Caring for my new green phantom pleco

[BLUElobster99]

Yesterday i purchased a green phantom pleco for $60 at my LFS


First of all, was this a good price?

I have him in a 24gal
I have an undergravel filter (no hate please)
I have a small piece of driftwood in the tank along with several rocks and some live plants
Is This a good setup?

How long will he be able to stay in the 24 if he is currently 2.5 inches
I do plan on getting a 40-50 gallon long tank in my bedroom for plecos but not until september or so

I would also want to know what to feed it

Would hikari algae wafers be a good staple?

Should i supplement his diet with any veggies or frozen foods?
And how often should i be feeding him?

 

[93MSB]

That price is slightly above avg but IMO still a fair price.

I would say once it gets about 4-5in it needs a new tank. They like higher temps in the 80-82f range so you want want a good bit of current in the tank, especially at the surface so the water is well oxygenated

If its eating wafers that's great. Mine is picky and as of right now is mostly eating fresh raw zuchinni. Other veggies to try are cucumber, broccoli, sweet potatoe, red bell peppers, green beans. De-shelled peas are good to clean out the digestive tract

You might throw a shrimp pellet or two in every now and them but meaty foods should not be any part of the diet, just a treat.

I feed mine every night right before lights out and I pull any uneaten food out in the morning.

 

[BLUElobster99]

My undergravel puts out A LOT of air at the too if the tank



In your opinion what should i do for current at the bottom?

Is it even neccesary?

 

[93MSB]

i wouldnt say you have to have it, but the fish's natural habitat is a fast moving river and it will certainly appreciate the current. The main concern is since the temps are higher the water becomes harder to oxygenate. The more water surface area you have and the more water agitation at the surface the more oxygenated the water will be

For the bottom the easiest way is to get a circulation pump, you should be able to find one at the LFS

edit*
you could also look into a HOB filter, it should provide enough current in a 24gal, and it would give you more filtration (and in most peoples opinion a lot better filtration). If it were me, i would buy a HOB.

 

[BLUElobster99]

Yeah put i would have to dismantle my wole tank which wont be easy with my crawfish and live plants.

 

[BLUElobster99]

But i can buy a circulation pump at the LFS?

 

[BLUElobster99]

And how large are they?

And whats the price range?

Would it be cheaper to puchase oline?

 

[93MSB]

You can run a hob and undergravel together, in fact it would be required until the new filter was seeded with BB.

The circ pumps are 30-40, can be cheaper online.

i dont know how big they are

 

[BLUElobster99]

You can run a hob and undergravel together, in fact it would be required until the new filter was seeded with BB.

The circ pumps are 30-40, can be cheaper online.

i dont know how big they are

I can run them together?

What do you mean when you say "it would be required until the new filter was seeded with BB.

What does BB stand for?

 

[93MSB]

Yes, A Hang on Back (HOB) filter is a complete system in that you assemble it, hang it on the back of the tank, fill it with water, and plug it in. It does not disrupt your undergravel filter, because it is a completely separate system

BB stands for benficial bacteria, in our case its the bacteria that coverts the ammonia into nitrite and then into nitrate. The bacteria has to be grown in the filter, if your tank is established the bacteria can be grown in a new filter in 2-3weeks.

read this if you dont know about the cycling process and growing the benficial bacteria
Guide to Starting a Freshwater Aquarium - Aquarium Advice