Basic care guide to keep leopard frog plecos, L134, Peckoltia compta, imperial tiger pleco
Rough notes below, a lot more info in video!
How to prepare vegetables for fish:
Other L134 Care Guide • Leopard Frog Pleco Car...
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Pleco's eating cucumber: / watchv=pdzmol9ari8&ab_...
Pleco's eating zucchini: / watchv=bdtruu9wxsk&ab_...
Pleco's destroy more zucchini: / watchv=clpgj6dvco&ab_c...
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Leopard Frog Plecos L134 Peckoltia compta (Imperial Tiger Pleco)
Native to the Amazon basin, Brazil
Largest collection of them swim in the Rio Jamanxim and Rio Tapajós tributaries
Characteristics
Typical suckermouth or pleco head, mouth on the bottom and uses it to latch onto rocks, driftwood or the side of the aquarium with the eyes on top
Their body is thickest at the head and gets significantly thinner behind their dorsal fin
The very edges of their fins get semi-translucent which gives them a neat look
white and sometimes yellow body with oddly, vertically shaped black stripes which get broader towards the tail
the stripes can vary in shape, they can be broken
older specimens have more stripes and darker
Nocturnal and are a lot more active with the aquarium lights off
Hang out on the bottom of aquarium
Lifespan of 8-10 years
Smaller sized pleco, will have most its growth in the first year
Max size of 3.5-4.5 inches
Peaceful fish but can get territorial with other plecos if its overcrowded or breeding
Like to hide out in dark areas, caves, rock work, under driftwood
Apparently they are plant friendly
I have seen them tear up java fern to bits and pieces before so I would be cautious when it comes to keep them in a planted tank (might be fine when keeping a single specimen with lots of vegetation in its diet)
Floating plants would do well
expensive species of pleco
Aquarium
Stable and consistent water parameters, they are incredibly susceptible to stress due to fluctuating water conditions
warm water that is well oxygenated, soft
come from rivers that are fast flowing but sometimes found in shallow still water
pH 5 - 7.5
6-10 dH
Temperature 76-84F
Minimum 30 gallons
Larger surface space on the bottom the better
A lot of caves, rockwork, driftwood (pleco caves, pvc tubing and ceramic water spikes work well)(important and makes them feel safe throughout the day)
Dim lighting
Soft and sandy substrate
Replacing 25 percent of your tank’s water with treated water once a week can help you promote your fish’s well-being
Diet
There are a number of foods you can feed Leopard Frog plecos, which makes this one of the easiest parts of their care
These fish are omnivores and should be given a diet that consists of both plant and protein-rich foods
Huge misconception that plecos are aquarium cleaners and algae eaters, they do not pursue it aggressively and might just graze on it from time to time
It is false as they produce a lot of waste and require a varied diet with vegetation and protein
I give mine cucumber, zucchini, shrimp pellets and blood worms regularly
Spinach, lettuce and shelled peas also do well
They go for flakes and pleco wafers as well (but not an everyday thing)
Omnivore
As with all plecos, make sure they are getting food and are well fed
They are docile when it comes to eating and other community fish tend to eat all the food up first
Breeding
Males develop small teeth-like odontodes which adorn the leading pectoral fin rays and the back half of the fishes body. Females remain unadorned and have a wider girth across the body most evident when the area just behind the pectoral fins is viewed from above
Cave spawner
can be bred in aquariums
these guys will start to breed at that two and a half to the three-year mark
make sure the tank has caves or create them with rocks and driftwood
lower water temperature slightly to trigger breeding
females lay the eggs in the cave and the males will fertilize and guard them and become territorial at this time
Leopard Frog Plecos lay about 25 - 40 eggs each time they breed
males will be in the cave head first the you will notice his fins “fanning”
the eggs will take about 7 days to hatch
feed the fry with baby brine shrimp
Once the fry are strong enough, they will escape the cave and will attach to driftwood or glass in the aquarium. The fry usually stays together in a cluster in a single spot until they grow to half an inch in length
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