# LF: Golden Nugget Pleco, Male Bushynose Pleco



## Sharkbait (Jun 15, 2010)

So I made the error of purchasing my albino bushynose plecos from a LFS and they turned out to be female...so...no bushynose! Plus...it was $30 for ONE. Yeah....never again.

Was curious where I can find the following:

Golden Nugget Pleco
Bushynose Pleco (Male), Either long or short-finned
Albino Bushynose, Long-finned

How much? 

Cheers!
-Aaron


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Canadian Aquatics (Pat) can supply you with L144, long finned, short finned albinos..whichever. I don't think anyone currently has Gold Nuggets, but you might want to check with Charles.


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## kirkdgxp (Apr 21, 2010)

There are no gold nuggets around right now...I have been trying to get them in for 3 months now


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## milkton (Apr 21, 2010)

.. i had a gold nugget recently.. till my dad put it in the pirhana tank to clean the the 65G, never seen it since


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## josephl (Apr 21, 2010)

Is this what you guys are looking for?


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## ibenu (Apr 21, 2010)

YUP Thats a gold nugget (small dot one)


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## Sharkbait (Jun 15, 2010)

Yeah, thanks for the tease.

How much do these guys normally go for? They aren't part of the ridiculously expensive pleco collection are they? I'm trying to keep some 'smaller' yet 'cool-looking' plecos to satisfy discus.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Gold Nuggets aren't going to fit your "small" criteria unfortunately. If you want small, affordable and cool, try the Hypancistrus. They stay below 5" usually. L333, L066, L129, L340, L046 (not affordable though). They're meat eaters and like higher temps. The Gold Nuggets while nice, is not especially cheap (>$40 I think, even for small ones), and grow to fairly good size (like > 12" eventually, but will take a few years). Baryancistrus sp. (L018) • Loricariidae • Cat-eLog • PlanetCatfish


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## Sharkbait (Jun 15, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> Gold Nuggets aren't going to fit your "small" criteria unfortunately.


Strange...it was a recommended pleco for discus. Is there a dwarf version of this pleco?

I think I may have the names mixed up (which I can assume is normal for plecos)...

With more research, I think it's the starlight bushynose? Does that sound better?


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## kirkdgxp (Apr 21, 2010)

Max size of a gold nugget in the wild is 8 inches....I have never seen them that big in a tank....usually 4-6 inches....to reach full size about 5 years....total life expectancy is 25 years...and yes they are not cheap...and not very good travelers at all....high death rate...If you can find one that has been in the LFS or the wholesaler for a month....then take the chance.....If they just came in don't bother....Charles does not carry gold nuggets....Go see Charles at Canadian Aquatics...he is the Pleco guy and will be able to steer you in the right direction...you won't beat his selection and pricing.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

kirkdgxp said:


> Max size of a gold nugget in the wild is 8 inches


Here's one in the wild: http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=153

Edited it, as that page seems only available to members. One of the pictures show a 14" captured in the wild. Agreed that they do not grow that big in captivity, and it'll take 5 - 10 years, but discus are long lived also, so unless you plan to sell them when they get bigger, they won't fit the criteria. The other parameters fit discus tanks, as long as you have a tank big enough to handle the bioload. If you have a 100+ gallon tank, 10" or so is not so big, but they are a bit delicate and pricey. If you like the Baryancistrus, get an L200a. They stay well under 8" in captivity (although a coupe of guys have 9 inchers on planetcatfish). L239's (Blue Panaque) are also Baryancistrus and like high temps. They stay below 5".


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## josephl (Apr 21, 2010)

The picture that I posted is actually 1 of 4 that I have in my discus tank and as Kirk says, once they are established, they are pretty tough. 

Mine have withstood temperature of up to 92 degrees in summer in my house without any ill effects. They do grow quite slowly though even though they eat like pigs. Mine actually come out of hiding and swim up to worm feeder when I feed live black worms. 

Kirk is right, when they first come in, they generally have shrunken stomachs and some recover and some don't. You generally have 3 choices, buy a few and hope some make it, wait for a bit and see if they survive at the store but odds are, they will sell out quickly so you would have to go to option 1 or option 3 is to get it from someone that you trust, e.g. Charles that will make sure the fish is eating before he sells it to you. Just give him a deposit. 

They have also never bothered my discus.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

How big are yours now Joseph? Can't really tell from the pics. And what size were they when you got them?

Edit: I guess that's where common names trip you (me) up. There are 4 different L numbers called Gold Nuggets. L18, L81, L85 and and L177. I believe the the L18 is well under a foot fully grown.


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## Sharkbait (Jun 15, 2010)

If the Golden Nugget is as you guy say pretty hard to find in good quality, what do you know of Starlight Bushynose? ...Starry Night Bushynose? (Are they the same?)

Are they more easy to find? I hear they don't get that big and are good with discus.


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## Adz1 (Apr 21, 2010)

kirkdgxp said:


> Max size of a gold nugget in the wild is 8 inches....I have never seen them that big in a tank....usually 4-6 inches....to reach full size about 5 years....total life expectancy is 25 years...and yes they are not cheap...and not very good travelers at all....high death rate...If you can find one that has been in the LFS or the wholesaler for a month....then take the chance.....If they just came in don't bother....Charles does not carry gold nuggets....Go see Charles at Canadian Aquatics...he is the Pleco guy and will be able to steer you in the right direction...you won't beat his selection and pricing.


Agreed.....


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## Chappy (Apr 21, 2010)

Gary is absolutely correct - I have been having great luck with two L200a's in my 90 gallon with my wild discus along with an LDA33. I keep the tank at 89 degrees and the plecos don't mind at all. I saw one L220a on the side of a discus, just once, and trust me - it didn't last long......the discus flung the pleco right off. The only problem I have is I can't for the life of me get my plecos to eat any veggie matter no matter what I try. But in my opinion, the L200a is a great pleco to keep with discus. Nice splash of color for any tank


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## Sharkbait (Jun 15, 2010)

...Are either of those good at cleaning algae Embersmom?


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## Chappy (Apr 21, 2010)

Don't think I can really say if they are good algae eaters or not - I wipe down the sides of the tank at least twice a week, usually more, so there's not much of a chance for algae to grow. I do know that the L200a's are very good at keeping the white silicone clean as I can't quite reach it when I'm cleaning, but it's always nice and white. I notice it because I don't have any plecos in my domestic discus tank and I definately see the build-up in that tank. You might also want to keep in mind that these things are waste machines  Seriously - I still don't know what they eat that creates everything that comes out of them.....it's unreal but super easy to clean in the barebottom tank.


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