male is in there she is coming out and doing her tging. No eggs yet but she sits by him. I just didnt know if the other wasn't alpha enough or too small or if that mattered.

 

Update:

I sold or traded the last of the pleco juvies either directly or put into the auction yesterday. I am out of the pleco breeding business for now. I still have the parents so if I ever want to raise a batch, I have that option. I do not see that happening any time soon, lol.

This project was a smashing success. Too much so that it wore me out. I have a new respect for hobbyists that breed and raise fish. Granted, plecos are high bioload requiring large growout space and lots of water changes as well as filter maintenance (man those filters got nasty fast!!) which took longer because they would have so much sludge in them.
So, word to the wise if you want to raise plecos. I would go with bare bottom and maybe some really large and several sponge filters that could be squished out in a bucket of tank water every few days if I ever decide to raise a batch again. And maybe an automatic water changing system, lol.

 

Update:

I sold or traded the last of the pleco juvies either directly or put into the auction yesterday. I am out of the pleco breeding business for now. I still have the parents so if I ever want to raise a batch, I have that option. I do not see that happening any time soon, lol.

This project was a smashing success. Too much so that it wore me out. I have a new respect for hobbyists that breed and raise fish. Granted, plecos are high bioload requiring large growout space and lots of water changes as well as filter maintenance (man those filters got nasty fast!!) which took longer because they would have so much sludge in them.
So, word to the wise if you want to raise plecos. I would go with bare bottom and maybe some really large and several sponge filters that could be squished out in a bucket of tank water every few days if I ever decide to raise a batch again. And maybe an automatic water changing system, lol.

I can definitely attest to every bit of this. I'm running 3 HOB filters on my pleco growout and they get REAL bad REAL fast. I was really wanting a batch from the new female I put with my male, but don't know if I'm ready to do this again yet. Especially since I still have to get rid of the ones I have. They don't seem to be interested in breeding yet anyway though.

 

This project was a smashing success. Too much so that it wore me out. I have a new respect for hobbyists that breed and raise fish.

Congrats! Agree!
Looking back, when I got the first spawn, it was so exciting. I stumbled into my breeding, knew absolutely nothing, it was a challenge to say the least. Little did I know, how much work (and tanks) would be involved. I learned quite a bit especially with "Mother Nature" throwing a curve ball now and then. Very rewarding, when you you see tanks full of fish and then you make your first sale/trade. Not sure what I would have done without the local Auctions. I suppose now we are both one of those hobbyist.