A Question About Plecostomouses

[FishLover14]

I have a question about Plecos. I have 3 plecos. 2 common plecos and 1 bristlenose pleco. The common plecos are 14mm and 7mm, the bristlenose is 8mm. I have had the two common plecos for about 3 months. I just got the bristlenose a few weeks ago. The plecos are in a 10 gallon tank. I have 2 large rock sculptures in it for the plecos to hide in, My bristlenose pleco will go in a rock sculpture and my 12mm common pleco will push and chase the bristlenose pleco out of the rock cave. I have heard that plecos can be aggresive to each other together in a small tank? Are plecos reallly that aggressive to each other? Is it ok to leave them all together. Thanks for your questions and comments.

Dan

 

[Lance M.]

My clown pleco is about 3 inches long and he has his own cave but when my dojo loach, around 6 inches, trys to go in it the pleco will rush out and start ramming the dojo. If you could try to make more hiding places. You could leave them together unless you see them damage each other, which is unlikely.

 

[robertmarda]

You do realize those plecos will outgrow that tank? Their potential size is 18 inches. A conversion site I found converted this to 457.2 mm. I have a 9 inch pleco that I have had for over 4 years now. According to my records I had it in a 10 gallon tank from Nov 1999 to about Sep 2001 when I was given a 55 gallon tank and moved all my fish into it.

 

[Lance M.]

Ya common plecos easily grow to around a foot and a half long. You can keep them in there for now but you need a MUCH larger tank in less than a year if they grow properly. The size of the tank will not affect the size the pleco grows.

robertmarda- You keep a turtle in with 6 cichlids, a red devil, and a pleco?

 

[Springcheeks]

I would not keep those plecos together for much longer or there will be an obvious winner and 2 losers in the territory fight you are seeing develop.
Plecos will get very territorial towards each other, especially in a tank that small. I have 2 bn plecos in a 55g tank and they have arguments all the time. One of them even chases the RTB that is in there!

Please consider upgrading to a tank big enough or rehousing them.

 

[robertmarda]

Yes. I keep a 6 inch long red eared slider in with my cichlids, pleco, and red devil. And I don't recommend this combination of aquatic dwellers to anyone. The turtle and pleco used to squabble over food at feeding time until I found a floating food the turtle prefers over the sinking food.

Hmm, I didn't realize pleco's would be territorial towards others. That probably extends to any aquatic dweller that eats food from the bottom of the tank and would explain why I occasionally see the pleco pushing the turtle, once he pushed that turtle all the way to the top of the tank.

 

[Cafe Jeff]

I kept a red devil and a plec in a 35 for two years.
They never really saw eye to eye but I never had a problem with them either. Two of my favourite fish, though I have read so much terrible press of red devils lately that I don't dare upset the apple cart and get a new one wiithout a 500 gallon, bullet proof tank with reinforced flower pots. However, adding a turtle would seriously up the ante!

 

[FishLover14]

Thanks everyone. I realize plecos grow to be huge. I am going to uprgrade to a 55gal sometime. I have seen a pleco that is 3ft.

Dan

 

[Menagerie]

The infamous P mouse! The time to upgrade or rehouse or give away is now. It's amazing how quickly problems upgrade between fish.

 

[Springcheeks]

Hate to tell ya FishLover14 but a 55g is not even close to suitable for those plecs. The BN would be fine in there but the 2 commons wont be...