Royal pleco (Panaque) as a tankmate?

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RLHam3

RLHam3

Candiru
MFK Member
Oct 29, 2008
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Georgia
So i've kept bristlenose plecos with my senegal for the past few months with no problem. I would like to move my royal pleco (Panaque sp. L-191) into the tank but i'm worried that it would damage the slow moving bichir. Does anybody have any experience keeping royal plecos with bichirs?

PS - the bichir is around 5" and the pleco is around 4" but a with a LOT more mass
 
All plecos pose a risk. I had one for a couple years before it became an issue. It's really up to u weather or not u want to try. I personally would not because u will eventually need to separate. Maybe not right away but why risk it.
 
like what XRAYZ says, all plecos pose a risk to bichirs. its more of a hit and miss and most of the time it's miss so i dont recommend adding a pleco, especially if the pleco has alot more mass than the bichir. Personally, i wouldn't keep plecos with Bichirs. Plecos can do alot of damage to bichirs as they can suck out the slime coat, making the bichirs prone to diseases and die.

its like, choose bichirs or plecos. can't have both.
 
Hi.
I always say Plecos are a no no with Bichirs, but in my experience (and many others) Panaques tend to be an exemption.
Not too clued up on plecos, so I can't say why, but general consensus on the Bichir scene here in Japan say Panaques are an OK!

Common plec, sail fin etc are a definite NO NO!.
 
If I do decide to try this I will keep a very close eye on the tank because these are 2 of my favorite fish.

Red dwarf, you said to keep the Panaque well fed which makes since. Mine seems to eat a diet of almost 100% driftwood. I put in algae wafers, shrimp pellets and all kinds of veggies (zucchini, cucumber, yellow squash, sweet potato) and the most he seems to eat is the skin off of the veggies. What did you feed yours?
 
my 17" plec completely ignores my bichirs. they are all around 5-7". I can't imagine a big pleco like mine sucking onto another fish, however I have seen small ones do it a lot.

of the various times I have kept bichirs over the years there has always been a pleco present and never had a problem with them. obviously I would seperate them if it came to it but right now there isnt a problem. the pleco gets fed regularly and has a 5x3 footprint so he seems perfectly fine. I personally wouldn't worry too much. at least you can seperate them if you have to
 
i have a common in my tank and its matured enough (about 12 inches) that it doesnt even eat algea wafers anymore and eats as much massivore as the poly's, i think the danger is from young plecos that tend to eat anything and everything.

i had a little common in the tank but he got killed and eaten inside out, when i found him in my tank he looked ok but lifeless but when i pulled him out turns out all his under side was GONE and only thing left was his armor shell. lol it was gross
 
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