Pleco in planted tank

[Luda]

Ok thanks a lot for the ID, and yes it's very common here. So is this pleco a serious threat to my plants? I'm just going to drop in some veggies regularly just to be sure.

 

[Lupin]

Ok thanks a lot for the ID, and yes it's very common here. So is this pleco a serious threat to my plants? I'm just going to drop in some veggies regularly just to be sure.

The main problem would be their poor swimming habit especially as they grow. If your plants are not established firmly to the substrate, then chances are the pleco will uproot them with relative ease and this is not done intentionally at all.

I've seen your pics in another section. Nice tank but I do not see those Cabomba caroliana surviving a full-grown common pleco.

 

[Luda]

I never thought of that, I will have to really bury these plants to the ground then, real deep and just hope they will hold.

 

[chesterthehero]

plecos = pooping underwater bulldozers

to anchor your plants better tie (fishing string) the roots to plastic sticks (broken coat hangers work great) and bury them..

you can also tie the roots to airline suction cups.. but getting the bottom of the tank clear enough to get the suction cups to stick can be a pain in the butt..

 

[davo]

It's one of the common species which grows to 12 inches. I'm guessing Pterygoplichthys pardalis at the moment but that is one of the commonly available specimens in the Philippines and I believe we have over 3 species that exist around the local trade with two already proliferating in local rivers.

Yes you have the pardalis and the disjunctivus. Very similar, they have different underside patterning. However I'm sure when they are inter-breeding you won't be able to distinguish them.