L201 - Orinoco Angelfish - Hypancistrus sp. 6cm

Hypancistrus sp. L 201 is a loricariid catfish from the upper Orinoco River in Venezuela, South America. In the Orinoco Angelfish the size of the light spots on the otherwise dark brown to black body varies. In juveniles the bright spots appear larger than in adult L 201. Often Hypancistrus sp. L 201 is also confused with other Hypancistrus species, for example Hypancistrus inspector and Hypancistrus contradens. With a final size of about 10 cm, this pretty, rather shy and reclusive loricariid does not grow excessively large.

Aquariums in which this still undetermined Hypancistrus species is to be maintained should be rather sparsely lit . With brighter light, good structuring with stones and roots should be planned, which allows the beautiful loricariid catfish retreats and resting places. This contributes immensely to the well-being of the pretty catfish. An aquarium length of 80 cm is sufficient for the Orinoco Angelfish. Soft plants are eaten by the young fish, while adult Hypancistrus sp. L 201 hardly touch plants. In an aquarium with young Hypancistrus sp. L201 you should use hard-leaved plants, which are not so tasty for the fish - Anubias, Javafarn or also Cryptocorynen are a good choice here.

Under optimal conditions, the breeding of the beautifully brightly spotted loricariid is no problem. To get the Orninoco Angelfish in spawning mood, the water should be soft, the temperature should be increased to 30 °C and frequent water changes should be performed. A stronger current also favors spawning. Hypancistrus are cave spawners, the fry is guarded by the male. Raising the fry is not particularly difficult. The diet of the fry should include frozen food as well as vegetable food.

The water in an aquarium with Hypancistrus sp. L201 should be soft to medium hard. A water temperature of about 26-30 °C is ideal.
Since the Orinoco Angelfish, like all catfishes in aquaristics, are very peaceful fellows, they can be kepttogether very well with shrimps, snails, smaller tetras, danios or carpids and also with other catfishes . It is not recommended to keep them with other Hypancistrus species, because there is a risk of hybridization. Also crayfish, which inhabit the same habitat as the catfish, are not really suitable as aquarium mates.

The bottom-oriented Hypancistrus sp. L201 are omnivores, but in adolescence they need a large proportion of vegetable food. They can be fed very well with sinking catfish tablet food and also with bottom-living live food and with frozen food . 

Our food recommendation: The NatureHolic Catfish Feed is a professionally formulated complete food especially for all sucking catfish. The food tabs contain important dietary fibers such as chitin and plant fibers, which are essential for the survival of catfish for a well-functioning digestion. With strong proteins from insect larvae as well as carbohydrate-rich vegetables NatureHolic Catfish Feed provides all sucking catfish optimally with all important building materials for a fast and healthy growth. The extra hard chips can be scraped off by the catfish close to nature - here they really have to do something for their food! An occupation like in nature.

Our plant recommendation: Use for planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planaria and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.