Keeping and Breeding Ancistrus sp. 3
Written by Monday, 23 February 2009 00:00
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Ancistrus sp. 3 is well established in the hobby though, regrettably, for the wrong reasons. Most hobbyists acquire the fish as a janitor due to their dietary preferences; the fish are expected to clean the glass and tank furniture off unwanted algae. We have often heard that no other food is offered to them and usually single individuals are kept - as opposed to pairs or colonies - not always with appropriate tank mates.
The demand has further resulted in the fish being extensively bred either in farms or in aquaria. The outcome of this is a number of fish which are dull in colouration, often too easily susceptible to disease or cross bred. There are observable differences between individuals of the same species which may be attributed to the conditions the fish are kept but may also be the result of hybridization. Variations in colour are not necessarily an indication of inappropriate husbandry; the fish often change their base colour to adapt to their environment.
The classification of this fish is unclear. In the past it has been argued that what was commonly referred to in the hobby as Ancistrus sp. 3 was in fact an aquarium form bred from captive stock; this argument remains questionable. The corresponding albino and long fin ancistrus (including albino) forms, Ancistrus sp. 4, Ancistrus sp. 5, albino veil tails etc are fixed aquarium traits. Ancistrus sp. 3 has recently been re-classified as Ancistrus cf cirrhosus; the classification has not yet been accepted as it is rather conjectural. Ancistrus cf cirrhosus (Zawadzki & Carvajal) is used quite often to indicate the same fish as Ancistrus cirrhosus (Valenciennes 1836) and on occasions Ancistrus dolichopterus. To avoid adding to the confusion we have decided to continue using the old designation, Ancistrus sp. 3, until the classification is finalized.
Below we will present our experience of keeping Ancistrus sp. 3. We have kept and bred more than 50 wild caught individuals over a period of time and we feel that some of the things we have observed may be of interest.
General Care
Ancistrus sp. 3 do well in a variety of environments. We have kept them in environments ranging from soft, acidic to neutral water (ph 6.8-7.6, GH2, KH3) to medium hard alkaline water (ph 7.8 - 8.6, GH12, KH 6). The temperature ranged from 26oC to 32oC (in Athens, Greece, in the summer). The fish adapted well, grew well and spawned in all environments, though the best growth was observed in the harder water in Athens.
Though it is important for the fish to have oxygenated water they can stand longer periods of low oxygen levels in the water than other Loricariids. Ancistrus are amongst the species which can use atmospheric air to compensate for lack of oxygen in the water. They can also withstand tough environmental conditions. On one occasion we found an individual hiding in the wet substrate of a tank we had emptied to move. The fish survived in the empty tank for over a month until she was safely removed and joined the rest of the colony. She must have been eating micro-organisms and left overs in the tank as, for the whole period the tank was empty there was no food offered. Other hobbyists have also reported similar experiences they had so it appears this was not an one - off incident.
The preferred water movement is slow. Ancistrus of this type often live in shallow and sometimes muddy waters, hiding under rocks and pieces of wood. A replication of this type of environment will promote spawning activity. Sand substrate is preferable. Good lighting will be appreciated; though the fish will never be seen "busking in the sun" the light will enhance the growth of algae which will keep the water clean in addition to being a really welcomed meal for the fish.
In terms of food, the fish are omnivores. Algae is very much preferred; fresh vegetables and wood are also essential for their diet. Some animal protein is required and the fish show a marked preference to it as they grow older. Ancistrus have long guts indicative of herbivorous fish and it has been reported that the wrong diet can lead to them getting bloat and passing away. We offer ours a balanced diet consisting of both vegetable and animal protein matter. We have observed the best growth rates in fry who consume detritus. As it happens some of the fry who are born in our 1200 lit tank always end up in the sump. They feed on the food and other detritus collected on the filter sponges as the water goes through. These fry grow considerably faster than their siblings which we hand raise or leave with their father in the main tank.
Size is not the only difference we noticed amongst the fry who consume detritus and those that do not. Based on this observation we did an experiment some time ago in Athens. A batch of fry was placed in a 100 lit tank in which we left the detritus collect in the bottom in large quantities (at least 5 cm in depth). The fry were delving in it all day long, eating microorganisms, snail eggs and the red worms that appeared there. We added a portion of 100% spirulina powder daily to ensure sufficient intake of vegetable matter. The Ancistrus were grazing all day long; their growth rate was at least 33% higher than this of their siblings which were kept in the usual tank conditions and fed commercial foods while their colouration was simply amazing.
Although Ancistrus sp. 3 are generally a tough fish, quite able to defend itself against other bottom dwellers, we would recommend careful consideration of its potential tank mates. Peaceful cichlids (such as members of the Heros family) are always a good choice. Apistogrammas, tetras etc are ideal though not required as company. We would recommend avoiding "playful" or aggressive cichlids though as the combination may prove to be fatal for the Ancistrus. On one occasion one of our young P. damii, Rambo, decided the Ancistrus growing up with him were his toys. He started by nipping off their tails just to see them moving fast, then disappear under the wood. In the end, as he could not get the reactions he wanted, he proceeded by being more and more "forceful" with them, until he developed a method to kill them. Bear in mind that the Ancistrus were older than the young damii and that the damii at the time was only about 4-5 months old.
When dealing with other Loricariids the ancistrus are a delight to watch. Each one develops their own method of dealing with other fish and in particular coping with their aggression. The behaviour of one of our males, Mandalay Bay, is worth mentioning. Mandalay will never confront a larger Loricariid challenging him for food. He always gives way, running up the glass of the tank, or over a nearby piece of wood. He watches the aggressor for a while, then he descends near him (or her) and starts pushing their way another, larger piece of food. Once the aggressor goes towards this piece of food Mandalay will return to his own food, grab it and eat it in peace. This happens invariably when cockle, mussel or prawn are offered.
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