We have one watermelon or royal pleco in our 150 not much of an algae eater but for some reason these things are prized, My question is do they breed in aquariums how big do they get and can you tell a male from a female easily enough .
water melon pleco info needed
- Thread starter wild bill
- Start date
According to PC, http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=337, they get almost 16" SL. No reported aquairum breeding yet, most likely because of the large size needed to be breeding size, and maybe if they are river bank mud breeders (just guessing on this).
wild bill;4849545; said:
Most important thing to ensure long life is to feed very little protein based meaty foods. I don't think mine have had any in 8 months. They do eat some snails here and there but that's all. I find empty broken shells from time to time. I have apple snails in with most of them.
I mostly feed them carrots, green peas, zucchini, button top mush rooms, lima beans( not too often ) squash any type I've tried has been eaten, radish, sweet potato/yams, romaine lettuce and a new one they like is turnips.
If I do feed them meat I only use tilapia fillets or krill.
I try to feed them only twice a week. It passes right through them anyways.
My newest Panaques are my 418's and I have had them for a few months now and have only fed them a few times. The importer said his large Panaque only eat soft wood he provides for them. Many people don't risk it so they supplement with veggies and wafers.
I'm going to slowly switch to his ways. I've started with my larger Panaque. I'm hoping in a year I will have them only eating soft wood. If I have the guts to keep with it. So far I have good growth and health from all of them.
When you say soft wood what kinds of wood would you be feeding them. Ours is in a community tank with cichlids should we move it because they get a fairly high protien pellet he likes to eat them but won't touch the algae on the glass. Do they get along with other types of plecos because there is a bristle nose and clown pleco in there as well.
wild bill;4851724; said:
I only use drift woods I buy from LFS. Mopani, manzanita, Malaysian( much softer) and you know those sand blasted pieces they sell? that stuff is very sift and they tare it up. Only thing is at $40+ a pop it's gets to be a bit much. They also love chola cactus wood. That stuff is great. Just make sure it's not treated you want natural chola wood.
One of the guys I talk to about plecos suggested regular willow tree branches. I'm trying to figure out if cock screw willow is fine as well. He has used the willow branches I have yet to do so.
Another guy suggests maple tree wood but I have to ask if he means fresh or dry.
So for now I just use what I buy like the ones I mentioned above.
I keep some of mine with altifrons. When I feed them I just make sure they eat all of them plus my fly river turtle will eat the rest. My turtle is kept on a veggie diet mostly.
I do know that once the royal/Panaque get the taste for meat that's all they want like people with mcDonalds lol
Many people will say I keep mine with fish that eat lots of meaty foods but they are doing more damage than good to the royals.
I have no other plecos but these and two l-137 who can live well on the same diet. I would not suggest keeping a big one with smaller bottom dwellers. These guys can do lots of damage when they want to.
IMO large/potentially large Panaque are better kept with their own and other fish who can thrive on the same diet. I had a big collection of cactus plecos as well but I sold all of them to focus on my Panaque and provide them with the proper conditions.
They are pretty much the only fish I have now in all my tanks.
It's really up to you if you want to take him out. Or just make sure there is not a lot of extra food from the cichlids.
That's ok nobody is perfect do you thinkpoplar its kind of like aspen wood be good. You said youwere'nt sure if the wood you mentioned should be dried or fresh I'd like to know that oo also do you secure it to the bottom or let it float.