Common Pleco Stats
Minimum Tank Size: 55 Gallons (75 Gallons Recommended)
Care Level: Easy
Water Conditions: 6.5-7.5 Soft to Medium
Temperature: 72-86 F (23-30 C)
Maximum Size: 24 inches (60 cm)
The common pleco (Hypostomus plecostomus), also known as the sucker fish, is a staple of the aquarium hobby, and is easily one of the most popular fish available. They are found throughout South America, and have in recent years been reported as an invasive species in several countries, most notably in the several southern United States.
Their natural habitat consists of streams and rivers and they are also found in shallow, low oxygen ponds during the dry season. They tend to prefer slow moving water with sunken driftwood and plants that provide shelter during day. The reason that they shelter for much of the day is that they are nocturnal and are rarely active during daylight hours – a behavior that you can expect in the home aquarium. While many will become more active during the day after being kept in captivity for several months, they should always be provided with adequate hiding places such as caves, rock over-hangs or large pieces of driftwood.
Many of the plecos for sale in pet stores are juveniles, and don’t be fooled into thinking that they are a small fish. While most are sold in the neighborhood of only one to two inches, they quickly grow to aquarium busting sizes. It’s not unusual for a pleco kept in proper conditions to reach over 24 inches (60cm) in length – a size that will overwhelm most aquariums.
If you are looking to pick up a male and female pleco for breeding purposes, then you are about to be disappointed. They are incredibly difficult to sex, and while many people claim to have a system that can easily sex them based on their size, or the shape of their fins, it’s nearly impossible for the average person to determine their sex.
Housing
Because common plecos can grow to such massive sizes in the home aquarium, only the very largest of aquariums can be used to house fully grown adults. They can be kept in smaller aquariums while they are juveniles, but should be moved to at least a 55 gallon aquarium as soon as possible. And even with a 55 gallon aquarium, they will often become too large to turn around in the tank, and should be provided with at least a 75 gallon aquarium, with 100 gallons being preferable.
Something else to keep in mind when choosing an aquarium for a common pleco, is that they are known to become extremely aggressive when they reach adulthood. While juveniles are generally an excellent community fish, any adult plecos should be kept in a semi-aggressive tank, and should never be kept with any other common plecos. They can occasionally be kept with other species of plecos, but this can be hit and miss at the best of times and should be avoided if you don’t want to risk a fish fatality.
Their large size, and equally large appetites should be considered when choosing a filter, and any fish tank containing a common pleco should be heavily over-filtered. It seems their one goal in life is to eat and poop, and they will put a strain on even the best filter. The best way to keep up with their enormous bio load is to use an HOB (hang on back) filter in conjunction with a large sponge filter.
I would strongly recommend choosing an Aquaclear Power Filter
However, if you have access to a larger budget, then common plecos are a prime candidate for canister filters. These are usually the best option, and will keep the water sparkling clean even in tank with a prolific poopers like common plecos.
Feeding
Most people will tell you that the common pleco is a sucker fish, and can live off algae alone. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth, and this belief leads to many underfed and malnourished plecos. They are actually omnivores, and eat plant material, algae, insects and small crustaceans in the wild.
This diet should be reproduced as closely as possible in the home aquarium, and they should ideally be fed algae wafers and a high quality flake food. They can also be fed frozen foods, with bloodworms being the best option since they sink, and are easy for plecos to catch. One of the best algae wafers to feed them is Hikari Algae Wafers
It is also important to regularly feed them a variety of fruits and vegetables. Their favorite foods are blanched zucchini medallions, shelled peas, cucumber and any soft melons. But you can always experiment and try different fruits and vegetables, and they will also greedily accept broccoli, lima beans and a wide array of other vegetables. With that being said, they should never be fed any acidic fruits or vegetables (oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, etc.)
Common plecos require a large amount of fiber in their diet, and regularly feeding them vegetables helps them to obtain most of their required fiber. But to be sure that they are getting enough fiber in their diet, they should always have access to driftwood in their tank. They will constantly rasp on the driftwood, ingesting tiny pieces of wood which helps with their digestion. If they aren’t provided with driftwood, they can become seriously ill in a short period of time.
Breeding
Breeding common plecos is incredibly difficult and only a small number of hobbyists have ever successfully bred them. If after reading that, you would still like to give breeding a shot, then the first thing that you need is a very large tank. Since adult common plecos are notoriously aggressive, the minimum size tank for breeding adult plecos is approximately 100 – 200 gallons.
The tank should contain as many hiding places as possible to reduce aggression, and a cave like hollow should be built into the tank. Some people report success with large clay pots on their side, but the truth is that it is hard to mimic the river bank caves that plecos breed in in the wild.
Once the male has chosen a “cave” to breed in, it will meticulously clean the sides and attempt to attract the female into the cave. If the female is enticed in by the male, it will deposit eggs on the side of the cave, and the male will then set about guarding the eggs until they hatch.
The eggs will generally hatch in few days, and the fry can be feed infusoria for the first few days, and then will accept most commercially available fry foods and baby brine shrimp. They will also accept spirulina powder, but too much of this can quickly foul the water.
You say feed them vegetables, is that raw or cooked?
The vegetables should be well cleaned, and then blanched. To blanch them, boil them for just a few minutes (usually 1-3) and then let the vegetables cool before serving. They just need to be softened up slightly, so make sure that you don’t overdo it.
Do I take momma and daddy out once I see babies? Mine have breed several times in our large tank by always get eaten so we moved them and just noticed 1 baby. And 2 that look half eaten but nothing can eat the aside from mom and dad.
I assume you have bristlenose plecos, or another species other than common? Common plecos never breed in home aquariums (or at least so rarely it’s a statistical anomaly). But if they are bristlenose plecoes, then they normally don’t eat their fry. Are they well fed? How large is the aquarium they are kept in?
If you continue having the problem though, you should remove the parents to another full cycled tank after they have babies. Usually, they won’t consume their fry, so it sounds like something is a bit off though.
Mine bred in a heavily planted 75 gal tank.Will Guppies eat the eggs
The male should guard the eggs, so I wouldn’t worry about it. But the fry will be vunerable, though guppies aren’t notorious for eating fry.
I have the same problem. They breed in my home aquarium over but the fry never survive more than a few weeks. I only have one that had made it in 4 batches.
Actually you boil them for 10 minuets then dip them breifly into ice water. Thats how branching works.
mine loves brussel sprouts
Really? That’s one thing I’ve never thought of before. I guess because I would never feed that to myself. lol
HI I have a 20 gallon tank and was hoping to be getting 2 plecostomus but after reading this I think I might have to wait till I have to get a bigger one. But my question is, I got a long 20 gallon tank not a high would that work for a while? And I’ve been afraid about them jumping out and wanted to know if they actually do do that? Thank you.
If they’re very small, it will work for a while. But they do tend to grow pretty quickly and you’ll definitely need a larger tank in the future.
And I can personally attest to the fact that plecos jump out of tank. A few years back, I lost a 9 inch pleco that managed to jump out of tank.
I have a 29 gallon tank I had no intentions of breeding albino plecos but for some strange reason they started to multiply and it one time I can’t even count how many I had started giving them away 2 friends
Hypostomus plecostomus is often called “common” pleco, but it isn’t. Nor are several others that often get called “common”. The true “common” pleco is (by code) L021 Pterygoplichthys pardalis which do not get as large (about 10″ to 12″ in a medium sized tank) and do well in a community tank (unlikely to eat your other fish). Anyway, good article except for the very, very common identification issue I have — call it nit-picking if you will. 🙂 Oh, and some pleco do very well on a near algae diet…I had one I never gave special foods to; he may have scraped some drift wood or dined on missed flake food that floated to the floor — but I never saw him eat any of that or any of the Java ferns. I carefully allowed algae to grow on 3 sides of the aquarium and kept things pretty tidy. He was over 25 years old when he died (normal lifespan is about 15 years).
I’ll definitely look into this, and correct it if need be. Do you have any sources I could reference?
And that’s pretty impressive with the pleco. Most of my plecos have gotten a taste for fish food, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he stole some now and then. I often keeps rocks in rock near the window to grow algae, and cycle them through my pleco tanks. It’s a great way to give them some extra algae to eat.
I have an undergravel filter. When I change the tubing, I leave the used chamber tubing in the water. It’s sparkling clean the next day and I am able to use it the next time I do a water change.
Not sure what mine is called but have always just given him wafers . I feel bad just been reading and seeing what they should be eating. He is 16 yrs old. We got him some driftwood just yesterday and he seems to love it. We originally bought him to clean the tank that we had for other fish and eventually everyone died but him so we just kept him. Now he’s our pet.lol. He’s about 14 inches long. I bought bloodworms too but haven’t seen him try to eat them. They float….how do I get him to see it?
I wouldn’t worry too much – you must be doing something right if he’s lived that long. And most pet stores sell them as algae cleaners, without really telling people how to care for them. As for the bloodworms, eventually he should begin to notice them. Mine would often swim upside down at the surface to hoover them up. I also train most of my fish to know that it’s feeding time by lightly tapping on the glass. So when I tap on the glass, most fish will come up to the surface to be fed. You can try that also if you’re concerned about your fish not getting the bloodworms.
Thanks Robert I’ll start doing the tapping. He’s the only fish I have in the tank. Yes when I got him he was like 79 cents…just bought two to clean the tank and I wasn’t told anything but feed the wafers and I had to ask that. One day the top was left open and the next morning one had jumped out and was dead on the floor. So we knew nothing about them growing so large but I love it. My focus is now on keeping him healthy. Should I get another kind of fish for company? He’s been alone for so long . I did read not to put another placo in. Years ago we added a couple little fish and o think he killed them.
Plecos can start to get fairly aggressive as they age to certain types of fish – mainly larger, wide body fish. And a mature pleco would not tolerate another pleco unless you have a huge tank where they can both set up territories. They aren’t a schooling fish, so they have no problem being alone in the wild, or at home.
Thank you…I appreciate your help!
I acquired a hundred gallon tank with 3 plecos that are over a foot long each. After reading this, I am seriously considering rehoming a couple of them. Now to add more driftwood to the tank, and buy bloodworms.
That’s a good idea. Plecos can be extremely vicious towards each other, especially when they’re that size. It sounds like you have the right idea on how to take care of them though. The one you keep should be very happy.
I have two placos and two days ago they have four babies. So they are housing well.
I wasn’t sure where I could fit us in so I hope you don’t mind if I stick it in here. Can a bristle nose and a common Pleco be OK together? I have one Plecto that was about five years old and he’s not happy that there’s another Plecto in his tank growing up. I have a bristle nose and a 29 gallon tank at the moment and thinking about moving the other plecto go in with The bristol nose. At least until I can get a larger tank. What do you think? Usually the two Pleco’s sleep together next to each other but every once in a while the big one gets up and Chases is a little one. Help
As they age, common plecos become more aggressive towards other plecos, regardless of the species. Depending on the fish’s temperament, you might be able to house it for a short while with a bristlenose pleco, as bristlenose plecos tend to hide during the day. But I would have a backup plan in place in case the bristlenose pleco starts to experience a lot of aggression from the larger common pleco. Unfortunately, once a common pleco has reach maturity, its territorial nature makes it all but impossible to keep with other plecos.
I have been Blessed to have my BIGGEST FISHIE, as I fondly call him, for 14 years now. A neighbor gave to me, was well grown then, is about a foot long. I used to have other small fish, but, couldn’t stand when they died. But, I had a 10 gallon tank for which I’d gotten a ‘tiny’ leopard color one. Transferred to my 55 gallon, with my big one, It is now ALL black like my big one. They have been together since 2011. They been the only 2 in there for several years now. I see my original big one chase after the other one, but they seem to stay most at opposite ends. I have a large fake log for my big one…is in it a lot.
I have gotten the Hikari Algae Wafers all along. I give them each one at night.
Read different things here about food. Hope mine are ok ? …would never want them hurt in any way.
Ps: When 1st got big one only had 10 gallon take and jumped right out 2nd night !!! Freaky !!! 😃
Thanks for your info.
yes they can be put together
I recently found that my pleco had laid eggs when I decided to move my tank. Because I didn’t want to disturb the process I left them in the tank when I cleaned and moved it. I had removed all my other fish. It’s been about a week since I moved it and the male left the eggs for about 3 of those days. The female then returned and now the male is on the eggs again. I’m hoping to see results. Great article.
It sounds like it’s actually a new batch of eggs if the male abandoned them. Which isn’t that unusual. Good luck and I hope you get lots of fry.
If I had a common pleco at 7 inches, would it be okay to keep it with a 4 inch rubber lipped pleco?
Rubber lip plecos tend to be much less aggressive than common plecos, so it can be really hit and miss when keeping these two species together. Sometimes you may experience aggression, and other times you may not. With that being said, if you have a tank large enough to keep both of these large fish in it (100 gallons plus), then any aggression issues shouldn’t be too serious. You absolutely need a large tank though, since anything as small as even a 55 gallon tank would be too small for the common pleco alone, and the rubber nose will also grow quite large (7 inches plus).
I have had my baby Tuck for over 13 years. I got him (her) when I got together with my now – wife. Tuck is over 13 inches long and his companion is James at 14 inches long. They are the dark brown with the square patches on them, mostly called, ( Common Pleco). The two of them are very fond of each other and often swim side by side or lay together. Their tank mates are a variety of Cory cats and everyone co-habitats peacefully. I have never had issue with my mix and combos, and they all seem to depend on one another. It has been my experience that anything Catfish goes well with my Plecos and I have found them to be the smartest fish I have ever had with the best personality.
Help, I have 3 Plecos, 2 Orange and 1 Brown ? A fortnight ago about a dozen + brown babies appeared and now orange one’s are appearing, 7 at last count. what do I do with them ?
They wouldn’t be common plecos. You probably have bristlenose plecos. The orange ones are most likely albino plecos. I would feed them small pieces of algae wafers, and tiny pieces of lightly boiled zucchini. Any leftover food should be removed after 24 hours, since they are sensitive to water conditions. Also, I would keep up on your water changed, and even start to do two 10% changes a week. Newborn fry need pristine water conditions.
I have a smaller size tank, I have two pleckos in it and have I think 3 batches of babies. I don’t feed them anything special except the wafers, I have been trying to find some pet stores or people that would like some, any ideas on how to find any one that would like some?
The absolutely best source I’ve found in the past are local fish forums. I know in my area there are several with sections for people selling fish locally, and bristlenose plecos are always in demand (which is what I’m assuming you have). Beyond that, if you’re in the states you could check out aquabid.com, and kijiji.com often works too. If you don’t want to go with any of those methods, I would check out all of the local petstores. While most often won’t pay you for them, they will often give you store credit which comes in handy.
Thank you so much
My almost 1yr old 30cm long pleco just LOVES peeled raw mushrooms! I just float them in the tank. It’s even refusing to eat zucchini which used to be it’s favourite!
Really? I’ve never even thought of offering them mushrooms before. I might have to try that with mine in the near future.
I have a pleco not sure what type it looks like a common one about 12 inches long. I wanted to know why he changes colour he is mostly dark spotted but every now and then his spots disappear and he looks white in’places.
Turning white is generally a reaction to stress. I would check you water conditions, and check to make sure that the the temperature is in the ideal range. If both of those are fine, I would take a look at the tank size, and its tank mates. Is it with any aggressive fish? How often, and what are you feeding it?
hello. What type to fish can be with dalmation fish
Do you mean a dalmatian molly?
Hello,
I saw this very large pleco at the zoo and was wondering what species it was. It’s name there was spiny suckermouth catfish and when trying to research that I received a thousand different results. We have to research an animal and a specific evolutionary trait and illustrate that alongside the animal. I love plecos and have some but this was the only species they had at the zoo that I can work from. I can’t seem to upload or copy images so I’ll try and describe it: It was a verydark brown larger than 2 feet long having 3 maybe 4 rows of small protrusions or “spines” on running down the sides of it’s body that went from the pectoral or pelvic fin all the way down to it’s tailfin.
It can be quite tough determining the exact species of pleco, and even in fish stores, many are misidentified. From what you are describing though, my bet would be on it being a Hypostomus plecostomu. The size and general shape of body matches, and it is often referred to as spiny suckermouth catfish. The genus Hypostomus contains over 130 species though, so like I said, it can be difficult at the best of times to identify a mystery pleco like that.
I have lost a couple fish in the past without actually finding their “dead body” … do you think the pleco is the one that is getting rid of their dead bodies? Is he eating the other dead fish you think?
Plecos can be part of it. They generally don’t consume a whole dead fish though. Do you have a lot of snails? Snails are a much more likely culprit in something like this. I know that my Malaysian trumpet snails will often eat almost an entire fish before I even notice that one is missing.
Hi,
Every 6-8 weeks I have a new bristlenose pleco babies. Every time about 100-150 of them. Just 5 minutes ago the female laid another eggs. I don’t know what to do with them. Please help 🙂 In the beginning I was trying to bread them, now I can’t stop them.. Lol.
That’s great you provided them with such good conditions. And that always seems to be the way with fish. They’re tough to get going at first, but once they start, you’ll have fish living in every bucket and cup in your house after a while.
I have 3 fish tanks already. One completely full with plecos 🙂 waiting for them to grow up a little so I can offer them to someone.
I have a 25 gallon tank and have the same thing going on I think my pleckos have had about 4 litters just waiting to get my 55 gallon up and running
really wish I had found this sooner.. I picked up a juvenile to live along a seasonal batch of tadpoles we’re keeping until they all have their legs and were going to release… I had no idea they got to sizes like this.. I remember having one as a child and loving that he stuck to the glass but not much else.. he must not have lived long cause I have no memory of him being larger than a couple of inches long.. I currently only have a 10 gal and a huge old tank we think may be 150 gal we used to use for a reptile but the glass is pretty dingey/cloudy and I have no idea what kind of condition the seals around the glass are in.. plus I no longer have a stand for it… maintenance on a tank that large is a little intimidating.. and we’re on a well with a high iron content. any suggestions to accommodate this guy without breaking the bank? and on what to keep with him as the tadpoles are temporary and a tank that large seems a bit excessive for a single fish.. thanks again for the info
When I was a kid we always had little plecos in our family aquarium too, and it was a shock to me when I first learned how large they could grow. I don’t know what your budget is like, but you should try to get the largest tank that you can for your pleco. They can quite happily live in a tank as small as 29 gallons for the first few years of their life, but they’ll need to be upgraded to at least a 55 gallon at some point.
You could probably get by on the just the basics for now – a decent hang-on back filter, incandescent light, and a heater. It will still cost you a fair bit to start up, but it’s worth it in the long run. The iron is relatively easy to deal with too, and you can get any of the water conditioners sold at pet stores for removing metal from the water. However, you’ll need to keep up on vacuuming your tanks and cleaning your filter to remove the leftover metal.
Plecos do well with nearly any non-wide body fish. They are known to attack slow and docile fish like mollies or goldfish (which they shouldn’t be with anyways due to temp differences), but faster upper tank dwelling minnows are best. It sounds like you have hard water though, so you may want to consider hard water fish for your tank. Some hard water fish are platies, guppies, swordtails, American flagfish, blind cave tetras, rainbow fish, and some African dwarf cichlids (ie. Kribs).
I hope this helps.
I keep gold fish,koi, shubunkins & small zebra striped fish in a 130 gallon tank with my hypo plecos, I do not heat this tank at all. I spent the money to get a good filter for a 600 gallon tank. I feed my fish diced lettuce,frozen peas, pond pellets, koi food,algae wafers, shrimp pellets,gold fish food and fish flakes and the only thing extra that I have for the plecos is 2 large pieces of drift wood. I was out of the country for nearly 7 months and the person looking after the tank just added water when needed and fed the fish every second day, last night I cleaned the tank and this morning I found a new plecos about 3.6 cm in length. I was totally shocked to say the least because I was not trying to breed anything, I only had the one hypo pleco and no other plecos at all.
And the plecos were common plecos? I’ve rarely ever heard of them breeding in captivity. But if they did, it would probably be in a huge tank like you have.
A word of caution though – depending on how cold the water is, it will eventually weaken their immune system. Also, plecos eventually discover they can suck on goldfish’s slime coats, and they will start to latch onto the goldfish or koi. This can lead to illness in the goldfish, so also try to be on the lookout for that.
how can i prevent my common plecco from sucking the slime coat off my corydoras?
its a very small plecco at present about 3-4 cm but it has recently started harrassing my corys. i feed it regularly with sinking algae waffers and it has driftwood so im not sure what else to do.
Picasimus and my daughters tank has what looks like eggs under its tail
I assume you mean pleco? And when you say eggs, do you mean the belly is swollen? Or do they look like clumps of actual eggs?
Hello my name is Jessa and I have had my pleco ‘Riddick’ for roughly a year. He/she is about 5-6 inches long and has recently escaped the tank that has a hood on it. Is this a common thing,and how in the world did it get out for that matter. Also Im not sure exactly how long Riddick was out of water…he/she was in the tank when I fed of the morning jumped in the shower and when i got out and dressed he was in the floor. I immediately put it back…. but now its “skin” is peeling and it looks really bad…. which when it didnt immediately chow on the waffers it worried me… today it it ate a little bit but not like normal….WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT ITS FLESH PEELING OR TO MAKE IT MORE COMFORTABLE IF ITS DYING? I cried like my dog had been hit by a car…
That’s terrible to hear, and I lost my prize pleco the same way last year. They’re notorious jumpers, and I often recommend stopping up any wholes in the cover with a sponge (so air can still circulate) to prevent them from escaping.
As for the skin, it could be one of several things. He could have injured himself in the jump, and it might be a fungus. Can you send me any pictures? admin@aquariumtidings.com
It may also just be his slime coating, which it sometimes overproduces when it’s stressed out. Just to be on the safe side, I would test your water parameters too. At least then you can rule out anything water related.
Can anyone tell me how I can keep my pleco Fed for 2 weeks while I am on holiday. I have no-one to pop in and feed him his wafers. I have 4 other fish in the tank and they are happy enough to munch from the holiday blocks from pet store . I have only had pleco for 3 months and he is growing and doing his job to keep tank algae free, dont want to lose him now, so any suggestions would be appreciated.
There are a few different things you can do. The first thing you could do is buy an automatic feeder, which will feed your fish a set amount every day. It’s a bit pricey, so you may not want to buy it for one use. Another idea is to put a few large rocks in water near a window in your house. In a week or two they will be covered in algae, and then can be placed in the aquarium. It won’t provide all the food the pleco needs, but it may provide enough. And the final idea is to add a lot of live plants. Last time I went on vacation for a week, my pleco devastated my plants, but he came through perfectly healthy.
And he may be fine with the blocks. Common plecos don’t subsist on algae alone, and many of them enjoy eating regular fish flakes. This is especially true as they age, and many move onto a more protein rich diet as they get older.
Thankyou for those suggestions, I will certainly try them, maybe the automatic feeder as a last resort, will let u know how things turn out, appreciate your advice .
How can you tell the sex of a pleco?
They’re very difficult to sex. The males remain smaller, and have larger barbells, but even to a seasoned eye, it’s very hard to determine a common pleco’s sex.
I have 2 fish and their eyes are big and about to die they are eating on them what shall I do with them have they been fighting or what
It sounds like they have pop eye, which is really quite dangerous for a fish to have. You need to treat it immediately with antibiotic food (not just antibiotics added to the water) and it can takes months for the fish to recover. You really need to take a look at your water conditions too, since pop eye is usually the result of poor water quality. You really need to keep on top of water changers and proper feeding while they recover.
Thanks for all the information! We have two common plecos that we’ve had for about a year. We bought them at about two inches long. They are in a 55 gallon tank.They are tank mates with 6 guppies and 7 small tetras. They have all done well together this year. Is it typical though for one peco to grow much quicker than another of the same age? The smaller one is probably about 6 inches long tops while the other is just shy of 9 inches long. The bigger one just had a huge growth spurt in the last 3 months. They eat the same things (wafers, flake food) and the second one just seems like it’s stopped growing. Both are active and seem healthy. We’ve tried putting peas in the water like was suggested above and the tetras were the only ones interested in them. Any suggestions on helping the little one grow better?
Assuming they’re both the same species (and you can’t always count on that in stores), it sounds like one has become dominant, and is taking the lion’s share of the food. There’s not much you can do in that situation, except try to offer food right before you turn the lights off in two separate locations in your tank.
And if they’re not accepting shelled peas, I’ve never seen them turn down blanched zucchini medallions. They will happily eat those for hours, until there is virtually nothing left.
Something else to be aware of is that they will eventually outgrow the 55 gallon tank. These are fish that can grow to almost 2 feet in length, and they usually become very aggressive towards each other as they age. While you should be fine for now, it’s something to keep in mind for the future.
how do you see which is a female common pleco or male?
It’s incredibly difficult to sex adult common plecos, and I’ve never found a really reliable way to do it. There are some behavioral differences, as the males tend to be more aggressive to other males, but since many plecos fight for no reason that doesn’t help that much. Females tend to have wider bodies than the males, but once again it’s hard to use that definitively.
It really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things though, since there are no recorded instances of common plecos mating in aquariums.
I have a pleco not sure if its a common algea eater but I found today a baby one swimming around in my 25 gallon tank. My ? is how did my pleco have eggs when its just one in the fish tank? There is other fish in the tank. Would the other fish breed with it? I have guppies in there.
It sounds like you have a mystery on your hands there. No other fish would breed with it unless they were also plecos, and no species of pleco has the ability to store sperm to fertilize their eggs. Are you sure that it’s a pleco fry? My only thought is that maybe it was a hitchhiker when you originally purchased your other pleco – otherwise I have no idea how it could have ended up there.
I’ve had my pleco for about 2-3 years now, and it’s still just about a hands length… does this mean it wont grow anymore?
How large is the tank that is kept in? It may be slightly stunted if its in a small tank, but if its given enough room, it will continue to grow for many years.
Hello,
My placo looks just like the picture posted in this article. He lives in a 55 gallon tank with the proper temperature.
When I added him to our tank, he found a great hiding place and stayed suctioned upside in the cave. Lately, he has been roaming more, and then today, I found him “resting” upside down on the water surface. When I turn on the tank light, he still stays there. But when he notices me, then he moves to the back tank wall. Is my Pleco sick? I have just ordered the placo food you recommended above, but until it arrives, should I drop in some bloodworms or purchase some wafers from the local pet store? Should I just feed more flake food? What is “High quality” flake food?
Thank you for your help.
Is there any driftwood in the tank for it to rasp on? Have you been feeding it vegetables regularly? It could be a sign of illness, or possible a swim bladder problem. I would try feeding it some blanched and shelled peas, and then maybe a blanched zucchini medallion. It might just be lacking in fiber in its diet, which is relatively easy problem to fix.
Thank you for your help. Someone recently gave me my pleco and I only thought it lived on the food I fed the fish, along with the algae in the tank. I’m so glad to know I need to give him more food. I feel so badly that I have been starving him! My entire tank consists of wood, and rocks, and no live plants. I will feed him special food now that I am more knowledgeable. So, in general, do plecostomus turn upside down on top of the water? Thank you, again!
Hello, I am doing an assignment on a Plecostomus and im struggling to find the “life cycle” of it… i need to explain the ages it goes from egg to fry to juvenile to adult and what sizes it goes from. If anyone could help with the answer that would be awesome 🙂
Unfortunately, most of the references I use are from books or scientific journals, but none of them are as specific as you need. USGS has a good list of references though for information on plecos, and you may be able to find the info you need if you can dig up the references. Also, Fishbase.org has quite an extensive list of references, which may also be useful – assuming you can track any of them down.
It’s odd there’s so much work being done on plecos, but so little detailed information on their exact life cycle. It could be because they are difficult to breed in captivity, and in the wild they breed in burrows that can make observation difficult.
Thank you Robert, i have looked on fishbase.org but it doesnt seem to give the life cycle either. I am pretty sure i have searched on every website i could find and all i could find out was about them laying the eggs and what size they can grow to as adults but nothing inbetween. I will just have to do a bit of guessing instead 😛
I just have one more question… i have been ask to say what specific water pump i should use in a Plecostomus tank? I did find that answer a while ago while i was looking up other information but have lost the website and now can only find general information about water pumps and not a specific one for plecos.. as i have read they need a powerful one. Any suggestions? eg : Brand, Name,type, benefits etc
Hello, i went to a petshop today and saw a plecostomus that looks like a small sting ray. It is black and pretty small. I would like to find out what species it is… thanks
It sounds like a hillstream loach. Did it look like this?
Yes!! Thanks so much…
Hi I want to please find out. I have a new tropical fishtank set-up still cycling, 75litre, but we are currently experiencing a heat wave and the water temp goes up to 28°c in the day and in the night the heater keeps it at 25°c. Will this shock stress the fish? I thought that maby I should turn the heater to 27°c so the shock wouldnt be that big when the temperature drops at night? I plan to keep guppies, mollys, platy, swordtails, neon tetra and a pleco.
Thanks for the support.
Sorry we use the metric system and i have no idee How many gallons it is.☺
Hi every one dose any one know how to feed a sucker fish because every time I put food in for it the goldfish eat it before he gets any ?
Try to do two feedings at once. In tanks where there are issues like you have, feed the goldfish flakes on one side, while dropping sinking pellets on the other side. It also helps to do this after you turn the lights off, since most plecos are more active after dark.
And just so you know, plecos and goldfish aren’t compatible. Goldfish are a coldwater fish, and plecos are a tropical fish, so they have greatly differing temperature requirements. And plecos are also known to suck the slime coat off goldfish, so in the future you should try and get them separate tanks.
Common dilemma, Naively, I bought a common pleco that has outgrown my 30g tank. I’m unable to upgrade to a larger tank, so need to find him a new home. I’ve had him approx. 8 years, and am quite attached, and worried about re-homing him. The local fish store will take him back and they have huge tanks set up that would be paradise for my guy, only thing is, they house multiple, large common plecos together, and I keep reading that this is a disaster waiting to happen. Any advice, I really want to give him access to the bigger tanks. On another note, someone with a 45g community tank has offered to give him a home, but I think this is still too small.
The pet store will likely be fine, since I’m assuming they plan to sell the pleco relatively quickly? Pet stores are often able to house many aggressive fish in tight quarters, since the sheer numbers prevent any one fish from being the focus of aggression. It’s not without problems of course, but it usually works for the short term.
As for the 45 gallon tank, to be honest with you the pleco will probably outgrow it pretty quickly. Why not just upgrade to a nice 110 gallon for your own place? 😉
So I have a pleco(apparently) that is about 14-16 inches long and looks exactly like the 2nd picture fro the top on this site, I have also had him/her for around 10 years…… In a 20 gallon tank which I now know is WAY to small for it but I don’t want to get rid of him and I don’t have the ability to get a larger tank…. There is only him and an albino tiger barb in the tank with a fist sized rock a cave and a plant with the filter and heater ends. So what can I do to make him have a happier life?
It’s tough without upgrading the tank, but the only things you can do are probably what you are already doing. Regular water changes, and a varied diet to keep the fish happy. You need to be careful, because when they reach that size and are stuck in small tanks, they often become very determined jumpers.
I have a tank that has 4 Rasboras and 1 patty. they are all doing well but I cant seem to keep a pleco alive any ideas on what could be causing the issue?
How does it normally die? Illness? Jumping out of the water? Or just a mysterious death? It could be the water, it could diet, or it could be a few other things. The first thing you’d want to do is have your water analyzed. Most pet stores will do that for free. Once you know your water is good, you should make sure you have driftwood in its tank, so it can rasp on it and get some fiber in its diet.
I can recommend more once you let me know how they’re dying.
I have gone through 3, they don’t last more than a week. The thing is the other fish are ok. the PH is in a medium range and I use prime. I change the tank water every week to week and a half about 25 %. but they are lasting even that long. the water temp is around 80. and while there is some alegae, I also put in a wafer.
Are you purchasing them all from the same pet store? They must be sick to begin with if they aren’t lasting even a week. It must be some sort of illness. The rest sounds fine, so I would attempt buying from another source.
They multiply like wildfire at Pasig river even if the river was filthy
I have a 60 gallon acqurium with 6 Pleco and one had baby so now have seven I also have 3 parrot fish and guppies and swordtails and few catfish all in same tank they are all doing good and have had Plecos and other fish in same tank for many years all healthy and the only thing I ever fed them was cichlid food pellets and tropical fish food. Once per day and everyone in tank is great looking and healthy. Never gave them any wood or anything extra. I just saw a baby pleco in tank. All my fish get along and everyone is healthy. No one ever tried to get out. My Pleco are dark brown and some chocolate.
My dark brown Plecos could be a black color. Chocolate ones are very original.
Are you sure they’re common plecos? I ask, because it’s unheard of for them to breed in small aquariums like that. However, many other smaller species can co-exist pretty well in a tank that size. Do you perhaps have bristlenose plecos?
When common plecos hit adulthood though, they would turn a tank your size into a battlefield. So if you do have common plecos, you should be prepared for that eventually.
And the wood is just as a precaution. The fiber helps the plecos to prevent constipation, which can easily turn deadly for them. So while they may be healthy now, it’s usually a good idea to provide some driftwood to help keep them healthy long term.
I just measured the Plecos are from the top of your middle finger to where your watch is. Not sure how much bigger they get. They love cichlid pellets and tropical fish food and they eat the Algie in tank. I also have another 60 gallon tank with cichlids and more Algie eaters and few different kind of fish that are exotic. All the fish are very pretty and happy. Fish are fun. I have one bottle nose pleco rest are regular Plecos that are black brown or chocolate. I have seen eggs in tank before but first time I ever saw baby chocolate pleco.
I had the Suckermouth catfish one is 14 inches long and the other two are very small well this morning I noticed that my big one killed one of the little ones he was hitting it I guess till it died I’s this normal he gets along with my 10 inch goldfish just fine
Unfortunately, plecos tend to get very aggressive as they age, and don’t tolerate other common plecos well in their tank. Aside from needing different temperatures, the goldfish could be in trouble too, as plecos are notorious for sucking off their slime coat, leaving them open to illness and infection. Plus, it will often turn its attention on a goldfish, once the other plecos are gone.
The best thing to do would be to relocate the remaining pleco and goldfish, as soon as is reasonable.
I have a 6 inch pleco in a tall 15 gallon tank. All my fish suddenly died except my pleco. Is he too big. I never fed him because I didn’t know I needed to. My tank is crystal clear and water parameters are good.
Luckily, common plecos switch to a more protein rich diet as they age, so it’s probably eating the fish food without too many issues. You will definitely want to start supplementing the fiber in its diet though, and make sure to start feeding it vegetables, spirulina pellets, and ensure it has driftwood to rasp on.
I would just get a few more fish and start again. Just put a few at a time in tank keep the pleco you don’t need to feed the pleco they eat the Algie from tank and they will eat some of the fish flakes you put in for the other fish and they will also eat cichlid gold pellets Plecos like that I give my parrot fish. If your tank is all clean your fish might have got scared of the pleco I had a Molly in my tank and she was very healthy I got her a Molly friend and she got scared and hid then died. Doesn’t happen often but it can sometimes. I now have two 60 gallon tanks and one tank I have five big Plecos and few baby Plecos and guppies and parrot fish and swordtails and everyone gets along. My parrot fish won’t even eat the baby guppies they like them. Keep your filters clean and you can use easy balance plus by tetra every week to keep chemicals balanced. When you do water changes use aqua safe plus regular tap water will kill fish if you don’t use Aqua safe plus. Try adding few more fish if after a few days they do good add few more. Good Luck.
I found a new home for my Pleco. He went to someone with a 65 gallon tank that is upgrading to a 125 gallon tank soon. He sent pics and Mr Dragon already looks happier! Thanks everyone for the tips. No more PlecoS till I have a much larger tank.
They’re amazing fish, but they require insanely large tanks as they age. I’m glad he looks happier though, and hopefully someday you’ll have a tank large enough for another pleco.
I have a place in with my oscer. Never had any problems. I noticed this morning that the pecosumus was going after the oscer. I found this site that said it might be hungry. It said to give it fruit and vegetables. I’ve never done that before before only gave it algae tablets.can I put watermelon in the tank and what if my oscer trys to eat it.
It will be fine if your Oscar eats the watermelon, and they usually require some fruit in their diet, as they eat a fair bit in the wild. But anything you feed to your pleco should be safe for the oscar anyways, as long as you stick to common fruits and vegetables.
It’s really was helpful with this information I have two pleco of two species now I learnt abt there diet and surely follow it
I have male and female convicts in one tank and just laid eggs, can a pleco be added to the tank?
It depends on how large the tank is to be honest. In a small tank, they will relentlessly attack the pleco – especially when they are protecting their young. But in large tanks 55 gallons plus, there should be enough space for it to be alright.
hi
new to fish keeping i have what i beleive to be a common pleco he/she is 10 inches long there is also a smaller he/she about 7 inches in the tanks is also 4 american cichlids, and angel fish. what i believe to be two silver shark catfish. what other fish could i add to ad a splash of colour. all the names of the fish where given to me by people whom have seen fotos of my tank, any help would be great , also i have bought some new food for the plecos but never see them eat it what can ii do too assure that they feed
First of all, what’s your water like? Hardness and ph? Also, how large is your tank? Once I know that, I can let give you some better ideas.
As for the pleco, the best thing to do is to either feed it some sinking food at the same time you feed your fish at the other side of the tank, or wait until the lights go out and then feed it then. Plecos get more active after dark, so it’s a good time to feed them.
I have two plecos that are about five years old in a 125 gal tank of their own. One is about 14″ long and the other is about 12″ long. They have been together since they were tiny, about 2″. I have heard that they become aggressive and intolerant of one another as they mature but these two seem to absolutely love one another! I have never seen a fin nip or anything like aggressive behavior, but they are always together snuggling against each other etc. I wonder how unusual this sort of behavior is.
Very rare in my experience, but they’re only half grown at this point, so aggression may still come later. I’ve found most start to get aggressive once they reach about 8 inches, although the size of your aquarium is probably helping to keep the peace right now.
Maybe you lucked out with some mellow plecos. 🙂
I think that over-feeding to the point that there is no competition for food and then doing frequent water changes is useful as well. In most species aggression is triggered by sex and food. Since breeding in the aquarium is uncommon it likely comes down to food or the perception that there isn’t quite enough for both.
Do these fish do well with bettas
If you were just planning on keeping the two together, then you should be fine. Though it won’t be a very exciting large tank with just these two fish.
I have the common pleco and they just had couple fry. Well them and the rest of my fish all had fry at the same time.
That’s really impressive. How large were they, and what did they use as a nest? Also, how large was your tank?
So I have two common plecos in my Aquarium they are adorable and I love them (their names are coraline and garvey) but im worried that I have one to many. The tank is 75 gallons and the fish are less than a year old and already at seven inches. I dont want to seperate them because they are inseparable in the tank but that might get to big. What should I do?
That’s always a tough question to ask. At 75 gallons, you could probably get away with keeping them a fair bit longer – or at least until they start having aggression issues. In this case, I would just wait and see, but when a problem arises, you will probably have to rehome at least one fish. You should consider trying to find a responsible aquarist who will take care of it properly, as I know it’s really hard to give away a fish you raised from virtually a baby.
I have a 60 gallon tank with four large plecos and another 60 gallon tank with 4 large plecos. And they are larger than your hand. And they all get along very well and are very healthy. I’ve seen no aggression in them. They have been together along time for years There very pretty and very nice to everyone in tank.
I have a common pleco & a bristlenose pleco in my tank. I have had them both little over 2 years (purchased from the same pet shop on the same day at the same time) & in the last week I have discovered baby plecos. I am curious as to why I haven’t had babies in the past 2 years & how can I prevent anymore “coming along” after I have rehomed this batch of babies??
It’s likely you actually have a male and female bristlenose pleco, since to the best of my knowledge, most species of plecos don’t crossbreed. However, probably the only way to reliably stop them from breeding is to remove any cave-like structures. If you can’t do that, then keep an eye out for eggs, and remove them anytime new eggs are laid.
Beyond that, there’s not much you can do in this situation. The desire for fish to breed is strong, and usually the only way to stop is to remove all of the males, or all of the females from a fish tank.
I have an albino bristle nose pleco and 3 julii catfish. Sometimes the pleco chases them away from food, but I have not seen any other agressive behavior. Am I eventually going to have a problem keeping them in the same tank?
They should be fine together. I’ve kept cory catfish and bristlenose plecos together in the past, and while the bristlenoses can be aggressive, it rarely comes to anything. They generally just defend an area, and then simply chase away any fish that come near. As long as you have a fair number of ornaments and live plants, then they should be alright together.
Thank you!
Got a blue phantom plec, got recommended veg painting pellets for feeding, he doesn’t seem interested at all in them, going to get some cucumber and melon after reading this great article. My question is, even though he isn’t entertaining the veg pellets, will he still be getting some good nutrition of the big wood I have in the tank, new to this so apologies if I have just asked a very obvious question haha thanks in advance
Andy
Veg sinking pellets, spell check!😩
These fish tend to be more omnivorous than other plecos, so if they’re not accepting the veggie pellets, you can try some regular fish food now and then. Unfortunately, the wood will provide fiber, and probably not else. But the good news is the fish will most likely be eating plenty of algae, so it will be getting some nutrition from that. Try an array of fish foods, veggies, and maybe some frozen foods like bloodworms and brine shrimp to see what it will accept.
Hopefully you’ll find something soon it will accept.
Cheers mate, cucumber seems to have done the job and got algae flakes he is loving it! Thanks again
Your article is very interesting. Two questions though. You and several commenters refer to drift wood. What is different about driftwood, verses natural, untreated, wood from a local tree, and would the species of tree matter. The other thing is about adding salt to the water. I have had many different species of fish for more than fifty years, and of course have tried to treat illnesses, and problems. Almost every article mentions adding salt to the water to improve the health of the fish, and often as a treatment. In fact, I understand that it is often used for food fish, because there are no big concerns about antibiotic withdrawl, and is widely approved. Many articles and text say that freshwater fish need added salt, just not as much as “salt water fish”. On the other hand, I wouldn’t think that the rivers and ponds in the natural waters of plecs would have a very high salt concentration. Do you recommend adding any salt to aquariums for plecostomi, if so how much is healthy?
Driftwood is better than local wood for two reasons: the first is that it quite easily sinks to the bottom in an aquarium, and the second is that if you buy it from a store you know it should be non-toxic. Fresh wood is really a pain to deal with in an aquarium, and the tannins will stain the water for weeks or months (though this may also happen with treated wood as well). Also, it will take a long time to sink, and will usually float at the top of the tank for weeks on end.
You need to be careful choosing the type of wood, since many are extremely toxic to fish, or will rot away quickly. A few you need to avoid are yew, virtually all of the evergreen trees, grape vine,cypress and walnut. There are probably lots of others, but those come to mind right now.
And to be honest, I never add salt to my tanks, unless I need it for treatment. I know a lot of people attribute magical powers to salt, and how it will keep fish healthy, but I find a clean, well maintained tank is far superior to salt. And it’s tricky adding salt to catfish aquariums. Many of the books written say catfish react poorly to salt, and most South American catfish live in areas will very little dissolved salt. But many people state salt is fine for catfish, though to be honest with you, I’d probably avoid it until this argument is settled. I view it as an unnecessary risk, unless you absolutely need it.
If you did want to add it, I’d probably go for about 1 tea spoon per gallon. Though there is always a risk adding it to catfish tanks.
my plecos are in a 6ft tank (Dont know how many gallons) and they are breeding like anything. counted 40 babies so far. I had to seperate parents into different tanks so they can stop and have a rest. Is that common?
If they’re common plecos, it’s almost unheard of. Where did they lay their eggs in the aquarium?
I introduced a pleco into my 30 gallon tank last week, and haven’t seen it since. It immediately went onto an algae covered piece of driftwood the first day, but his whereabouts is now a mystery. I’ve been putting some raw veggies into the tank, and they’re gone in the morning. Can he be hiding all day long? He’s about 3 inches long.
It’s not unusual for plecos to pick a cave to hide in when they are introduced to a new aquarium. Once they get more comfortable, you should start to see them more. Plus, they are more active after dark, so keep an eye out for it when the lights go out.
Thanks Mathew for your input. I’ll keep an eye out for any signs of the pleco. He’s about three inches long, so unless he turned invisible, he’s got to be hiding somewhere. Thanks again, Jane.
Hi there,
I don’t have common plecos, they’re bristle noses and rubber noses, but my one pleco keeps breeding. This is the third time now that I’ve ended up with like 30 fry. The first two times I think my raphael catfish ate them all so this time I separated them into a breeder box to try and keep them from being eaten. My tank is not huge maybe 25 gallon tank. Obviously they have to go, but when is it safe to move them and how do I keep them alive until such a time? I really don’t know what I am doing so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
First of all, the breeder box should keep them safe for now. But moving fry can be difficult, as they are very sensitive to even the slightest water changes. The best thing to do, is get the tank setup and plant it heavily. Once it’s fully cycled, you can slowly introduce the fry to the tank through the drip method. But it’s key not to introduce them until the water is completely stable. The plants will help the keep the water in pristine condition.
Thank you
I previously asked a question regarding the compatibility of juliis and albino bristle nose plecos. So, now my julii’s just had 2 fry some time over the past month. I keep reading that juliis and plecos eat their own as well as other fry. The fry don’t even like like fry anymore and they are schooling with their parents. Do you think there is still a risk they might be consumed? Should I remove them?
I currently just bought 2 common plecos yesterday. At least I think they are common plecos. Right now I have them in a tank that they will quickly out grow. That’s not what i’m worried about because I have a huge 150-200 gallon tank below my house I can take out and set up for them. My worry is will they try to kill each other when they grow older? I’m not sure of what sex they are. And I need suggestions on what to do with one!
They will definitely start to show aggression as they age, but usually in a tank as large as yours, they will grudgingly accept each other. It helps if you set it up with a lot of plants and ornaments in the center, so they both have their own ‘sides’ of the aquarium. But any aggression is probably quite a ways in the future, so you’re probably safe for some time.
As for sexing, they’re incredibly difficult to sex. I have some tips in the article, but I can’t really provide much more than that.
Thank you so much!
I have two 70 gallon acquriums with 4 plecos in each tank along with other fish and I’ve had them over five years there larger than your hand and they get along very well. Never seen any aggression in them.
Thank you both so much.
Your welcome. Have Fun. I have one tank with cichlids and plecos and some real exotic fish and another tank with parrot fish and plecos and guppies. All beautiful fish and healthy. Everyone gets along. Even the parrot fish love the guppies and won’t eat the guppy babies. I feed them tropical fish flakes and cichlid food for both tanks and they all do very well. Feed once a day at night. The plecos eat both the chichlid food and the tropical fish food. They love it. Very Pretty healthy and big.
I have an albino bristle nosed pleco and I was considering adding an African Dwarf Frog to my tank. I have heard some stories of plecos attacking and killing ADFs. Do you agree that they should not be in the same tank and would this be true for an ABN pleco, too? Thanks.
I have seen aggression between African dwarf frogs and some species of plecos. The problem is that they occupy the same part of the tank and the plecos are territorial. Unless you have a larger tank, I’d probably wouldn’t combine them.
I have a 20;gallon tank. Too small?
Yes
Hi,my bristlenose pleco male are garding the eggs…i took him out with the eggs in the cave and put them in another tank.in the tank i have a leopard pleco about 15 cm long…will he eat the fry once they hatched?
Most species of pleco do eat fry, but they’re not the most effective hunters. Depending on the tank setup, you’ll probably lose some, but most should survive.
I added a 3″ common Pleco to my 110 gallon tank a little over a month ago. The other occupant is a 10″ Butterfly Koi. Until recently, the only problem was that the Koi loves algae wafers! It grabs them long before they can sink to the bottom. I tried sinking a pill bottle with a wafer inside but the Koi head butts the bottle until the wafer falls out.
The Pleco started trying to attach itself to the Koi’s tail fin a few days ago. Every time I have observed this, the Koi flicked its tail and the Pleco tumbled away. Does damage to the slime coat apply to the fins as well as the body? The Pleco has shown little interest in lettuce or cabbage. It scrubs the glass walls but seems to prefer scrubbing the rough textured ornaments.
Yes, the mucus, or slime coat, extends to the fins and the tail. The pleco sucking on the tail will open the koi up to infection and illness if it isn’t stopped somehow.
And plecos feed regularly, so even if you switch over to foods it’s prefers, it will likely still latch onto the koi. It’s very difficult to keep plecos and koi together even in the best circumstances. But one of the best ways to feed plecos in a situation like this is to feed right after the lights go off. The koi should fall asleep, while the pleco will find the food.
There have been a couple changes since my original post. I tried clipping a wafer in one end of a spring clip yesterday and inserting it into a decoration I call the Pleco cave. The decoration is too heavy for the Koi to move and the opening is too small for the Koi’s head to enter. I was amazed by how quickly the little Pleco consumed the entire wafer after finding it. I repeated that procedure shortly prior to turning off the lights last night. The clip was empty when I checked this morning so I gave a third wafer. It also was quickly consumed by the tiny but now slightly chubby Pleco. Can a small Pleco eat too many Tetra PlecoWafers? I wish I had thought of that technique sooner. The good news is that tail attacks seem to have become less frequent. The bad news is that they have not totally ceased. Also, the end of the Koi’s tail is showing some damage and the Koi seems to be napping more than it did prior to the Pleco’s arrival. A piece of Mopani wood is scheduled for delivery early next week.
I’d keep the feedings to once a day and the pleco should be fine and a chubby pleco is usually a healthy pleco. And hopefully the driftwood will help to decrease the pleco’s aggression towards the koi.
The Mopani wood arrived Sat March 2. It has been simmering in a pot on top of my wood stove since then with water changes when the water becomes significantly dark. The time required to darken the water has slowly increased but the tannin is still leaching. The tannin is said to not be harmful to the fish but would certainly be harmful to my ability to observe the fish.
The Pleco’s attacks on the Koi’s tail have continued but much less frequently. It is still plump on a daily diet of one wafer and some Koi mucus. It seems to have mostly lost its craving for algae on the glass or decorations. I moved the “Pleco cave” from close to the Koi’s favorite resting place to near the other end of the aquarium.
The aquarium received its fourth dose of Melafix today. The Koi’s tail is ragged and has shortened to approximately the length appropriate for a regular Koi but all other fins are still long and flowing and appear intact. After several days of staying on the bottom in its favorite corner, it seemed to be searching for food yesterday. I gave it a pellet which it consumed. This happened twice today.
I have no idea what sort of Pleco I have but they breed like mad and seem all very happy together, they live in large tank full of guppies and all get on well together
Will a baby stay around it’s parent(s) or will they spread across the tank?
They’ll spread around the aquarium as the parents don’t care for their offspring.
I started with one pleco to clean my tank, all the other fish died after time so I bought two more pleco’s and decided to just have them in my 5-gallon tank. They are around 3-4 inches long and one of them has what I call whiskers, and as of about two weeks ago, I have numerous babies. After I noticed them I noticed that there was a bunch of small shell-like creatures connected to a plastic blue grass ornament I have in the tank, those are all gone now, but what were they?
I’m looking into getting a larger tank, but you can imagine my surprise when I so all those little fishies swimming around.
It’s always exciting to find new babies in your aquarium. Could you describe the shell-like creatures a bit more? Did they have legs? Did they have shells like snails?
I have been breeding Bristlenose Plecos for 2 years and had great success. I feed them algae wafers and cucumbers. They are kept in 2 20 gal tanks & a 75.They are not territorial and only grow about 5″ long.If anyone would like more imformation please contact me at sjcripps01@gmail.com