Brown Patches on Ancistrus sp.(4)

Hi guys, I have 7 Ancistrus sp.(4) that I've had since they were 1" (they are now about 3.5-4"). When they were about 2" I noticed that one of them had a brown patch of approx 1mm diameter near its lip. I couldn't figure out what had happened at the time and it appeared suddenly. Today I've noticed that another of them has a brown patch of a similar size between its eyes. It has also appeared suddenly. The fish are in a Malawi cichlid tank that is 4ft and 210l. The water params are good: no ammonia or nitrites, and the nitrates are about 30ppm which is the same as my tap water. The pH of the water is quite high due to it being a Malawi cichlid tank. They are fed on Hikari algae wafers and Tetra plecomin tablets. They also eat food that the cichlids miss which is ZM premium granular. Do you have any reasons as to why this is happening? The only conclusion that I can think of is some sort of genetic fault as I know that they originate from a hybrid. I thought that stress may have been a factor, but the first fish developed the patch when I had it in a peaceful community tank, and they cichlids ignore the BNs anyway. I also thought it may have been a heater burn. but due to the positioning of the patch that's practically impossible.

I'd love to know what you think.

cheers,
Ben

If you can post some pics it may help, at the moment I can't say it's something I've seen or heard of.

As you say it could be genetic, I have seen young Super Reds develop dark patches and spotting but it was while still quite small long before the size of yours.

Thanks, I can't upload any pics ATM, as my computer is playing up, but the patches look exactly like in second pic of mmccannon's post in this thread: http://www.bristlenoseworld.com/t3658-jan-feb-potm-competition

That looks like a wound to me possibly caused by a male, but I may be wrong and it could be just a patch. mmccannon probably will not be on again untill tomorrow and can then confirm which it is.

Are your fish showing these marks male or female I'm assuming they don't look like wounds on your fish.

Both of the fish are male that have the marks. They don't look like wounds, they just look like a little speckle on the skin. I didn't notice any wounds before they appeared.

My intentions were to sell the other fish once I have a sexable pair (which I do now). Will these marks have any impact on the price I'd be able to get for them?

Hi,these marks are just a genetic patch unfortunately.They are just a brown patch and especialy if they are hybrid they are more likely to show them.Nothing to worry about and will depend on who wants to buy them as to the cost or rehoming.Breeders will probably want to avoid them but others probably wont be bothered.You could sell them to your fish store with no problem then it would be up to the buyer.A breeder will know what he/she is looking for most of the time.

P.S If you are keeping a pair from this batch for breeding they will probably produce more of these,especialy if they are siblings?

I'm not sure if they are related or not. They are from 2 different spawns, but they might have been from the same parents. Considering what you said I might sell all of them, and buy some calico BNs. At least then I won't have to worry about brown patches lol. I haven't come across the calico BNs before, are they similar to the L144s with regards to size and requirements? And what sort of price would I be looking at to buy an adult one?

Hi again,I love the calicos,some shops call them black and red bristlenoses and some call them marble.See my boy in my avatar? He is a lovely calico with lots of bright orange on him.You don't see them like him very often they are usualy quite a bit darker but they are still lovely.It depends on size and where you go as to price but for a baby it would cost you about £7 and for an adult anywhere up to £20 approx but from a breeder you may get them cheaper.

Ben M wrote:

I haven't come across the calico BNs before, are they similar to the L144s with regards to size and requirements? And what sort of price would I be looking at to buy an adult one?

The calico is another colour morph and the size and requirements are just the same.

Thanks guys, do you know of any breeders in East Yorkshire?

No sorry.if you weren't so far away you could have some of mine for a good price when they are ready,that's their dad in my avatar.

You could try Aquarist Classifieds , sometimes even with the cost of postage can be cheaper than buying at a LFS.

A lot of calicos are often sold as being LDA16's.

I've looked on aquarist classifieds and there aren't any local, so I'll have to look for someone who'll post. Would you consider posting fish Bristlenoses?

If you can find a seller who guarantees delivery or refund for D.O.A, usually less postage, then I would say yes.

There are risks to posting any fish and some sellers will only sell at buyers risk, but there are a lot of fish sent with no problems. This time of year is not really the best though due to the cold weather.

Hi to all!

Am on business trip at the moment, and for some reason I cannot see any pictures in the topic. Maybe on Thursday, when I return home.

Just as I read the topic, could not stop laughing about the mark in between the eyes. If it is true, you have a treasure in your tank: an Ancistrus with chakra.

Hi Ben i am sorry but i don't post any fish.It will be a couple month before my fry are ready to go also.