Housing baby Pseuda's???

[GEV83]

So I have two baby L114's (Had 3 but one died not sure why) and was wondering if I should house them in there own tank? I currently have 3 fish quarantined in my 53 gallon and the rest in my 135 so it's a bit crowed. Reason I'm asking is because I am planning on getting maybe another two more but since there always hidding I can't see there bellies. Not sure there able to compete to get food. So should I house them on there own? If I should what would be a good tank size for just them? 10? 20? I got a 10 that I could use the 20's I got I was planning on selling. I also got 2 5 gallon tanks but I'm assuming those would be to small. The babies are 1.5"-2" long.

 

[tigerjace]

It's hard to know the reason why a pleco dies sometimes especially when they are small...they are just more sensitive when babies. Just make sure your temp is around 80 degrees give or take by 2 and water is up to par and lots and lots of oxygen, but those are basics and you probably know that. I would say it does help to keep them separate so they don't have to compete for food. I would not go smaller than a 20gal. 10gal IMO are unstable and because they are so small I would try to eliminate any risk so go with the safer and better size tank.

 

[GEV83]

Well I'm managing to keep up with the water quality and there is lots of top water agitation. Last time I saw one out in the open it looked healthy so did the one that died though. Started doing corkscrews in the tank so I put it in a net to prevent it getting picked on but it died soon after.

 

[lmt6600]

I also would put them in a grow out tank, 40 breeder is gopd, or get two with the double tank stand. They are good for growing or hospital tanks. Make sure get woods, for small ones I like bamboos for hidding

I myself have lost many smaller plecos thats why I dont buy any smaller than 5" these days........

Well theres always exception, lol
I got these guys for 15 each, figured worth the money.



I dont know why they are coming upside.

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[tigerjace]

Top water agitation IMO is not enough. I've lost a few small ones in the past thinking I have enough water movement to keep water well oxygenated, this may be true for fish but plecos LOVE LOVE LOVE oxygen and can't get enough of it. So the more the better. Until I hooked up an air pump and through in Airstones, I seldom lose plecos now...KNOCK ON WOOD! lol. The only tank that I don't have airstones in is my 240gal but it runs through a sump with trickle filter. There's no guarantee that a fish will survive at any size, it's just part of the hobby, but plecos under 3" is even more so. I myself try to stay away from plecos under this size unless it's really worth picking up.

 

[Linus_Cello]

20g should be ok for quarrantine for 5 pseudas. I would add a thin layer of substrate (sand/gravel). Also try feeding with NLS Thera A+ or something with garlic.

 

[mrtoofay]

When your plecos are hiding, odds are they are doing fine. It's when they appear in the open all of the sudden and seem not to be afraid of you or others, that's when you need to worry.

If there are no aggression issues, leave them in the big tank. No matter how good you are, you can't keep a small tanks water parameters stable enough for them. Especially in a 20g.

If your purpose is to quarantine them, 20g min will do. If your purpose is to be able to see them out in the open, you bought the wrong fish. Most plecos hide, especially smaller ones.

If they are wild caught fish, odds are they have worms. Larger plecos have the immune system and can eat enough to keep worms from killing them, smaller ones don't. Check with your source and make sure if they are wild caught, if so, it's too late to quarantine them anyways, de-worm the whole tank, quarantine any new fish in the future.

 

[GEV83]

I know they love to hide just worry they might not be getting enough to eat but I did see one out and about yesterday before work while the tank light was off and the one I saw looked pretty healthy so not so worried as I was earlier in the week. I don't mind if they hide makes it that much more exciting when they finally do come out even if it's only a brief moment. I'll have to de-worm everyone anyways then considering there all wild caught. All there poop's have been normal so figured they were ok and they stayed like that for the whole month they were quarantined but better safe then sorry. I'll make this part of my routine from now on.

I know they have eaten NLS Cichlid Formula which has garlic I just don't like feeding it to them to much since I got both my Pseuda's and Panaque's in the same tank currently and worried if the Panaque's get to much it will do them harm.

 

[Rotaryp04s]

I got my L25 @ 1.5" and skinny that was a straight up gamble I took, now their 3" and doing great.
Im thinking about starting up a 40g grow out for my little cactus type plecos myself.

 

[GEV83]

I was thinking of doing the same. My 135 is gonna be designated for just my Panaque's so the little Pseuda's will eventually need to come out and I wouldn't trust them with the bigger one's I got. I was debating if I should divide the tank with the small pseuda's on one side and the small panaque's on the other but I only got one small panaque now (Forgot to close my windows and tank temp dropped to much) and it's getting along fine with the adults.