I was thinking putting a common pleco in my outdoor KOI pond for the summer. Does anyone else do this. It's about a 1,000 gal. 48 inch deep end. Water is curreently 65Degrees.
Common Pleco in outdoor ponds?
- Thread starter fishtician
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It's probably little too cold but it may survive, I would try to keep it around 70.
people down near me do it, but the water here is already like 72
people down near me do it, but the water here is already like 72
Oh yes, I'm gonna wait till it warms up a bit. I have a few 12-14 inchers that to choose from. The guy at a LFS in area told me he does this. It was the first I heard of it.
yes but u do know if there is not enough algea, the pleco will attach to your Koi's skin and eat the protective gel/slime. i think? i have read this before, dont kill me if am wrong!
My dad had some in his pond like 20 years ago. They get massive very quickly (his got to 18 inches in a year) and the second the water hits 62F, they float to the surface. You will have to have either a large heater or a tank to put them in when it starts getting cold.
Btw, we live in southern louisiana and he still had to scoop them out. Do not assume that you can have them if you live in an area with a warm climate.
Btw, we live in southern louisiana and he still had to scoop them out. Do not assume that you can have them if you live in an area with a warm climate.
thats funny bcause i too live in south L.a. and i got four algae eaters in my pond and they do fine all year but when winter approches i put to big heaters in my pond ive only had one die and it was because my flowerhorn picked on him till death
BAYOU boy 437;4123540; said:
I'm assuming that your water never gets to 62F or lower. My dad was cheap and did not have any heaters on the pond. Instead, he would just watch the thermometer, and when it got to about 65, he would scoop them out and put each one in a 10 gl tank.
I know this is not the right way to do it, but it was a very long time ago, when I knew nothing about fish.
I live in Massachusetts and keep pleco's in my outdoor pond from june till the first or second week of September. They do very well outdoors I think that its the only way to get them fat and happy they can graze all day long and never run out of food
I have mine in the pond right now. Last year i had some 3" ones in june , in sept they were 9" or so. they do great for me and seeing as i always have string algae in the pond, they eat all the time, but they never seem to catch up with the growth totally.