Rocket Tail Loricaria Information?

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SilverArowanaBoi

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Sep 21, 2023
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Hey y'all! I'm considering getting a medium-sized catfish to add to my ever-growing catfish collection, and I'm wondering if anyone keeps them and/or can give me some info on them. I heard they are around 7-8 inches in size but I want more info than that.

Thanks in advance!
 
Not too sure as to what a "rocket tail loricaria" is, and Google's being awfully stubborn about the whole thing. If they are a Loricaria species, then it could be expected of them to be a substrate-dweller, often scooting and shuffling about on the floor (and occasionally half-burying themselves, if given the chance). Substrate should generally be finer sand, and open stretches of it should be given, as they rarely ever leave the bottom, and thus the total amount of used space is often just whatever open ground is available. Bloodworms and occasionally some high-quality prepared foods are readily taken by most of the genus. Seem to lean towards a more carnivorous diet. Not an aggressive eater, and often quickly outcompeted by other fish. Not particularly aggressive or territorial. Water should be reasonably soft, with a slightly acidic pH. Some flow and warmer temps are readily appreciated.
 
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Not too sure as to what a "rocket tail loricaria" is, and Google's being awfully stubborn about the whole thing. If they are a Loricaria species, then it could be expected of them to be a substrate-dweller, often scooting and shuffling about on the floor (and occasionally half-burying themselves, if given the chance). Substrate should generally be finer sand, and open stretches of it should be given, as they rarely ever leave the bottom, and thus the total amount of used space is often just whatever open ground is available. Bloodworms and occasionally some high-quality prepared foods are readily taken by most of the genus. Seem to lean towards a more carnivorous diet. Not an aggressive eater, and often quickly outcompeted by other fish. Not particularly aggressive or territorial. Water should be reasonably soft, with a slightly acidic pH. Some flow and warmer temps are readily appreciated.

Honestly I've also never heard of it, but my local fish store has em and I'm thinking about getting one. Thx for the info!
 
Planiloricaria cryptodon
Are you certain it's P. cryptodon? Thought they were called Spoon-faced Whiptails; can't find much evidence of anything otherwise.

There does seem to be some mention of Pseudohemiodon laticeps as a "rocket-tailed pleco" online; not sure if the common name is used frequently enough to warrant any accurate ID, though.

Only recent mention of a "rocket tail loricaria" I could find is from a fish store's Facebook page, Aquatek Tropical Fish in Austin, Texas. Figure they might be the LFS in question; perhaps sending them a message might be helpful.
 
Are you certain it's P. cryptodon? Thought they were called Spoon-faced Whiptails; can't find much evidence of anything otherwise.

There does seem to be some mention of Pseudohemiodon laticeps as a "rocket-tailed pleco" online; not sure if the common name is used frequently enough to warrant any accurate ID, though.

Only recent mention of a "rocket tail loricaria" I could find is from a fish store's Facebook page, Aquatek Tropical Fish in Austin, Texas. Figure they might be the LFS in question; perhaps sending them a message might be helpful.
To be honest, I’m not 100% certain but have seen P. cryptodon marketed as such. That’s the problem with common names. Also, there is a lot of mixup with importer and wholesalers and retailers and so on.
 
Planiloricaria cryptodon should be the species sold as rocket tail loricaria but that’s not its “common” name and that fish reaches the sizes mentioned. The other, the giant whiptail, pseudohemiodon laticeps gets reasonably bigger, almost 12” in total, I wouldn’t expect a shop to get that detail so wrong, not on small fish anyway.
I would expect care for both to be similar but you need to know which you’re thinking of getting. And neither are fish I would buy in ones, but that’s me.
 
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