I'm not a pleco guy, minimal experience with only a few common species of them over the years. At the moment my question relates to a trio of Hypostomus laplatae (Red-fin Uruguay plecos) that have done well and grown from 2-inches to 10-12 inch lengths; but the same general question applies to other species as well.
I use 1-foot sections of concrete drainage pipes with an inside diameter of 3.5 inches in most of my tanks as hides and shelters. They're heavy, quickly become overgrown with algae and look...well, perhaps not natural, but at least they blend in nicely with the driftwood and rocks. The laplatae have always used these pipes but now they have achieved a size that requires them to fold their pectorals all the way back to enter the pipe. The biggest of them appears to be actually scraping the sides of its pectoral spines as it rests in the pipe.
I'm wondering if this will result in damage? At the moment, there is no noticeable mark on the pectoral spines to indicate a problem. I have in the past lost a number of Bristlenose plecos who jam themselves into crevices in driftwood, don't extricate themselves and are found dead on the floor after the wood has been removed for awhile while working inside the tank. This has made me more than a bit gun-shy about the situation. Are the laplatae going to jam themselves into too tight of a cavity and suffer for it? It seems unreasonable to worry about it, but...
Obviously I could discontinue use of the concrete pipes, but they work so well with other species of fish that I am loathe to replace them with ABS or PVC. Cichlids spawn in them, Java Moss and Black Beard Algae grows readily on them, loaches and other secretive fish hide inside.
They're one of the best ways to catch shy fish without tearing up the whole tank in the process. Wait for the fish to enter, quickly slap a net or your hand across each end of the pipe and you're golden.
In any case, there are numerous other hiding and resting spots under/behind large pieces of driftwood and rocks, but the fish seem to prefer those pipes most of the time.
I've also recently bitten the bullet and purchased a single Hypostomus luteus, the most expensive single fish I can recall ever buying. He's still a bit too small for this to be a worry but...he'll grow...
Any comments or opinions gratefully accepted.
I use 1-foot sections of concrete drainage pipes with an inside diameter of 3.5 inches in most of my tanks as hides and shelters. They're heavy, quickly become overgrown with algae and look...well, perhaps not natural, but at least they blend in nicely with the driftwood and rocks. The laplatae have always used these pipes but now they have achieved a size that requires them to fold their pectorals all the way back to enter the pipe. The biggest of them appears to be actually scraping the sides of its pectoral spines as it rests in the pipe.
I'm wondering if this will result in damage? At the moment, there is no noticeable mark on the pectoral spines to indicate a problem. I have in the past lost a number of Bristlenose plecos who jam themselves into crevices in driftwood, don't extricate themselves and are found dead on the floor after the wood has been removed for awhile while working inside the tank. This has made me more than a bit gun-shy about the situation. Are the laplatae going to jam themselves into too tight of a cavity and suffer for it? It seems unreasonable to worry about it, but...
Obviously I could discontinue use of the concrete pipes, but they work so well with other species of fish that I am loathe to replace them with ABS or PVC. Cichlids spawn in them, Java Moss and Black Beard Algae grows readily on them, loaches and other secretive fish hide inside.
They're one of the best ways to catch shy fish without tearing up the whole tank in the process. Wait for the fish to enter, quickly slap a net or your hand across each end of the pipe and you're golden.
In any case, there are numerous other hiding and resting spots under/behind large pieces of driftwood and rocks, but the fish seem to prefer those pipes most of the time.
I've also recently bitten the bullet and purchased a single Hypostomus luteus, the most expensive single fish I can recall ever buying. He's still a bit too small for this to be a worry but...he'll grow...
Any comments or opinions gratefully accepted.
