So, I'm getting ready to stock a 100 I'm cycling right now. My LFS has a Blue Phantom pleco for $80.00. They also have a Gold Nugget for $40.00. We've had a G.N., but it died. Which is the hardier fish that doesn't require as specialized of a diet? The wife reallllllly wants the B.P., and I don't mind spending the cash, but I don't want to buy a fish that needs to be fed Unicorn blood just to stay alive. Also, do the prices seem reasonable?
Blue phantom pleco?
- Thread starter mcsnapper1
- Start date
Let me make one suggestion in regards to acquiring unicorn blood, buy lots of drift wood and place it in your tank. Drift wood has unicorn blood in it and they plecos will suck it out of the wood. How big is this blue phantom, price seems a little high unless it's a good +6". The price on the gold nugget is about right for a lfs.
L128 go for around $50.00 here. Seems high.
Hardy and easy fish. Lots of medium density wood and general omnivore diet. They are also food-aggressive so easier to feed in a busy tank than many other plecs. All of them turn green here, our water is very soft. Their color changes along with the pH changes in their natural distribution by point of collection. Nobody is sure whether or not this indicates a variability in color due to pH changes or some other factor. But I'd love to spawn a pair in soft water and a pair in hard water and see if the fry come out different...
Hardy and easy fish. Lots of medium density wood and general omnivore diet. They are also food-aggressive so easier to feed in a busy tank than many other plecs. All of them turn green here, our water is very soft. Their color changes along with the pH changes in their natural distribution by point of collection. Nobody is sure whether or not this indicates a variability in color due to pH changes or some other factor. But I'd love to spawn a pair in soft water and a pair in hard water and see if the fry come out different...
Agreed that the price is a bit steep on L128, but they are definitely a hardier fish than any of the gold nuggets. You can find L128 much cheaper from internet retailers, but if you'd like to stick with a LFS I'd recommend trying to talk them down in price. If you take a few, you might be able to negotiate a better rate.