Queen Arabesque Loricariid - L260 - Hypancistrus sp. DNZ

The beautifully marked Queen Arabesque catfish or Arabesque catfish (Hypancistrus sp.) L 260 from the Rio Tapajos in Brazil remains relatively small with a final size of up to 12 cm. The arabesque-like fine light markings on a dark background are striking: spirals, curved lines, small dots and on the beautiful large fins ending in a clear stripe. In juveniles the stripes are still somewhat coarser, with age the pattern becomes very fine. Females usually have a more or less unpatterned belly, but males tend to show a faint pattern on the belly side as well.

The Queen Arabesque Hare Catfish is a hiding brooder or cave breeder and can be bred in an appropriately set up, well filtered aquarium. Even in a community tank breeding can work - but for a specific breeding species tanks are certainly the better choice. The female of the L 260 Queen Arabesque loricariid lays 10 to 25 eggs in a cave, the male takes over the brood care. The number of eggs depends on the feeding condition of the catfish. Frozen food and sinking live food increase the brood readiness, the young fish are raised with Artemia nauplii. The young Queen Arabesque need stable water values.

Here you can buy German offspring of the Arabesque Loricariid.

This Hypancistrus sp. is a very compatible small loricariid, which can be kept in pairs as well as in small groups. For a pair an aquarium with an edge length of 80 cm is already sufficient, a small group should be kept in a tank from 100 cm. Also with other peaceful fishes and other loricariids the Queen Arabesque loricariid can be well socialized, also Shrimp are - provided suitable water values - good partners in the aquarium. The L260 may hybridize with the L46 and L333, so these catfish should not be kept together. With crayfish and crabs, on the other hand, problems occur from time to time - the catfish occupy the same aquarium area and may therefore be caught and eaten.

In the aquarium these loricariid catfish should have soft wood available for scraping , especially bog pine roots are very suitable for this purpose. Fiber from the wood is essential for the Queen Arabesque to survive! There should be significantly more caves or other hiding places available than catfish live in the aquarium.

The water in the aquarium can be soft to medium hard, but the Queen Arabesque Pleco needs a fairly high water temperature of 26-30 °C. The aquarium must be well filtered, as the L260 likes clean water.

With its sucking mouth the L260 rasps off algae, biofilms and other growth, but as a typical omnivore it also likes to eat green food, soft vegetables and brown autumn leaves. Frozen food and of course special sinking food tablets for loricariid catfish are also readily accepted by the Queen Arabesque loricariid catfish.

The Arabesque Loricariid does not usually go for plants, but it may not be able to resist the succulent broad leaves of Echinodorus . Give adequate amounts of greens and vegetables, and the damage can be somewhat contained

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.