Sexing/breeding plecos

[squirt_12]

I have always wondered how to sex my plecos and what were the best ways to breed them.
I have 3 clown plecos now, might get a few more, in my 33g tank and I would like to breed them eventually. I have had the plecos for about 4 months.
So my questions are about clown plecos:
1) How can I sex them to figure out if them are male or female?

2) How old do they need to be to breed?

3) What kind of habitat fo they need to breed in? ie) Temperature, plants, substrate, area to lay eggs on..etc..

4) Whatever else I am missing....

Thanks.

[cocoa_pleco]

i used to mass breed plecos, generally, the male has a larger mouth and a chubbier face compared to female. I bred mine at 78f, in a bare bottom tank, with a few java fern plants, and a cave

[squirt_12]

Do they defend/fan the eggs?? Or do you have to take them out?

[cocoa_pleco]

The male will trap the female a cave until she lays her eggs. He will then fertilize them and stay in the cave, fanning them, until they hatch. once the fry get free swimming, he wont pay attention to them.

if you want, after they're fertilized or free swimming, you can remove the adults

[squirt_12]

OK. Thanks cocoa.

anyone else....?

[squirt_12]

-BUMP-

Anyone??

[stubbytheplecostomus]

i might add that there are very few species that will breed in an aquarium, bushy noses are the starter for most people. Most species are near impossible to sex, and will only breed in the wild (most fish farms that breed plecos do it in large ponds, most excotic species come straight from the wild)