Ancistrus dolichopterus (Ancient)

He needs a bin of a hundred liters, since he measures in adulthood a good ten cm. You have to arrange hiding places, strains or stones piled up because it hides part of the day, leaving rather in the evening and at night. The male carries outgrowths, like horns on the head and the muzzle, the female is devoid of it. As their size rarely exceeds ten centimeters, and they are peaceful, they can be associated with other fish, even small species. Their body is covered with bone plates, and the fins carry thorns. Be careful by grabing them in a landing net, they regularly find themselves "stuck" in the meshes of the net. It is then necessary to put the landing net in the aquarium and wait for the fish to go on its own, otherwise we risk injuring it. Ancistrus easily change in color, marbles more light or darker spots. This is not a sign of illness but normal variations due to stress, domination or simply adaptation to the decor ... Ancistrus generally do not eat plants. They are vegetarians and consume, in addition to algae, salad, lettuce, spinach, slices of potato, cucumber, zucchini, they also like peas, threaded on a stick and love banana! It is good to louster the vegetables or put them on a wooden skewer or an iron wire to prevent them from floating. You can boil them for a few seconds or go to the microwave or simply give the raw flocks. They imperatively need to be able to eat wood, so you need a root or a strain in the tank! This assertion is supported by observations from the doct. Eselkopf of the Humbold University in Berlin who brought ancistrus of an expedition to Colombia in the 1930s and who had found that his ancistrus would quickly die in his aquariums if there was no root at their disposal. Ancistrus poorly support water pollution, and you have to be very careful when using chemical treatments in bins, drugs or others ... They are also very sensitive to copper and phosphates. As they are sometimes quite territorial, it is easier to keep a couple or a male and 2-3 female in a bin of at least 200 liters. On the other hand, they are not at all interested in the other fish in the bac and live very well in a community aquarium. Being quite adaptable, there are ancistrus as well in bins reproducing an African lake whose pH and hardness are high, as in freshwater and acid aquariums.

The ancistrus dolichopterus fish is a freshwater fish from the Loricariidae family, known as ancistrus or fish-nettoyeur of stones. He is from rivers and rivers in South America, where he lives in calm and shallow waters.

The ancistrus dolichopterus fish has an elongated and robust body, with large dorsal and caudal fins which allow it to move easily in the water. Its skin is covered with tiny scales, and it is generally dark brown or grayish color, with lighter spots which give it a spotted appearance.

The ancistrus dolichopterus fish feeds mainly on microorganisms and aquatic plants, which it eaten, rubbing against stones and rocks at the bottom of the water. He also has barbels, kinds of small hairy legs that allow him to move on rocky surfaces and find food.

Ancistrus dolichopterus fish is a peaceful and sociable fish, which can live in community with other freshwater fish in an aquarium. It is also popular in aquarophilia because of its ability to clean the aquarium by feeding on algae and organic debris that accumulate on the walls and the substrate.

The ancistrus dolichopterus fish can reach a size of 30 cm long, although most specimens do not exceed 15 cm. The average lifespan of an ancistrus dolichopterus is around 10 years in captivity, if it is well maintained and fed correctly.

In conclusion, the ancistrus dolichopterus fish is a peaceful and sociable freshwater fish, which is distinguished by its ability to clean the aquarium by feeding on algae and organic debris. It is a fascinating and useful animal for aquariophiles, which can bring life and color to an aquarium.

The female has only a row of short tentacles on the muzzle which is more pointed than in the male; The male has many often forked and clearer tentacles.

BAC without lighting of around 50x30x30 with just a little rock forming a cavity open about 5 cm wide, 20 cm long and 2 clm high, in the darkest corner, a couple formed naturally, water at 28 ° vs. The eggs will be laid on the ceiling of the fitted cave and the male will stand guard in front. Eclosed at 5 days. First food (3 days are necessary to empty the vitalline bag): let float float for 3 days in a very lit bin at 28 ° C, which accelerates the formation of algae. Distribute the lettuce leaves directly in the laying tank. After 3 days, the tank can be lit normally.