pleco help?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
i have a filter for my 55gal. that my parents used for their 125gal saltwater reef tank but it costed us $400 just on hydro to run it but looked amazing but my tank is rarely dirty im usually in my room on my computer listening to music so it stays pretty much spotless and my lfs said the oscars will get about 12inches long each the pleco will get about 10inches and the blue dragon will get about 17inches im not sure if this is true but we will eventually see if its true but today im going to a big als to get some more plants and some mosses to put on my driftwood
 
bluedragon;4738526; said:
hello im 15 i have a 55gal. tank with 3 happy 4-6inch tiger oscars a 14inch blue dragon and 2 active 4-7inch common plecos. the plecos have been acting weird always hiding under the little kind of cave i have for them could it be possible that there mating?
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Assuming your oscars are 6" each, and your commons are 6" each, you are already overstocked. 55 gallon aquariums only stock to about 46" if you use the length x width method and the 1" per gallon is not linear, it's cubic. Your current stockload puts you right at 42-44 inches if you followed the linear version of the equation which is an incorrect one to follow. Additionally, the fish you are keeping are large wasters and unless you have immense filtration ( 10x turnover per hour or more from multiple filters) you are going to have problems very soon if not already. Your aquarium could be viewed as a growout tank and if you were doing bi- weekly water changes you could be in good shape but eventually something will have to give. 1 -2 full grown oscars will fill that 55 to it's biocapacity and the commons will grow much larger than 10" if they don't die from an unhealthy environment first.

That being said, plecos are largely nocturnal so they hide most of the day. I installed lunar lights on all my tanks do I could view mine on their schedule. They are probably moving around at night after the lights go out.

Just remember, you can't see ammonia ir nitite. Just because it looks clean doesn't mean that it is. Check your water with a good tester and figure out which fish to keep. Rehome or return the rest.
 
Please don't take this as bashing as I only intend to help. I think you are already very close to being overstocked, even for a growout tank (just because of the fish in question being poop machines). You already admit to sometimes skipping a water change, I would imagine that would include testing the water too for that period. You parameters could spike over a matter of hours which would be detrimental to your livestock. If I were in your position, I would try and get another tank set up to thin out that tank some, or try and rehome some fish immediately. You may not even lose fish if you have your water parameters go haywire, but you will effect their health. They may die earlier than usual, develop health problems or not develop as well as other fish of that species. Also, I have read of Oscars reaching 18" and have seen two 16" Oscars in person. I have seen 12" max written online myself for a Oscar, but that may be a average so be prepared.

Your plecos are fine. They are nocturnal and will usually be found hiding, even together. Get some blue led lights to view the tank at night and I am sure you will see them out and about in the tank a lot more. I usually feed mine at night with the lights off as well, just because my other fish will steal the algae wafers.

Best of luck to you and welcome to MFK! :)

Kind of dumb of me, but I never asked what kind of filtration. I know you said it was expensive and used for a 125 gallon, but do you know what model/brand?
 
Upgrade as soon as you can!
 
there already about 10months and they dont show any agression towards eachother and they let me pet them and everything well ive had them 10months the store said they were about 2-3 months when i got them
 
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