Gold Nugget Placo Questions

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J

JONP

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 14, 2007
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texas
I have an opportunity to pick one of these up Sunday but I have a couple problems:

1. I'm a 3 hour drive away from home can he survive that trip?
2. I have a 75 w/ wood, rocks, and a sand bottom
PH 7.6
14 Malawi Cichlids
1 Place Common
3 Clown Loaches
Does this environment suite him?
3. Will he need specific food or does he scavenge?

Please add anything else I'm not thinking of?

Thanks,
 
The Lake Malawi cichlids are the problems. It's basically trial and error. You'll never know whether they'll try to beat the pleco to death or not.
 
The gold nuggets come from South America with fairly soft water. So, the bio type is a mismatch. (7.6 is the upper bound for the gnp) They require driftwood and blood worms etc for their diet (they are omnivores). Also make sure they have somewhere to hide from the cichlids. If you try it, you may want to see what the pH of the water is in their current tank and very slowly make the transition. They are not the hardiest fish, but they are really cool. By the way, they don't eat much algae. So I would plan on them for decoration and some bottom cleanup, but not much more.

Definately let us know if you try it so that others can learn if it works or not. Given the pH difference and the cichlids, I would give you about a 5-10% chance of success. Maybe some others have tried it successfully and can give you a more optimistic outlook. You may want to look at planetcatfish.com for some more info.
 
If you do plan the drive get an old styrofoam from an LFS, or use an Igloo lunch box/cooler.
 
Which malawi cichlids in particular do you have? Driftwood is not necessary at all for gold nuggets, however a high protein diet is. The pH difference isn't too big of an issue for most fish, however, with GN's is can be problematic. Make sure to do a long slow acclimation with a drip line.
 
I would say that driftwood may not be "necessary" according to planet catfish, but ours eat it all the time and they are very happy. If they don't eat the wood directly, then they very likely eat the stuff that grows on it. It makes a good place to hide and a great snack. Many people have a hard time keeping the gnp, and they aren't cheap. So, drift wood may be a good backup in case you get a picky eater. Either way, good luck. Let us know if you get one.

-Eric
 
To answer some of the questions:
Cichlids are,
4 yellow labs
3 blue ahli
1 german peacock
1 compressiceps

And Socaldiscus I have decided not to take this fish and put him in with the cichlids. From everything I read and your comment it is a mismatch for him. So I'm hoping you all can recommend a pleco that would fit in with my current stock.

Now I have the fever to get a pleco I need to get one...
 
I've got a Royal, clown, L066, and a dwarf BN all living w/my Tang. AC tank.
 
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