I presently have two sailfin plecos which, of course, are steadily growing in size--I fear that, very soon, I will not have nearly enough room in my aquariums for just one of them, let alone both. So, I was hoping to put them in my mother's fish pond come spring, where they would have plenty of room and plenty to eat. However, seeing as I live in Michigan, I'm not sure whether or not they would be able to winter over under the ice. I think not, seeing as there are no wild plecos living in the nearby river after being released from captivity and allowed to reproduce, not unlike the blue crayfish that can now be found there. I have little doubt that, owing to the Pleco's size and popularity around here, they have been released into the wild before. Thus, I am wondering whether or not the Plecos I have can stay in the pond even after summer, or whether I will be forced to catch them again come autumn, when my mother always cleans her pond for the last time that year. In this case, I would most likely trade them in at my local fish store for either smaller algae eaters or in-store credit. Nevertheless, seeing as the plecostomus tends to be a very hardy fish indeed, I may be wrong about their ability to winter over--so any advice or opinions that might put my question to rest would be highly appreciated.

P.S. The pond is 8ft. by 12ft. and is 4ft. deep--just in case you were wondering.

I doubt it would survive since it is a used to tropical waters. I recently had heater problems and the temperature dropped to the low 70's and my pleco was much more sluggish then usual.

When the water becomes colder, all fish become more sluggish than usual. Many fish, such as the Bluegill, that overwinter beneath the ice often very nearly stop moving at all. For instance, when you go ice-fishing, it seems a lot more rare to catch a fish than it is during the summer. Not only that, but while, during the summer, a simple floating bobber will suffice in letting you know whether or not you have caught a fish, it is often necessary to check your lines during the winter because the fish are so sluggish, they may not pull on the bobber at all.

i don't think they would be good there.. i tried keeping plec's in cool water tanks before with no sucess... anything under 70°F i think is getting too cold for pleco's... this tank i had them in was at 60-65°F and no such luck at getting them to survive.. as well as trying in a pond.. come fall.. no plec made it

When the temperature goes to 65 and below the fishes metabolic rate slows up hense the sluggishness, some Gibbiceps have been kept in coldwater, however, I think they are placed in this at an early age.