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Are there any plecos that can stay outside during a NC peidmont winter. My aunt has a real big, green and hair algae problem in her koi pond due to her koi's prolific nature. I've pretty much convinced her to get rid of a BUNCH of her babies next spring when we clean her pond but I'd like to give her something that will really munch down on the algae that attachs to everything so she won't have to scrub so much. She's had snails and probably still has some but they're not doing a very good job. She also shades her pond when it gets too hot but fat lotta good it does. I saw someone keep a pleco or two in with their goldies at a resturant. Seemed like it kept the place pretty clean but then again the resturant workers could've done that.
Plus I have another question. Ok I know this is probably a stupid one but it is a question nonetheless. Do comets, koi, or goldfish have teeth? Almost every year when we clean her pond, we find these little white things on the botton of her pond that look just like teeth. It has always puzzled us. Those fish are the only things that live in there besides mosuito fish and frogs and they're too big to be from frogs.
(I posted the first question on another forum, didn't know if it should be here or there. )

Owner of 20g with 7 diamond tetras, 1 mosquito eater,& 1 lyretail molly.

Wouldn't risk any South American fish in a pond over winter in North Carolina if I were you. Plus, if your pond problem is blanket weed, then you're better off press ganging some Florida Flag Fish into service to eat that stuff. I had a problem with it in an aquarium of all things, and I was told, "Get some Flag Fish". So I did ... and they nuked it.

Depending on the size of your pond, you'd need a good few Flag Fish to pull the task off, I'd say a MINIMUM of 20-30 but they'll control it no fear.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Yeah cal has a point, people in the UK are trying all the time to put gibbies into outdoor goldfish ponds, and they are killing them by the thousand, if your winters are just as severe as ours it gives you a fair indication of any given plecs chances of survival under those conditions. If local stats here are anything to go by your chances of keeping a plec alive through a winter in a pond are about 97% against. People do keep trying though.

Hi there,
actually there is a type of pleco you could put in there.
The Rubbernose plecos' species Chaetostoma,of which there are several varieties, live well up in the Andes mountains of South America. Water temps in these fast rushing high altitude mountain streams get extremely low.
They should be more than capable of surviving your winters.
They come in several varieties, ranging from petite 4 inch plecos to larger 8 inch varieties.

As for teeth - I dont think koi/goldfish lose their teeth, and if they do have teeth they would be extremely small I would think.
Perhaps its caddis fly larva cases?



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I haven't found anything that recommends that Chaetostoma can be kept any colder than 20 deg C. Yes, some species of Chaetostoma are from areas of mountains, but I wouldn't risk these plecs in a coldwater habitat anymore than I'd trust a common without being absolutely sure, which is either someone's experience that it can be done, or actual environmental data (ie. from a scientific paper) that claims Chaetostoma species originate from such a cold habitat.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

The "teeth" are about a cm in size and round. They resemble our molars only smaller. Very strange.
Our winters have been getting more and more mild. We used to get snow about every 2 yrs, we haven't seen snow around here for about 4 years and the last time, we didn't get much at all. This year so far we've only had a couple freezes. So not as cold as you think it should be and today it was in the 70's. /)@^^ that global warming.

Owner of 20g with 7 diamond tetras, 1 mosquito eater,& 1 lyretail molly.

Do fish get kidney stones?

Chaetostoma of certain species can hit the upper forties, so I hear, but that is beside the point. The require a far different setup than can be found in any traditional yard pond.