Golden nugget plec (food and size)

[Guinness]

I can anyone tell me how big the GN gets? I have read and. Even told so many different things ranging from 8" max and some say 14" max. There seems to be so many different opinions I just wish I could find the correct info. My Lfs sold me one and told me it would only get to 8" but I have read and been told different things. At the moment he is only a baby at about 3". Also can anyone tell me what they prefer to eat? I have been told veg is the preferred diet. But they will also eat algae wafers and pellet.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[houndog13]

I had one before divorce with many other fish and he would eat regular good quality fish food, loved frozen bloodworms and frozen shrimp. Make sure he has wood and plenty of hiding places to make him happy. Mine grew fast and is now 13". I wish my x would give me him. he is five years old.

 

[Guinness]

Yea he has loads of hiding places and a nice big piece of wood to naw on. He eats algae flakes, cucumber, I do feed frozen bloodworm and frozen shrimp but the discus eat it all before he even smells it. any idea how long it will take him to grow? He is only about 3" now I would like to feed him more so he grows a bit quicker.

 

[houndog13]

Mine was about an inch when I got him and he was 5" in four months. I could not believe it, then it slowed a bit, but not much. about 3 years he was close to 13 what he is now. Approxament 75 gallon tank with about 4 black mollies,6 dalmation mollies. 10 danios 6 swords,2bb cats, 2 large angels, one betta.

 

[Guinness]

Wow that's pretty quick growing. I would love to get mine to a decent size. He is so nice and Colourful. I will have to see if I can get him to feed more. Thanks for the help it's much appreciated.

 

[Guinness]

Is it possible to keep a golden nugget and a zebra plec together? They will be housed in a 66g tank with discus.

 

[houndog13]

Yes, they are peacefull jus go about there job. Just feed specific food for them like peelets and veggies. My fish any really all ways get shrimp and some kind of worm, mostly bloodworms once or twice a week and. I've always had heathy fish and tanks. It seems to work.They love it they go crazy, funn to watch, plecos love it too.I have found that algae pellets can make ae's lazy and less active, mine where very active without pellets.They won't do there job.

 

[houndog13]

PS IMO pleco's are the best ae out there and fun to watch.Never had a dirty tank with them.

 

[Sharkbait54]

I have a 5 yr. old nugget and he's only 6 inches???

 

[Guinness]

Houndog13

Do you keep these particular fish and are you talking from your own experience? I have been told to feed the zebra plec meaty foods like cockles and mussels as well as bloodworm and brine shrimp. Would you agree with that?

 

[Guinness]

Sharkbait54

I have been told by every fish shop I have ever Been too that golden nugget plecs are very slow growing. I suppose it depends on how much food you give them and how much of it they actually eat. I have had mine for about 2 months he's only a baby at about 2" and he hasn't grown at all but it's probably to much to expect him to grow in that short space of time. I have never seen a big one in any fish shops only the little ones. Beautiful fish tho. A great addition to any tank.

 

[BillD]

Zebras are indeed meat eaters, and herein lies the quandry, where everyone thinks that plecos, because they all have sucker mouths, are all vegetarian. Zebras also like high current with high oxgen content and warm water. Even the vegetarian pleco's probably need at least a bit of animal matter in their diet. In the wild, algae growth is the home of various types of animal life from single celled creature to small crustaceans, so that any fish eating the algae would also ingest the animal matter. Vegetables don't offer this.

 

[Guinness]

Billd

You have just answered my question, thank you. I have the opportunity to purchase a zebra pleco, like all my fish I do my homework first. Especially when your talking about spending £180 on one fish. I am going to put him in my 66g discus tank with my golden nugget plec. Do you think he would be ok? Just to get someone else's views on it. Thanks in advance.

 

[fadetoblack06]

I purchased a gn pleco from what I hear they are hard to keep. Mine lived for 6 days. Water parameters were perfect too. Did not have sunken belly. Was on the walls eating up and also ate the algae wafers I put in there.

 

[Guinness]

I brought one once before and he died 2 weeks later. I'm convinced he had white spot. Although he didn't have any white spots on him the day after he died my clown loach broke out in white spot. A week later they also died. Can fish carry the disease without showing the signs themselves?

 

[houndog13]

My own experience. Ok here it is. Water 7.0 to 7.2 no more no less. temp constant as possible 82. hardness 8can vary a little not much.over filtered tank.Must, driftwood,zuccini every 2 weeks,(california blackworms), shrimp frozen or brine bloodworms one of above twice a week. Fish that do not ps him off like mollies at first until he gets 3 inches than they leave him alone. IMO stressedfish do not grow well. This is important, new life spectrum fish food I swear by this brand I only feed this every 2 days to all my tanks. It'like this most other,not all fish foods are like feeding your kids cereal, sure it taste good but no nutritional value. spectrum has nutrition value and vitamins therefore you can feed less.I love my fish and want them to be heathy and happy.

 

[Guinness]

Cool thanks for that I have written it down in my log with all my other fish info. Is the fish food you talk about available worldwide? I live in England and have never come across it before. I will be on google in a min trying to it. Zucchini I can get without to much trouble, I have driftwood and bog wood, frozen brine shrimp I feed regular. My water parameters are pretty much as you described. Any other tips you can give me? I love this site so many experienced people willing to share their knowledge. I have joined some forums and it's like trying to get blood from a stone. Thanks guys

 

[houndog13]

I do not know about world wide. In us most lfs. www.aquaticfoods.com for blackworms you will learn alot about them. By the way I never feed algae pellets ime it makes them lazy.They get enough algae from tank, yes even in well kept aquariums because even though you dont see it its there.

 

[houndog13]

by the way I am told gn can live 25 years, do not know if true.

 

[Guinness]

Cool thanks for the link and the info. Very much appreciated.