L387 - magnificent dwarf catfish - Ancistomus sp. DNZ 4-6 cm

Ancistomus sp. L 387 is a loricariid catfish from the upper Rio Meta catchment area in Venezuela in South America. The splendor dwarf shield catfish L 387 comes occasionally as bycatch of Ancistomus sp. L 147 into the import. On a sandy to reddish body ground color the catfish shows a dark spotted pattern in the head area, which changes into a dark banding in the rear area. The adult females are clearly more stocky, the males rather longer and slender.

Aquariums, in which Ancistomus are maintained, should not be illuminated excessively brightly , should this become nevertheless necessary because of the plants or for optical reasons, a good structuring with differently large stones and roots contributes very much to the well-being of the splendor dwarf shield catfishes. In the structures the catfish find retreat possibilities and the roots and stones serve the L 387 as resting places. An edge length of at least 100 cm is recommended for these catfish. Plants with rather soft foliage like stem plants can only be used to a limited extent, here you should definitely switch to firm and robust plants. Anubias, Cryptocoryne and Javafarn hold themselves in an aquarium with the splendor dwarf shield catfish usually quite properly.

The breeding of this beautiful loricariid catfish has been successful several times in aquaristics. The main trigger for spawning here is a frequent water change with soft, slightly acidic water and an additional current. Ancistomus are cave spawners, the number of eggs in the clutch can already be in the three-digit range with Ancistomus sp. L 387.

Ancistomus should be maintained in soft to medium hard water. A water temperature of approx. 25-29 °C is considered ideal. The splendor dwarf shield catfishes are with an average of 14 cm in the middle size range. A group of 4-6 Ancistomus sp. L 387 should be offered a tank of 150 l or more. Single keeping is also possible with this catfish, accordingly the aquarium can be planned smaller.

Since these loricariids are very peaceful catfishes, they can be kept very well in a community tank. Shrimps, snails, smaller tetras, other peaceful small schooling fish and also other catfish species complement each other very well with the splendor dwarf shield catfish.

Ancistomus sp. L 387 are omnivores. As bottom feeding fish they need sinking food. In addition to tablet foods and cookies, Pracht Dwarf Shield Catfish will also happily take sinking live foods or frozen foods in the aquarium. Vegetable food should definitely be included several times a week as well.

Our food recommendation: The NatureHolic Catfish Feed for all aufwuchs feeding sucking catfish in the aquarium is a balanced tablet food, which does not cloud the water and the fish like to eat. The catfish tablets also contain NatureHolic active ingredient complexes that provide sucking catfish with everything they need for a strong immune system, healthy growth and great, contrasting coloration. As a snack, supplemental food or vacation food, we recommend the CatfishPlates.

Our plant recommendation: Use for planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planarians 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.