So I've really started to dig these bottom feeders, and I think I'd like to do an all pleco tank. Do any of you here have one, if so I'd love to see some pictures and get ideas. I may very well get a larger tank for my living room and use the 125 I have there now.
Tips for an all pleco tank
- Thread starter Frostyone
- Start date
Few Tips: they crap ALOT!!! make sure you have good filtration and read up on them before you get them. A lot of them require meaty protein-rich diets. Check out the diet thread in the pleco section here.
Here are a few of mine that I got:
Yellow King Tiger (L333)
Gold Nuggets (L018)
Goldie/Sunshine (L014)
Here are a few of mine that I got:
Yellow King Tiger (L333)
Gold Nuggets (L018)
Goldie/Sunshine (L014)
Its actually pretty basic but key factors are
Lots of filtration,oxygen,bottom space(territory like caves and driftwood) and water changes. Also, I try to not have any larger,active fish in my pleco tanks, cichlids or clown loaches for example, because I like to see my fish out more and grazing on driftwood.
Lots of filtration,oxygen,bottom space(territory like caves and driftwood) and water changes. Also, I try to not have any larger,active fish in my pleco tanks, cichlids or clown loaches for example, because I like to see my fish out more and grazing on driftwood.
Females tend to fight less and are less territorial (more likely to see them out and about) otherwise I can only agree with Mr T. More caves than there are fish and if possible other ornaments that help to break up the tank a bit into different "territories".
Hello, I have a couple of pleco tanks, I've found a thin layer of fine sand is pretty good for hovering the mountains of ****e off, it just sits on top. These guys have said all the main points - filtration, oxygenation and territories. the last one is very important with more aggressive species like large panaque and pseudacanthicus. Also its quite a good idea to have high circulation/flow in the tanks - it's more natural for the plecs and it tends to keep waste suspended so it dosen't collect in dead spots - I use low pressure marine pumps/powerheads for this. Also try to avoid eating meat eaters (pseudacanthicus/ leporacanthicus) and wood eaters (panaque), panaques that get too much protein can develop digestive problems. Here's a picture of on of my tanks -
cob201;2019432; said:
Thanks for the tips, until I get a larger tank for my living room they're going to go in a 75. Right now I have the 3.5" L-203, 4" L-081, 2x9" commons, and a 4" sailfin. I plan on having the wet/dry intake from one side of the tank and return on the other and having the water flowing pretty well from left to right with the aid of a powerhead or two closer to the bottom to help keep the waste suspended. The two wet/dry's I'll make out of 30 gallon tanks with bio media in 24" of the 36" of the tank, this should handle the huge bio-load of these guys. Going to make one for now to put on the 75.
So what temp and ph do they really thrive at? My commons and GN are doing fine in my African tank which is at 79F and 8.2 PH, but I know they are from the south american region which typically has a little lower PH, my tap water is dead on 7. I plan on lot's of bog root and driftwood for em to chew on, which should lower it a little bit. I know in my planted tank it sits around 6.8. That's just with adding two large pieces of driftwood.
I wouldn't mind trying to breed some of these too, any tips on that?
Yes, plecos prefer slightly acidic water, but like many fish can adjust to other pH's as long as it's constant. If your tap is 7, that would be fine. You have quite a few feet of pleco there!
Breeding, well I don't think anyone has successfully bred any of the "gold nuggets" or the L203s in aquaria, and the commons and gibbiceps you might have luck with in a pond, preferably with some mud that they can fashion into caves. You haven't picked the easiest species to breed lol.
Breeding, well I don't think anyone has successfully bred any of the "gold nuggets" or the L203s in aquaria, and the commons and gibbiceps you might have luck with in a pond, preferably with some mud that they can fashion into caves. You haven't picked the easiest species to breed lol.