Large Pleco

[Marto666]

I’m tempted to buy a large Pleco but have the following concerns:

Are they are expensive to feed? (algae wafers);
Will it look ridiculous compared to the other fish (much larger) and
Do they poo for England? i.e I will have to up the water changing to keep the ammonia down?

Does anyone have experience of these so knows the pro’s/con’s?

Many thanks

 

[Tizer]

What size is your tank?

I dont really consider fish an expensive "pet" to feed no.

Your filter should be able to deal with the ammonia. its the nitrates that build up and require water changes. I dont think an extra fish will require you to do it more often, but you might consider doing a slightly larger % change when you do.

A large Pleco will poo for England and you would need a certain about of wood in there to aid digestion.

 

[Marto666]

Hi Tizer

My tank is 350L and I have a fair amount of bogwood in the tank (as much as I think looks sensible). I’ve not had a chance to upload a photo of the tank yet.

Do they have to have their food supplemented with these wafers? How does the wood aid digestion?

I didn’t realise the filter should be able to deal with the ammonia. Despite doing a fair amount of water changes I always get a slightly darker yellow when testing.

Thanks

 

[Tizer]

Dark yellow doesnt sound like a problem, at least not if you use the API freshwater test kits, anything green normally shouts 'ammonia'.

Im not sure about the science behind the digestion, pleco have never interested me, i think they are ugly and messy

Most people will drop an algae wafer into the tank when lights go out at night time yes.

 

[MikeO]

What length is the tank as its not just about volume when considering keeping a large plec

 

[Marto666]

The tank is crystal clear and the fish all seem happy enough so sounds like its all ok.

The messy bit is what is putting me off a bit, I don’t want to upset the harmony of the tank as everything is so peaceful at the moment and I’m unsure a swimming turd factory will add much apart from the obvious.

MikeO the length is 4ft, what other requirements should I consider? Will it benefit the tank in terms of eliminating algae?

 

[MikeO]

The tank is crystal clear and the fish all seem happy enough so sounds like its all ok.

The messy bit is what is putting me off a bit, I don’t want to upset the harmony of the tank as everything is so peaceful at the moment and I’m unsure a swimming turd factory will add much apart from the obvious.

MikeO the length is 4ft, what other requirements should I consider? Will it benefit the tank in terms of eliminating algae?

Considering the waste that these monstors produce they do not make a good solution to algae. If you have an algae issue then either clean it (takes 2 mins with a pad, or get a magnetic one) or address the issue and work out why you have it. Getting a large plec will not help your issues.

I assume you are looking at a common plec, in which case my personal view is that 4ft is too small for a large one. I think anything up to about 10cm is ok for a tank of that width in my own view, considering the sizes they can grow to.

Is there any other reason you want one? If its for "cleaing" why dont you look at a BN?

 

[Marto666]

I think you are probably right suggesting they may need a bigger tank. I was concerned that it would look ridiculous compared to other fish as they are considerably bigger.

I don’t currently have an algae problem but I’ve only had the tank for a month so was thinking of preparing myself for a potential problem.

By BN, do you mean Brittle Nose? I have one of them and think he’s great.

 

[MikeO]

I dont think it is a case of looking rediculous - Nothing wrong with having a large plec in with any size fish really, as long as the tank is large enough.

In the past when I kept community tanks I would always buy tiny plecos for like £2, but as soon as they started to get to about 12inches I took them to my LFS who would swap them for something else for me. My old man had a larger tank at one point and we got one up to about 19inches, which again we took to the LFS when it was too big for his tank.

If you have only had the tank a month then it would probably also be too much extra bioload on your filter. I would have the tank established at least six months before adding something which is going to have a big effect on the filtration load - but again its probably not a good idea to get a large one anyway.

BN - Bristle Nose. You could probably get away with having 2 - someone correct me if anyone thiks differently?

From the sounds of your tank, Large Pleco = No.

Solution - Get bigger tank


I want something bigger. I have a similar sounding tank to you actually, although yours must be very deep to be 350L at 4ft. Really I want a 6ft - 8ft tank, alas funding will not allow

 

[Marto666]

MikeO, thanks for the advice.

I bought the tank secondhand but I kept the filter and 30+ fish alive so did not need to cycle it (military operation).

How big will the BN likely to grow? He’s probably about 5” at the moment.

I think the resounding opinion is that I should not get one and I’m happy with that as I was in two minds. I just have to tell the Mrs now as she had her heart set on one. I will bribe her with a few Gourami instead as she loves them

 

[england]

As stated, more than likely a common or gibbicep plec, my gibbicep was around 20inches just before he died, he was in a 5ft/2ft/2ft. this was small,but better for him than the 3ft tank i rescued him from, had him four years..stunning fish to keep, poo machines is true,often having poo about a foot in length hanging from his botty
Bristle noses at 5inches is fully grown, great plec for smaller tanks, they are agressive with other plecs,so bear that in mind,if it has bristles its a male, there are alot of plecs smaller like clown / bulldog etc, some fetch alot of monies,

 

[MikeO]

Sounds like it is fully grown to me, they dont get big, which is why you can get away with having a number of them.

 

[Marto666]

Thanks guys

A poo that is a foot in length?! That has defo made my mind up!

 

[moochy13]

dont throw away the idea instantly !!

maybe not a monster 15+ common plec, but plecs range from 2-30+ inches, so if you wanted something a little bigger than your BN plecs, you could easily go for something about twice the size fully grown. something 8 or 9 inches would be great, you wouldnt even need to go that big. check out the plec section of the forum, at the top is a list of plecs all under 8 inches fully grown. it links to a site that also tells you about larger plecs, spend half an hour checking them out see if theres anything you fancy - there probably will be.

from a poo point of view, i wouldnt be as concerned as people are suggesting you be. ive got a few plecs in my tank, though admittedly only a couple are fully grown, and dont find it a chore to keep the water clean. i hoover the poo off the sand, which removes about 25L. i remove another 25L bucket, and thats plenty of water changed. i have a lot of catfish types, which i think generally are considered the dirtiest fish, but sticking to the above water change as a minimum has given me no trouble. my tank is too small for a couple of these plecs eventually, but then they can go live in another tank. my tank is also a bit overstocked (especially when fish are full grown), but the water change % i do is enough to cope with it easily. in a less stocked tank it would be even easier to keep the water clean.

ive seen platties with longer poos than any of my fish produce. i did have a common sailfin, and to be fair he was a poo machine, so i moved him on. but theres a big difference between the sailfin i had and the ones i have now.