The Ideal Pleco?

[pairustwo]

I have a clown pleco, or at least I think I do.

I haven't seen him since I brought it home. He only comes out at night and during the day is is under / blending in with the wood so well that you can't see him. It is like he's not even there.

I like these fish and I like to look at my fish. So I'm wondering what would be a good species to get that would be somewhat social during daylight hours.

Other considerations...I've read that some make a god-awful mess and some don't. I'd prefer the latter. I'd also like one that doesn't get to enormous, I see that some top out at 7 or so inches.

I've been eying a Sail Fin and a Gold Nugget pleco... what do you think?

pairustwo

 

[fish 'n' fries]

Sailfins are often Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps , which get about 18-24 inches. That said, if you have a huge tank, mine is out all the time and fairly active. Gold Nuggets also get big (over a foot although I think are slightly smaller than gibbys). I've also heard they're touchy.

Almost any pleco is going to make a lot of mess...they're large fish and often eat wood making more mess.

Planetcatfish.com is a great place to look for ideas. If you look through the Cat-eLog it can give you great ideas. You can even look at a certain small pleco (say, Queen Arabesque Pleco--which I want!--or a bristlenose which also stays under 7 inches) and it will give you others around that size. Just be careful as some of the smaller ones have specialized needs.

I'm not sure if any pleco's ever going to be an amazingly social fish. They're often nocturnal. Hope this helps.

 

[maxwell1295]

I have 3 clown plecs in my planted tank and I rarely see them, especially when it gets overgrown. Every so often I'll see one hanging out on the glass, but that's usually very early in the morning. They spend most of their time hanging around the driftwood and pooping like there's no tomorrow. Plecos can be extremely messy fish...

 

[Jchillin]

My bristlenoses stay small (no more than 3"), make a ton of mess but are constantly active around the entire tank all day everyday.

FishNfries is correct about the sailfin gibbiceps, I have one and it's huge!

 

[shayfish]

My Bristlenose is around 3 inches, makes a god-awful mess and spends the majority of his time under the driftwood. Keeps the glass neat and tidy for the most part though. It is cool when I get to see him though.

Allow me to show off for a moment, won't you?

 

[MyCatsDrool]

My sailfin is working on becoming a big boy also.


My Queen Arabesque is STUNNING, but not highly social.

I definately will have a gold nugget at some point. I love them

And when I win the lottery, I will have a tank full of zebras.

 

[pairustwo]

Thanks for the replies.

I've been eying the Queen Arabesque Pleco as well but It seems like they are a bit of a commodity.

Where can you buy rare fish like this? Or is it really rare?
Is there a good online seller of fish, and if so what is shipping like?

Thanks
Pairustwo

 

[tropicfishman]

I believe the gold nugget pleco is pretty active during the day time and night time

 

[Corey]

Royals seem to be out a lot, and are quite stunning.

 

[kaz]

what is your setup, so we can better tell you what pleco is better for that size and if you like a meaty lover or algae lover.

 

[plecoperson]

Some gold nuggets and Queen Arabesques can be difficult to keep alive; even experienced keepers with well-established tanks find them a challenge, depending on the individual fish.

I have never had a fish that hid more than the QA; I literally see its tail and nothing else, 100% of the time.

I think bristlenoses are the ideal pleco; they don't get too huge, they are usually bred in tanks, they're cheap, they eat algae, and they eat a standard vegetable-based diet. OK, so I have eight of them...so maybe I like them a bit too much! They really are busy, amusing fish to watch though, so if that's what you're after I'd choose a BN of some sort.

 

[kaz]

I have a golden nugget he comes out only late evening/nightm, I keep finding myself overfeeding do to the nature that everyone else eats the food and leave nothing for the pleco when it does come out. I never see him on the glass just sucks around the bottom. it has been about three months since I have him but its getting to me that I never see him actually take in a whole wafer or pellets etc.

 

[Berserkr]

My little Hi Fin is amazing, great coloration and he's quite active. He's a hard worker. I had a decent build up of algae on the rocks and sides of my tank, within 3 days or so after getting started, there are no traces of algae except a little on the rocks! He was working himself to the bone, at only about an inch and a half I can't believe he didn't explode! He even cleans my filter intake, he's kind of a neat freak. He goes and hides in his little crevice in my lava rock now and then, some times hangs out with my Red tail shark. But they get quite large, so I'll soon be upgrading. Maybe to 90 gal.

 

[piranha]

My clown pleco hides under my plants but is still visible. If I drop some algae wafers in, he gladly comes out to feed without being timid. If you want to see yours, this might work for you.

 

[GouramiFanatic]

I also have a Clown Pleco (sold to me as a Candy Striped Pleco) in my tank at work. He's also out quite a bit during the day. Although, if you move towards the tank suddenly it does spook the poor little thing.