L128 - Blue Phantom - Hemiancistrus spec

The Hemiancistrus sp.  L 128 is also known as Blue Phantom, Blue Phantom Cat fish or Blue Antenna Cat fish - this is an unusually beautifully colored antenna catfish for the aquarium. The strikingly dark colored catfish with the large bluish spots belongs to a still undetermined species and originates from the Rio Orinoco in Venezuela and Colombia / South America. It grows over 25 cm in the aquarium.

The Blue Phantom Loricariid can be well socialized with fan shrimp or dwarf shrimp, as well as with peaceful small to large fish. Crayfish, crabs or large-armed shrimp, on the other hand, are not a good choice as aquarium mates. If not enough hiding places are available, the Blue Phantom Antenna Catfish can be somewhat bossy towards conspecifics as well as towards other aquarium inhabitants, a good structure with many caves and stone crevices is therefore mandatory in the aquarium. Sand or fine rounded gravel has proven itself as a substrate. Particularly well - because of similar demands on temperature, water quality and aquarium size - works for example the socialization with discus.

The L 128 can be kept in a correspondingly large aqu arium in a small group. For this the aquarium should have at least 150 cm length. The water values play only a rather subordinate role, as long as the water is soft to medium hard, clean and its oxygen content is very high. A minimum temperature of 25 °C, better 28-33 °C is also mandatory.

Hemiancistrus sp. L 128 likes to eat vegetables, green food and algae as well as frozen food or special catfish tablets, catfish chips, wafers, pellets or tabs. Plants like Echinodorus are partly eaten. The Blue Phantom Antenna Catfish also rasps off algae coverings with enthusiasm, and the sucker catfish also likes to eat leftover flake food or granulated food.

The males of the Blue Phantom Antenna Catfish can be distinguished from the females quite easily with a little skill: The leading edge of the pectoral fin is covered with stronger odontodes on male L 128, and their heads are a little wider than those of females. Females are also noticeably more proper around the waist.

Breeding of the Blue Phantom Loricariid has been successful in the aquarium on several occasions. The female likes to lay her clutch in a one-sided enclosed burrow at full moon, where the male fertilizes and then fans the spawn, providing brood care until the Blue Phantom larvae hatch from the eggs in the burrow. The young eat decapsulated Artemia and fine food tablets.

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.