Mean Pleco - leave in, trade in, or trade within?

[lmw80]

Ok, here is my situation....in my 10 gallon, I have recently noticed that my rubber-lipped pleco (about 1 1/2") is bullying my 2 corys. Chasing them all over the place, stressing them out...I saw physicaly contact once or twice...this behavior occurs during feeding time...I haven't noticed this behavior at any other time...

Do I:

1. leave him in because it's only during feeding time?

2. Do, I trade him in for another cory and take my chances with the algae....

3. do I trade him in for another pleco species...

4. or do I attempt to move him to my 2 gallon at work which houses a betta. The 2 gallon at work has a filter, but no heater...temp probably stays around 70---give or take a couple of degrees either way. If I don't put the pleco in my 2 gallon at work, I am going to try for 2 ghost shrimp in there.

I am really in a pickle about this....please..any and all opinions welcome! [acronym:fe51c5dd4d="Thanks in Advance"]TIA[/acronym:fe51c5dd4d]!

[Hypostomus]

Trade him in for another cory-- preferably the same species as the two you already have. =)

[Madame_X]

Tough call, Lori... I don't know if he'd be happy in a 2 gallon. My little pitbull pleco is very active. He's all over my 12 gallon tank.

I've been thinking of moving a couple of the platies to my 29 so I could get a few pygmy cories for my 12... now I'm not so sure.

[Menagerie]

That's too bad about the Rubber Lip. I have never seen that kind of behavior from mine I would give him away. I don't think the pleco or the betta would be happy sharing the tank at work.

[patryuji]

I guess this is why they call them "pitbull" plecos.

Its a shame that your corydoras and the pleco could not get along. I was thinking about trading in a few fish to pick up one of those rubber lip plecos.

[lmw80]

I have had them in the same tank for over 6 months....first time I have seen this behavior.....maybe he needs a better hiding spot?

Originally Posted by patryuji

I guess this is why they call them "pitbull" plecos.

I take offense to this comment.. I'm sure you meant no harm but as an advocate to protect the breed from bad publicity I needed to comment.

Also they're may be a possibility that the pleco may feel its not getting enough algae so it starts to be aggressive when food is introduced as if to compete for it. Being as I don't know for sure what the amount of alage in the tank is. This could only be IMHO.

Please forgive me everyone if I come acrossed harsh.. The whole pitbull thing is a sensitive subject for me.

[Christmasfish]

They are called pit bulls for the look more than the steroetyped temperment.
I am sure you were just using the stereotype and meant nothing.



And to pitch in against sterotypes
My green eyed pit was a very sweet and well mannered dog while my obedience trial winner and tracking champion Brittany Spaniel broke a chain, leapt a 5 ft chain link fence tracked a kid 3 miles to his doorstep and left a gash requiring 28 stiches in a kids leg (witnesses say he WAS teasing her..but Dah-yam! I paid the bill anyway.) hated every kid in an age /size radius of 12-17.

[rossmort]

Originally Posted by lmw80

I have had them in the same tank for over 6 months....first time I have seen this behavior.....maybe he needs a better hiding spot?

My pleco has a good spot to hide which means I get to see him at most once a week and mostly that is just his tail. I hadn't seen him for 15 day so during a water change I started to look for him wondering how I could have missed him if he had died but [acronym:3f2c515791="Normal Output Fluorescents"]NO[/acronym:3f2c515791], he is alive and well, just the most boring fish I have ever seen (or not seen).
Not a rubber lip [acronym:3f2c515791="By the way"]BTW[/acronym:3f2c515791]

[crazie.eddie]

Most plecos are aggressive towards other bottom dwellers. Being in a small tank isn't helping any. You can probably try to provide some hiding places.