Plecos with sand substrate??

[MandyINCo]

This may be a dumb question, but can you keep plecostomus in a sand bottom tank? My instincts say no, because they would suck up sand particles and die. I feel silly even asking.

Anyway, opinions on a good clean up crew for sand substrate?

Thanks!

 

[pictuslover23]

I've had my bn plecos on two different types of sand for years and they're fine.

 

[FishGeek97]

Actually, they shouldn't suck up the sand. Gravel is probably way more dangerous, because it can get lodged in their throat. I've had plecos, and they never died from sand. Sand is sctually the preffered substrate, cause using gravel can make their mouths sore and raw, inviting infection. I've almost always had gravel with plecos and cories, and it never hurt their mouths. Good bottom feeders include Corydoras, shrimp, plecos, anything really. It just depends on what you like!

 

[Water]

I have sand bottom in all my tanks for as long as I can remember. Plecos love to bury them selves in it. Never hurt them.

 

[rreekers]

it will not harm the pleco.. good bottom feeders kind of depends on the size of the tank.. but cories, shrimp, snails, some plecos

 

[pictuslover23]

Just a comment on the cories as a clean up crew. Im not saying its like this is all cases, but when i got a school of sterebais(spelling may be off) for my 28 gal to be a "clean up crew" they didnt really touch the junk at the bottom and went after the fresh bloodworms/pellets/flakes fed at mealtimes. IMHO shrimp are really the only good scavengers (along with snails for algae) as fish like fresh food not the old stuff (most of the time). So I'd go with shrimp and snails.