cool plecos? suggestions???

[rweedon]

I am looking for some kind of cool plecostomus I have had marble horn and albino's (yawnnnn) need something new and cool maybe tough enough to be with an oscar...

[dialphantom]

sadly most of the exotic plecos dont get that big so having a 6 inch pleco with a 13 inch oscar is not good

[The Mule]

What size is your tank? There are many "exotic" plecos that get big enough to be housed with an oscar. Pseudacanthicus leopardus (aka the "Leopard Cactus Pleco") would be a good choice. Don't get enormous (maybe 10-11"), but plenty big enough & tough enough to hold its own. Panaque nigrolineatus ("royal pleco") get large and would also do quite well, provided you give it some wood to gnaw on. L24 & L25 are both large and colorful plecos that would do well with large cichlids (in a big enough tank).

On the smaller side, but still compatible with oscars (provided you don't put baby ones in with a full grown oscar), would be the L200 ("Green Phantom") and L128 ("Blue Phantom"). Very attractive and colorful plecos. These will only reach 6-8" in size. I'd be very surprised if a 12-13" oscar could eat a 7" pleco. :)

Now when you describe your old plecos with a "yawn," what exactly do you mean? If you're looking for super active fish that beg for food, etc., you won't find that in a pleco. :) But if you're looking for colorful & interesting looking, the above choices are a good place to start.

[cabouta1]

You can try a sailfin pleco. Nice coloration. I have 4" royal in my 135 with a pair of albino oscars. No problems He's been in there for about 6 months now. I also have a 5" bushy nose in this tank.

[SP42]

I just had a 10" rhino with a dempsy amd a green terror for 6 monthes no probs (with the pleco anyway)

[guppy]

I like the lineus variants.

[zhuangsw]

imho, get the l46, the famous zebra pleco. they are such little beauties. but they dont grow very big. about 6-7inchers i heard.

but then when you get them, you have to take your oscar, coz i wouldnt take the risk of letting the pleco become a damm expensive feeder. haha

[little monster]

I have L046, really beautifull fish and when they are setteled they will be less shy and you will see them more often. But like zhuangsw said..take out the big fish or else they could get some expensive food. And by the way they need to be kept at high temp, lots of current and oxigen in the water.

[Thomas_Hung]

I have an L200.. it looks awesome

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/thomas_hung/phantom.jpg

But it hides most of the time and thats kind of lame

[zhuangsw]

I have L046, really beautifull fish and when they are setteled they will be less shy and you will see them more often. But like zhuangsw said..take out the big fish or else they could get some expensive food. And by the way they need to be kept at high temp, lots of current and oxigen in the water.

how many do you have? those l046? do you have females, can u breed them? they are so rare overe here in sg.. sob..

btw, thye dont grow very big rite? wads their max size?

I have an L200.. it looks awesome

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/thomas_hung/phantom.jpg

But it hides most of the time and thats kind of lame

thanks for sharing this cool pleco, it looks like it has golden spots. haha

btw, you guys should check out some websites about plecos, here are 2 of them..

http://www.plecofanatics.com/gallery/

http://www.plecos.com/index.php <== this has pictures of the diderent L-series.

i used to keep 2 L-series plecos b4. cant really remember how thye look like or what number are they. but they diddnt last long, they aint really hardy rite? :cry: you gotta buy those algae pellets for them. unlike the normal common cheap sucker fish, which will just feed on left over food, and can survive very well..

[reefman]

you should get a gibbeceps or red tailed cactus cat

[Rui]

Keep in mind that these fancy plecos need to be fed more carnivorous foods, which may at first sound like they would make perfect additions to your oscar.

I have a cactus, and let me tell you it is difficult to mix with cichlids. They are usually more shy than gibbiceps, so by the time they actually move to go eat when you feed them, the food is gone.

I threw mine in my 230 gallon, with a bunch of cichlids. Gibbiceps was in there with him. By the time he would come out to get food, there would be none left. Gibbiceps ate fine though. Now he is sharing a 90 gallon, and I always watch for him to start eating before I leave.

Most of the larger growing fancy plecos would be fine with your oscar (though sometimes oscars are tempermental and will keep attacking relentlessly), but getting enough food may be a problem.

[rweedon]

I have a small 3" common pleco with my 12"++ oscar and he doesn't seem to mind him just inhales his algae tablets though...

[zhuangsw]

Keep in mind that these fancy plecos need to be fed more carnivorous foods, which may at first sound like they would make perfect additions to your oscar.

I have a cactus, and let me tell you it is difficult to mix with cichlids. They are usually more shy than gibbiceps, so by the time they actually move to go eat when you feed them, the food is gone.

I threw mine in my 230 gallon, with a bunch of cichlids. Gibbiceps was in there with him. By the time he would come out to get food, there would be none left. Gibbiceps ate fine though. Now he is sharing a 90 gallon, and I always watch for him to start eating before I leave.

Most of the larger growing fancy plecos would be fine with your oscar (though sometimes oscars are tempermental and will keep attacking relentlessly), but getting enough food may be a problem.

you sure? i think the fancy plecos really need those algae pellets to grow and survive healthy. As that is their real diet in the wild. i used to have 2, but i didnt buy those pellets, and they eat wad my fishes eat, bloodworm, market prawns. after a month or two, they died.

so i felt that it might be the bad diet.

[Gr8KarmaSF]

How about a vampire pleco?

[Thomas_Hung]

How about a vampire pleco?


Vampire Plecos are cool, I have one of those! Mine has claimed a cave as his home and will chase any and all that enter. Pretty funny guy

[rweedon]

they don't eat algea do they?

I am looking for something to eat algae in my 75 the most aggressive fish in there now are two large red rainbows and a goephagus jurapari...

[Thomas_Hung]

they don't eat algea do they?

I am looking for something to eat algae in my 75 the most aggressive fish in there now are two large red rainbows and a goephagus jurapari...


Get some kind of bristlenose... it has been my experience that they dont dick around when it comes to eating algae :cheers:

[SteveL91]

you sure? i think the fancy plecos really need those algae pellets to grow and survive healthy. As that is their real diet in the wild. i used to have 2, but i didnt buy those pellets, and they eat wad my fishes eat, bloodworm, market prawns. after a month or two, they died.

so i felt that it might be the bad diet.

Depends on the genus. Of the of the "fancy plecos," a lot of the more popular types are decidedly carnivorous: Hypancistrus, Scobiancistrus, Pseudacanthicus, Leprocanthicus to name a few. Experiment with different foods - veggie sources and protein sources - and rotate. Most, if not all, plecos will benefit from being offered both veggies and protein, especially if you're looking to breed them.

[rweedon]

thanks for all the good suggestions just went up to spokane and got an acanthicus adonis from miles... Great fish he also gave me a 10" marble horn... Guess he didn't want it anymore...