Panaqolus albivermis – L204
In this article I am going to talk about one of the most beloved Loricariidae species, the Panaqolus albivermis – L204 which was previously the Panaque sp. L204 or the ‘Flash pleco’. This is a real beauty, especially when they are young, they have beautiful colors and a beautiful pattern. Unfortunately, as they mature, they lose most of the golden bands that run across their bodies, turning almost completely black. You should know that the L204 is in the top 3 of yours truly’s favorite fish species!
Origin
Panaqolus albivermis – L204 comes from Peru, more specifically from the Rio Alejandro, Marañón and Ucayali. These are rivers that are located somewhat higher than most South American rivers. They are located on the slopes of the Andes mountains. You would therefore expect a somewhat lower temperature here than that of, for example, the Rio Xingu, but nothing could be further from the truth! Here too the temperature is around 28 to 30 degrees Celsius with a cooler period of about 24 degrees Celsius. That said, the habitat of the L204 does differ greatly in other respects from most South American rivers. Especially when it comes to the water values, we encounter almost Tanganyian scenes here. The pH in these rivers can rise to 8.6, where the conductivity is around 200 microsiemens and the hardness can also increase considerably, up to 15 gh! However, we do not have to imitate these conditions in the aquarium. The L204 has great adaptability and will perform well in aquariums with a pH value somewhere between 6.5 and 8.5 and a hardness of between 3 and 15 GH. Because of this, and its relatively short maximum length, this species is very easy to keep (and breed) in most aquariums!
The genus Panaque consists of 40 different species, of which 11 have been scientifically described at the time of writing. Of these, 2 species enjoy a special status of fame, namely Panaqolus maccus and Panaque nigrolineatus. A while ago, a number of German ichthyologists from the aquarium magazine DATZ came up with the idea to separate all small Panaque species from their larger brothers and divide them into a new genus, Panaqolus. The Panaque maccus and also the L204 were classified in this new genus. PlanetCatfish soon followed suit and adopted this theory. Today, all the smaller Panaque species have been returned to the original genus, as the most esteemed scientists and ichthyologists disagreed with this development. So it remains Panaque, the idea of a new genus Panaqolus is outdated and is hardly used nowadays.
You can best recognize a Panaque by its teeth. The suction mouth is armed with very strong teeth that have the shape of a spoon. Panaque species desperately need these teeth to scrape off their favorite food. They mainly eat wood, which is what they are completely attuned to. Unlike most Loricariidae, which scrape bits of wood to regulate their digestion, Panaque species extract nutritious particles from the wood. It will therefore not surprise you that the habitat of the L204 and all other Panaque species is littered with dead wood that has sunk to the bottom. The Panaques apparently are not satisfied with this. There are stories of local fishermen who have to passively watch as Panaques damage their canoes and even destroy entire jetties! As a result, Panaques are not popular with the locals, but they cannot actually blame the fish. After all, they make their own canoes from Yucca wood, which is the favorite type of wood for every Panaque! In the wild they also eat algae, hanging leaves and animal food.
The Aquarium
As mentioned, the L204 is easy to keep in the aquarium. The fish grows to about 14 cm and therefore needs at least an aquarium of about 200 liters. The bright gold bands on the body will make the fish stand out in the aquarium, even if you make it a dark tank. When the L204 is young, it is very tolerant. As the fish ages, it will become more and more territorial. It is therefore important not to combine this robust fish species with smaller or more fragile bottom dwellers.
The water quality is not very important, the L204 will feel fine with neutral water values, such as that which comes from our tap. Naturally, wood is on the menu as food. It is important to replace the pieces of wood regularly, as wood can be eaten by these fish at breakneck speed. In addition, you can feed the well-known vegetables and occasionally some animal food is highly appreciated. Be careful with back walls! Panaques can chew through your expensive back wall in no time!
The L204 has been commercially available since 1996. In the same year, DATZ’s fish was assigned L number 204. Since then, several attempts have been made to scientifically describe this fish and give it a species name, but unfortunately there was no consensus on that species name and the fish remains undescribed.
The gender distinction is not visible in young fish. Only when the fish reach 8 cm can the gender be determined. The males then get a very hairy or spiky tail, the female does not get this, or to a much lesser extent. Further odontodes on the body provide no support. Both male and female L204 have equally sized gill odontodes and the odontodes on the pectoral fins are barely present. Furthermore, adult females are much plumper and rounder than males, which is best seen from above. The spiky rear part of the body therefore remains the clearest feature!
Breeding Panaqolus albivermis – L204
The breeding of L204 is quite simple compared to other species of Loricariidae. Osmosis water is not necessary for this species. If necessary, the hardness can be reduced somewhat with peat in the filter, but a GH of 5 or 6 is fine for breeding, so that is not always necessary. This depends on the values of the tap water you use. What is very important when breeding L204 (and when breeding all species of Loricariidae) is patience. ‘Triggering’ the laying of eggs is almost impossible. Certain people have conducted tests in this area, including enormous, cooler water changes, high and low air pressure areas and temperature differences, but there appears to be no ‘trigger’ effect.
The breeding tank is best set up with a thin layer of sand on the bottom and lots and lots of driftwood in the tank. It is best to use multiple types of wood, as Panaques obtain different nutrients from each type of wood. The use of small and larger stones in the breeding tank is also to be welcomed. The fish can eat quietly between stones, without the strong current blowing away all the food in front of them. As usual, a strong current is also required here. It is best to place the nesting caves with the opening against the current, so that fresh water is blown through the cave. Nesting caves for the L204 should be approximately 15 to 18 cm long, 3 to 4 cm wide and closed on 1 side.
Water values are therefore relatively less important in breeding, but should certainly not be ignored. Panaques produce a lot of organic waste and it is therefore advisable to change the water 2 or 3 times a week, so that the nitrate content does not exceed 5 mg/l. In addition, the gas exchange of the water is of such importance that it should not be overlooked. CO2 must be kept as low as possible. You can achieve this by having a wave maker blow on the surface and by changing the water as often as possible. Oxygen (O2) must be present as much as possible, this is sometimes difficult to achieve in a breeding tank where the temperature is kept between 27 and 29 degrees Celsius!
An ideal breeding group consists of 3 or 4 males and 5 or 6 females. For such a group of these fish, a tank of 300 to 500 liters is recommended, for example an aquarium with the following dimensions: 160x60x50
Females in the breeding group will not show any interest in the spawning caves. The males, on the other hand, will immediately move in and if you pay close attention at this time, you may witness one of the most beautiful and striking reproductive strategies among the Loricariidae specifically and among aquarium fish in general. At this time, the males will try to lure the females into the den with their tail filaments (the ‘strings’ they carry at the top and bottom of the tail). If a female shows interest, she will lie diagonally next to the cave and the tail filaments of both male and female will hook together and touch each other. This process can take several hours. Eventually the female will enter the cave and the male will block her exit. She will be forced to lay the eggs and then be allowed to leave the cave. The male takes on the role of caretaker and will only leave the cave and eat when the young begin to hatch. The father is a very good father! He will do everything he can to protect his brood. Unlike Hypancistrus and Peckoltia species, Panaques never eat their own eggs or young. It can happen that the male throws the eggs out of the nesting hole. This usually happens if the male is disturbed too much, or if the water quality suddenly deteriorates significantly.
The eggs hatch after 6 or 7 days and the young then live on their yolk sac for about 12 days, depending on the temperature. As soon as the yolk sac is used up, there must be wood in the breeding tank or rearing tank. Without wood, many young will die and if they do survive, they will grow considerably slower. After 4 weeks the young will already be close to 2 cm! And as mentioned, the youngsters are beautiful in color, much more beautiful than the parents and that must be very cool, a breeding tank full of black gold!
Author
Tim
Copyright images
Tim
