Kim&Dan Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 I was wondering if Sailfin Plecos can be bred in captivity at all. All the info I found on the net states that it is virtually impossible to breed them in captivity because they dig caves in the riverbed to spawn... Also, is there any chance of sexing them? :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kookie Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 While I am no expert on catfish, it is MHO that any fish that is happy and has the right conditions etc will breed. What sort of substrate do you have on the bottom of the tank? Are they alone in the tank? I would certainly see it as a challenge, but not impossible. I guess it would come down to mimicking their natural environment as closely as you can. Also I would use some of the other tips I have seen on this site in regards to breeding catfish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Quite a few fish don't breed in captivity because we cannot replicate their natural conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylefish02 Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Breeding = NO Sexing = NO kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new zealand discus man Posted February 26, 2006 Report Share Posted February 26, 2006 Hi To conditions..Just one thing comes to mind about digging in banks.. Modeling clay block with hole already may just well do..but sailfins get big of top self. { Brain if i can find at this time of night } So set up would have to be equal to fish big size.. One of them again..ya never know if ya dont try Cheers Phill Collis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted March 4, 2006 Report Share Posted March 4, 2006 Sailfin plecos HAVE been bred in captivity, where do you think they all come from? Fish farms in rivers in Asia. Matter of fact, there's even reports of them being spawned in thermal water in the Rotorua area. As for sexing them, you hold two side by side and compare the genitalia and it's possible to determine males and females. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PENEJANE Posted March 4, 2006 Report Share Posted March 4, 2006 Females genitalia is often flat with the body while Males will have a noticable bump. This info is at planetcatfish.com but unfortunatly I can't copy and paste due to copyright at the site. Cheers I to thought that maybe with a large tank that is pretty deep you might be able to make up a fiberglass fake mud bank with holes already created. If you are confident in using soil in your tank as substrate add a little bit into each hole. I have no idea at what size they are capable of breeding but I have just got myself my first sailfin plec and I think its totaly awesome! But I am to scared to pick it up lol I have never liked handling big fish! hehehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylefish02 Posted March 4, 2006 Report Share Posted March 4, 2006 First i highly doubt anyone here can sex these guys as it is to the trained eye only.A mud wall is only half the problem as well as tank size and the u would still have to do rainy season so not much point.The commercial bred ones are bred in dams and 1 lady in aus breeds common plecs in her dam but u wont breed them in captivity trust me. kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PENEJANE Posted March 4, 2006 Report Share Posted March 4, 2006 Still no harm in trying. You just never know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted March 4, 2006 Report Share Posted March 4, 2006 There's a formula to figure out necessary tank size for breeding plecostomus depending on body size. For Royal Plecos with a mature size of 38cm that works out to be about 500 litres so a 1500L tank may be sufficient for sailfins. I'd recommend trying to breed a smaller hypostomus/ancistrus/panaque that has a higher value to get a better cost-profit ratio. With sailfins you'd literally spend thousands of dollars getting the set up, while they have an import wholsale price of $8 which means you'll only get probably $3-4 from LFSes for juveniles and would probably never even break even. The thought of setting up a breeding ground in even a thermal area seemed a bit odd to me, but some people do these things just to prove they can. And kyle, I'm not sure what your logic is but even an enclosed river farm is captivity.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new zealand discus man Posted March 4, 2006 Report Share Posted March 4, 2006 Hi Breeding panaque L204 or others like whiptails is far more relistic if you worry about selling later.. Big L204 out of Quarantine on 13th along with Apisto's.. List will be available from next thursday..But please dont post here ..Mail direct to get pricelist. Big shipment arrives from Peru on 11th..But list or whats there will not be availble for 4 weeks..But Apisto's,Corys,Panaque,Loricara whips all different..Cheers Phill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted March 5, 2006 Report Share Posted March 5, 2006 I understand someone was breeding them in Tauranga in pools heated by thermal well about 20 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new zealand discus man Posted March 5, 2006 Report Share Posted March 5, 2006 Hi Would have been John Price's thermal farm Thing now like Aqua something..I did leave message about 12 months back twice to see what was being breed but never got responce.. Cheers Phill Collis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted March 5, 2006 Report Share Posted March 5, 2006 Matter of fact, there's even reports of them being spawned in thermal water in the Rotorua area. yeah, that's the one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted March 5, 2006 Report Share Posted March 5, 2006 The Tauranga breeding was done at Leveridge's, now the HiWay Fisheries, wholesalers. Alan 104 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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