Plecos are also food...

[TwoTankAmin]

Clown loaches, one of my favorite fish, are a food fish in their native regions of Indonesia and Borneo.

My biggest clown about 1 foot in length has been with me about 33 years maybe a bit longer. I cannot imagine I would ever eat it.

 

[Innesfan]

That’s a pure fact ! I’d love to try them but I’m afraid I’d goof up with them . Discus are NOT for anyone but the most expert aquarists .

I think you'd do fine with them. I've never kept domestics--only wilds and F1 from wilds. And I found them to be tough. The big issue is the water change regimen. All but one of my Greens made it to age 8 and several went on to double digits, one almost making it to bar mitzvah age. With newly imported wilds, you almost always need to clean them up during quarantine, freeing them of parasites, which is fairly easy. After that it's all about water changes. Again, I cannot say whether domestics are as tough having never kept one.

 

[Back in the fold]

I think you'd do fine with them. I've never kept domestics--only wilds and F1 from wilds. And I found them to be tough. The big issue is the water change regimen. All but one of my Greens made it to age 8 and several went on to double digits, one almost making it to bar mitzvah age. With newly imported wilds, you almost always need to clean them up during quarantine, freeing them of parasites, which is fairly easy. After that it's all about water changes. Again, I cannot say whether domestics are as tough having never kept one.

Well . . . . maybe I might give them a go . They aren’t called The King of Aquarium Fish for nothing . Nothing is more beautiful than Discus . I have no problem with the water change regimen . I could very easily go into Jack Wattley mode there . Do you think a 55 could house three or four adequately ?

 

[anewbie]

Well . . . . maybe I might give them a go . They aren’t called The King of Aquarium Fish for nothing . Nothing is more beautiful than Discus . I have no problem with the water change regimen . I could very easily go into Jack Wattley mode there . Do you think a 55 could house three or four adequately ?

No. they do best in a group - 6+ and you want the tank to be at least 24 inches wide and 8 feet long - sure you can put them in something smaller but wilds tend to be a bit more timid and the more space the better. After 2 years the sound a pin dropping can still spook mine. I have 8 in a 180 and consider it way too small - when i move in 18 to 24 months they will get 8ft x 4ft aquarium.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Many, many of our aquarium fish are food fish in their home lands (or in other lands where they have become invasive). I've heard from several reliable sources that plecos are pretty tasty. @emeraldking What did you think of the taste? I don't see any reason they shouldn't be delicious.

I have a good friend who lived in Malawi for a long time and I asked him about this one time. He said that the more colorful, smaller Malawi cichlids aren't generally eaten by people...they're used as bait to catch the really big ones!

 

[emeraldking]

I've heard from several reliable sources that plecos are pretty tasty. @emeraldking What did you think of the taste?

Well, they tasted much better than I expected. For I never has eaten them before. But the broth also added a lot to the flavor.

 

[anewbie]

Well, they tasted much better than I expected. For I never has eaten them before. But the broth also added a lot to the flavor.

The magic question; would you eat them again?

 

[emeraldking]

The magic question; would you eat them again?

I'd be open for that...