SG
Plecos and corys are such fascinating fishes that they look nothing like other typical fishes. FishyHub has the opportunity to interview one of our partners, Desmond Lim of Fishlist to learn more about these beautiful creatures.
- Please tell us something about yourself and your background
I have been trading ornamental fish full-time for the last 15 years, mainly with farms and exporters. It started off with me working on my family\u2019s fish farm in JB, on which I spent 3 years before starting out on my own. I have a Bachelor\u2019s degree in Marine Biology.
- What inspired you to start FishList and why focus on plecos & corydoras?
Fishlist was created as an accessible platform for hobbyists to \u201cclick\u201d their fishes off the Internet after Facebook disallowed the sales/ auctions of livestock a few years ago. I have been fascinated by the different varieties of plecos and corydoras as they come in all sizes and patterns. There is a constant demand for plecos and corydoras locally as well.
- What do you think makes plecos so attractive to certain fishkeepers versus other fish species?
There are many families and species of plecos and this allows for hobbyists to collect them like Pokemon- many different sizes and colours. There are so many types that not all of them have a name, most of them are labelled by the L or LDA codes. Also, most of them can be kept together in a community tank and it can be a spectacular sight!
- Is it easy to keep plecos? Is it suitable for new fishkeepers and why?
Plecos are relatively easy to maintain. Hobbyists can start with plecos which are more hardy- you can ask your local LFS which are the ones that are easier to keep!
- What is your favorite pleco type and why?
My favourite pleco is L95 Orange cheek pinecone pleco. It is one of the most active plecos and swims around the tank rather than stay at the bottom. Its orange cheeks and fins also make it a gorgeous fish!
- What is the most expensive pleco you have seen, how much is it & why is it so expensive?
It is a 60cm L186. It costs $3800 for its rarity and size. A huge pleco like this would have to be shipped in a very large box and that costs a bomb for the freight!
- What is one pleco you would suggest for beginners in fishkeeping?
L333 is a good start for new players to the hobby. They are rather inexpensive and hardy to keep. They are also relatively easy to breed in the aquarium.
- Why are plecos named Lxxx?
L is short for Loricariidae. There are simply too many plecos and this was deemed as the effective way to classify and identify these catfishes. There are also plecos with the LDA prefix.
- How has the circuit breaker period affected this activity?
Circuit breaker was particularly tough for our industry as Nparks disallowed all sale of livestock during the CB period. It meant that hobbyists were not able to buy any fish and fish sellers had almost zero income. Luckily, the ban was lifted in Phase 1 and things were able to get back to normal.
Shop on FishyHub for Desmond Lim\u2019s plecos & corydoras or visit his website at fishlist.sg