Pleco behavior?

[starquest]

Anyone out there know whether plecos like to rearrange the aquarium, specifically one with a sand substrate? I'm trying to decide which fishie is doing it, because the filters always sieze up at night, until I can get the sand rinsed out of the impellers.

 

[LyndaB]

What else is in the tank?

Is your filter intake that low in the tank that sand can get kicked up into it?

 

[starquest]

1 leaf fish ~2.5" -3"
1 upside down cat ~1.5"
1 clown loach ~1.5"

And no, I don't think so, but the sand is piled completely differently every morning...like today it is almost neglible on the left and piled up about 4'' on the right side. I read somewhere that plecos are more nocturnal, so that's why I suspect him. They have all been transplanted from a 10G with gravel substrate about a week and a half ago. This behavior started about a week ago. I actually bought 2 new filters before I figured out the problem was sand in the impeller. I'm really a newbie, at least compared to all you nice knowledgeable folks here.

 

[LyndaB]

What size tank is this?

What kind of pleco?

Clown loaches require a 75 gallon tank and need to be in groups.

 

[starquest]

I'm really embarrased to say this, but my excuse is that I just basically took over my daughter's tank, because she has so little time for it. It was a 10G housing these 4 fish, and she had bought a 16G to rehome them. I knew absolutely nothing about FW fishkeeping, having had a 125G marine tank 20 years ago. When I had trouble cycling the tank, I googled the problem and stumbled onto this forum, which I love, BTW, and found Eco's fishless guide. So I was able to cycle the tank in a few weeks, and get the little monsters out of the old tank.

Now that I know a little bit more about FW fishkeeping, I know we need a much bigger home for them. And they WILL get it, as soon as I am able. But they have survived in the littler tank for all this time, without any water testing, except for pH, and without a rigorous PWC schedule, so I'm hoping they can hang on just a little bit longer, till I have the almighty $$.

I have the original Aqueon 20 filter plus an AquaClear 50, for filtration. And I'm doing 50 -60% PWC every 4 days. The chemistries are all good, except the trates which won't stay below 40 for longer than 4 days. I'm falling in love with the little buggers, so I can't give them up, and I will get more clown loaches, when we have our much bigger tank.

 

[User]

Wow I am glad that your going to get them a larger home! Your fish will thank you for it!

 

[Morgie]

It's probably the clown loach, IMO. They like to play in sand to rummage for food and snails and things like that. I have my pleco over sand and he doesn't disturb it at all, he just likes to sit on top of it when he's not eating.

 

[Tigroscr]

What you could do is get some very fine nylon (like pantyhose) and cut a small piece and cable tie it to the end of the filter intake. I use this on one of my filter intakes and it seems to work pretty good for sand.

 

[starquest]

Well...thank you all so much for your feedback. I'll have to try to catch the clown loach in the act. I bet it is her (or him). She is a feisty little thing, although I have seen the pleco wave his tail over the sand and move it around a couple of times. And I just put some nylon over both filter intakes. Thanks again.

 

[jsoong]

Well, my pleco rearrange the substrate all the time. <I have schultz aquasoil, a bit bigger than sand.> He also likes to move his favorite driftwood around, and digs under it to make a cave. He usually excavate all 3 or 4" of the substrate under the driftwood to bare glass.

So I wouldn't count the pleco out. <BTW - mine is a rubberlip - a dwarf variety, and only active during the night.>

 

[toddnbecka]

Clown loaches are social fish, best kept in groups of at least 5, and given proper care will grow to well over 12" (though very slowly.)
Leaf fish are solitary ambush predators, not something inclined to dig around in the sand.
The common upside down catfish, Synodontis nigriventris, is also a social fish. Best kept in groups, seldom if ever hang out on the bottom of the tank.
Chances are more than good the pleco is a common pleco, and if its growth isn't stunted will grow to over 18".