Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)
Hi,
John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.
I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.
With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.
I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.
If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.
I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.
I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.
Thank you
Darragh Sherwin
L-66 + L-46
- platty252 (Darren Dalton)
-
Topic Author
- Offline
- Moderator
-
- Posts: 2309
- Thank you received: 127
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Damian_Ireland (Damian_Ireland)
- Offline
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 472
- Thank you received: 7
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- platty252 (Darren Dalton)
-
Topic Author
- Offline
- Moderator
-
- Posts: 2309
- Thank you received: 127
The one to the back of the picture is a L-46 zebra pleco. Hypancistrus zebra.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- serratus (Drew Latimer)
- Offline
- Elite Member
-
- Posts: 937
- Thank you received: 14
it definitely looks like one, as with all plecs, juvs change so much as they mature.so it doesn t have the snow white and ink black straight lines we know zebra plecs to have. the king tiger L066 in the picture looks completely different from an adult fish, so give it a while to grow and im sure it will become a little stunner!
they re are lots of "different" zebra plecs, but i think its the L046 IMO
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
-
- Visitor
-
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- serratus (Drew Latimer)
- Offline
- Elite Member
-
- Posts: 937
- Thank you received: 14
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- platty252 (Darren Dalton)
-
Topic Author
- Offline
- Moderator
-
- Posts: 2309
- Thank you received: 127
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
-
- Visitor
-
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- platty252 (Darren Dalton)
-
Topic Author
- Offline
- Moderator
-
- Posts: 2309
- Thank you received: 127
I have seen the parents and they definitely looked like King tiger pleco's to me.
The guy who Owen's the parents got them in Brazil and he also claimed they were L-66
As for the L134 leopard frog pleco's, i got them in 2 different LFS. I don't know if they were wild caught or not and are all similar in colouring, only the dark pattern varies slightly. But this is normal for plec's
P.S. apistodiscus Congratulations to your old man with the Zeb's

How many fry did he get and when were they born?
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Anthony (Anthony)
-
- Visitor
-
The L-66 in the picture are F1.
I have seen the parents and they definitely looked like King tiger pleco's to me.
The guy who Owen's the parents got them in Brazil and he also claimed they were L-66
As for the L134 leopard frog pleco's, i got them in 2 different LFS. I don't know if they were wild caught or not and are all similar in colouring, only the dark pattern varies slightly. But this is normal for plec's
P.S. apistodiscus Congratulations to your old man with the Zeb's
How many fry did he get and when were they born?
1 Can the Frogs be bred.
2 Weldone to your father. Is he selling any

Please Log in to join the conversation.
- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
-
- Visitor
-

L-134 can be bred and it's not supposed to be particularly hard.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- serratus (Drew Latimer)
- Offline
- Elite Member
-
- Posts: 937
- Thank you received: 14
our L134s are wildcaught, directly imported from brazil. i would say the other specimens were wild as well as Lno plecs are expensive when captive bred.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Anthony (Anthony)
-
- Visitor
-

By the way Serratus I got a cool Snowball in your place on Monday.
You were missing.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- serratus (Drew Latimer)
- Offline
- Elite Member
-
- Posts: 937
- Thank you received: 14
yeh im now off mon & tues got in blue phantom plecs L128s @3" very nice mostly full big spot type first import of the new year is 7 jan. have scobys L014 on order what size do you want me to get?
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Anthony (Anthony)
-
- Visitor
-
Always loved the Scobis. Give me a bell when you get them.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- JohnH (John)
-
- Offline
- Administrator
-
- Posts: 6067
- Thank you received: 857
Obviously an up-to-date publication would be best...
As I'm in UK for the Christmas (and a trawl around LFSs!!!) I might be able to find one (if one is available) over here (if I knew what to ask for).
Cheers,
John
Location:
N. Tipp
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
ITFS member.
It's a long way to Tipperary.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- platty252 (Darren Dalton)
-
Topic Author
- Offline
- Moderator
-
- Posts: 2309
- Thank you received: 127
These are more like quick reference books that will give you a basic guide to caring for plecos. They are way over priced.
There is also Loricariidae; the tricks of the trade by Larry Vires.(1999)
I don't think you will find this on a book shelf since i have only ever seen this on A4 paper with a staple holding it together.
If you do come across it, it is a very good read.
It covers different breeding techniques, diet, filtration and general care.
The only drawback is it only covers about 8 different species.
There may be other books available but these are the only one's i am aware off.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
-
- Visitor
-
try DATZ L numbers book. all l numbers 1-385 in it. It cost 19 pounds sterling and it's available in English.
Holger
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- JohnH (John)
-
- Offline
- Administrator
-
- Posts: 6067
- Thank you received: 857
Found it on US site...on its way.
Thanks Holger, am trying for this one - found it for £13.95 (carriage paid) but cannot pay by Laser, will have to get this elsewhere.
John
Location:
N. Tipp
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.
ITFS member.
It's a long way to Tipperary.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
- Anthony (Anthony)
-
- Visitor
-
Are they eating :?:
Please Log in to join the conversation.