Pleco question

[Keepers_girl]

I really really like Plecos and I plan on starting one in my 10gal with the intention of moving him to a much larger tank in the near future. I will have 2 clown loaches, 5 rummynose and 2 neon tetras. Does anyone know of a good pleco that can get along with these fish and will not totally destroy my plants? I really wanted a "snowball"....but hell, those cost a fortune!

 

[Spy_90]

common plecos are pretty niffty.. or go exotic =)
i *think* they all pretty much do the same thing... eat algea and grow huge :O

 

[Devilishturtles]

From my understanding, if you keep a pleco well fed, it should stay away from plants. Give it plenty of algae wafer, vegetables (cucumber, zuchinni, etc.) Usually, when plecos are small, they don't have a sufficient swim bladder to stay floating to the plants, and when to get larger, the plant leaves can usually not support them. I guess it all depends of the personality of your pleco too.

Some that stay small are the bristlenose pleco but I don't know much about them. I have a common pleco in my 55 gal, and he has never touched any plants. Hope this helps some...

 

[Pufferpunk]

Keel in mind, a common pleco grows 18+" & will outgrow a 55g tank. There are lots of smaller plecos that won't cost too much. Clown plecos are very nice. clown loaches also grow 12".

 

[Menagerie]

I love my two Rubber Lipped plecos--4-5" when they reach adulthood. I also have a bristle nose--4-5" when adult. I find that they are slow growers. One of my RL has been with me for over a year and is only 2 1/2" right now.
HTH

 

[Keepers_girl]

Thanks for the replies. The rubber-lipped looks neat as does the "clown". I also was looking at the "Tiger" Pleco.

 

[BrianNY]

I've got dwarf albino bristlenose plecos. They don't touch the plants and are very docile. They're good tank mates for clown loaches and tetras

 

[madasafish]

It's definitely a it more complicated than that, Spy_90. Plecos range in size from 3 inches to well over 2 feet. Most plecs kept in captivity won't exceed 15" or so, but some have!

If you're going to buy a plec, it's a much better investment to get a "dwarf pleco" such as a bristlenose or a Tiger pleco (though that's a very generic term). The best resource for info on these is www.planetcatfish.com. Got to "E-catelogue" then Common Name or "L-numbers." "L-numbers" will take you to the most comprehensive list of all plecs on the web, and about 80% have pics and info associated with them. L-numbers, by the way, are a common way of referring to plecs that haven't necessarily been fully described, and is useful because new species pop up frequently.

Some suggestions from my end.... If you want to go with a truly beautiful pleco, consider King Tigers (L-66) Imperial King Tigers (L-333), Queen Arabesques (L-260), Gold Nuggets (L-18, 81 and 177; these do get a foot long eventually, but not usually in tanks), and the snowball varieties, such as L-142. I also happen to think that the albino bristlenoses are really cool... These don't have any 1 L-number...

These are just a few suggestions... A LOT more interesting variants exist out there... If you're willing to pay serious money ($100+) consider Zebra Plecs (L-46), and Mega Clown Peckoltias (L-340).

HTH

 

[Keepers_girl]

Thank you so much for the info. The website is awesome.

madasafish: 20 kudos to you

 

[madasafish]

Oh, thank you!

BTW, I've got 4 L-333s (tomorrow), 1 L-260 (3 more coming), 7 L-052s, 2 L-18s and an L-142. All come personally recommended! (See my gallery for pics of some of them.)

Oh, and I forgot to say that depending on the L-number of plec, snowballs can be affordable or hugely expensive. I got mine for $25, which is quite inexpensive. Might sound like a lot, though.

What does "beside keeper in the tank" mean?

 

[Keepers_girl]

Wow! that's a lot of plecos! They're my favorite....$25 seems reasonable, I saw a quote for $80 and that's why I thought they were so expensive.

As for the "beside keeper in the tank", keeper is my fiancee and since his "location" is "somewhere in the tank" and since I'm usually with him....well....

 

[madasafish]

Hehe. That makes sense! Sorta...

I got the 4 Imperial King Tiger L-333s (white variety, not yellow) today. They look great! Here are some low-quality pictures... I'll get better pics when they've settled in.

 

[madasafish]

Last picture:

 

[Keepers_girl]

Those are awesome!! Wow!! Looking forward to seeing some more pics! Thanks so much again for your advice and help.....it's much appreciated.

 

[madasafish]

One more picture: