when to get a pleco?

[Ineubis]

I have a 65 gallon tank, that's been set up since 5/01/06 (13 1/2 weeks). The tank is healthy AFAIK, 0 nitrite, 0 ammonia, 7.8 pH, 80 nitrate (should be zero after a PWC).

I am successfully keeping healthy, happy fish in it, and the only death, to date, was a Bristlenose Pleco, whom I purchased after about 6 weeks, and died in 2 weeks, I assume due to lack of algae.

I have not cleaned any algae in the tank, except off the front and side glass (for viewing purposes), and feel I have a good supply for a new pleco.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

 

[Pleco]

You could get one at any time, but if there is a lack of Algae for the Pleco to eat i would recommend that you suplement his diet with Hikari Algae wafers. I give my Golden Nuget Pleco half a wafer whenever i feed the fish

 

[joannde]

I'm not very knowledgable about pleco's so I can't help you there.
Just wanted to comment on your nitrates. You should aim to keep them below 40ppm, preferably below 20ppm. The only way you can get them down to 0 with a single water change would be to do a 100% change (which even then might not get you to 0 as your tap water may contain nitrates). My suggestion would be that you do a 50% water change asap and then do another 50% in a day or two. You should end up at 20ppm by then, in which case once weekly water changes of 50% should keep it in check depending upon your stocking.

 

[JustOneMore20]

What other fish are in the tank?

If you want something that is truly an algae eater, then go for another bristlenose or some ottos (obviously not a pleco, i know).

If you want some type of pleco, you can get a clown pleco, rubbernose pleco, or some of the more exotic plecos, like a Leopard Frog pleco.
Most of those don't eat much algae though and prefer a meatier diet. So you'd need to give them some shrimp pellets and blood worms.

For the BN and ottos, I'd supplement an algae wafer every night whether you think there's enough algae or not. I have some algae in my 55g, but I still put in a wafer for my BN.

 

[Ineubis]

Other fish are scats, tetras, a datnoid, clown loaches, and a butterfly catfish (hara hara)

Also, I will work on my nitrates. I've been leaving my tank alone, as I got 2 baby red scats (nickel-sized), 8 days ago, and want them to feel comfortable before I rip the tank apart, and do a PWC/gravel cleaning.

One is now wiggling at the glass with his big brothers when I get home, but another one is less hardy... but he is coming along, and eating well now.

 

[Pleco]

Other fish are scats, tetras, a datnoid, clown loaches, and a butterfly catfish (hara hara)

Also, I will work on my nitrates. I've been leaving my tank alone, as I got 2 baby red scats (nickel-sized), 8 days ago, and want them to feel comfortable before I rip the tank apart, and do a PWC/gravel cleaning.

One is now wiggling at the glass with his big brothers when I get home, but another one is less hardy... but he is coming along, and eating well now.

A golden nugget pleco would make a nice addition, they shouldnt get any bigger than 6". Most all plecos will eat fish food that is left over on the bottom of the tank, but its main diet is algae. Please be sure that if you put another pleco in the tank that you put half a algae wafer in for the pleco to munch on. If you wanted to vary up the food for the Pleco you can take a slice of Zucchini and attach it to a spoon or something that will weigh it to the bottom of the tank, they love zucchini

-Pleco

 

[Ineubis]

A golden nugget pleco would make a nice addition

Are they real expensive?

I saw (what I thought to be) a Golden Nugget Pleco at my LFS for $50!

Cool looking fish, but a spicy meatball to be sure.

 

[Pleco]

A golden nugget pleco would make a nice addition

Are they real expensive?

I saw (what I thought to be) a Golden Nugget Pleco at my LFS for $50!

Cool looking fish, but a spicy meatball to be sure.

If you get them while they are juveniles you can find them cheaper. I paid $29.99 for mine, but the more developed the colors on it gets the pricier it goes. They had one that was near adulthood with some beautiful marking on it, they wanted $125 for it.

I know one of the stores near me will sell juveniles for $29.99 the other for $49.99, so i would guess that is the appropriate range. They sure are pretty plecos though

Golden nuggets are pretty easy to tell apart from other plecos, so im sure it was probably a GN that you saw

-Pleco

 

[hc8719]

my pleco doesnt care for algae waffers (probably because there wardleys) so i give him a big slice of cucumber, which he and possibly the kissing gourami's destroy overnight

 

[RogerMcAllen]

I'd suggest researching your plecs a bit before buying the next one(www.planetcatfish.com is a very good resource). For the most part, plecs are not very good at getting rid of algae. Depending on the species, they may not even eat plants at all. Feeding should be a concerted effort as opposed to saying that the plec will eat any leftovers.

I think the main downfall with your DBN was a lack of veggies as stated above, and also a lack of driftwood.