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	Pleco, a must?
PaulO Fingerling Posts: 16 Kudos: 17 Votes: 1 Registered: 25-Aug-2009	Are Plects really needed? I know they eat algea off the glass, but if im cleaning the tank every week, are they really nessecary?
Posted 29-Aug-2009 18:45
FRANK Moderator Posts: 5108 Kudos: 5263 Votes: 1690 Registered: 28-Dec-2002	Hi, No, Pleco's are not needed in any tank. Nor are any of the catfish species. They are popular, and many folks do keep them, some even specialize in them. Frank -->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--
Posted 29-Aug-2009 21:19
Shinigami Ichthyophile Catfish/Oddball Fan Posts: 9962 Kudos: 2915 Registered: 22-Feb-2001	Plecos are not necessary, and in fact you have to feed them since they won't live off of just algae. -------------------------------------------- The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.
Posted 30-Aug-2009 01:30
apandaepidemic Small Fry Posts: 11 Kudos: 5 Votes: 0 Registered: 28-Aug-2009	I agree with the other posters. I guess it also depends on your tank size. Regular plecos will get to 2 feet, and a lot of people around here don't realise this before getting them, and release them into rivers when they get too big. -__- If you really want to get an algae eater and have anything less than like a 125g, get a rubber lip pleco, they'll only get to 5 inches. Like shinigami said though, unless you have a consistent populous of algae, you'll still need to feed your pleco algae wafers.
Posted 30-Aug-2009 05:08
PaulO Fingerling Posts: 16 Kudos: 17 Votes: 1 Registered: 25-Aug-2009	Besides, even if i needed help with the algea, I'd probably get Apple Snails for the glass and Ghost Shrimp for the gravel over a pleco. They're more interesting.
Posted 30-Aug-2009 13:21
apandaepidemic Small Fry Posts: 11 Kudos: 5 Votes: 0 Registered: 28-Aug-2009	Your ghost shrimp probably won't last long, most fish end up munching them. Just to let you know. I buy 'em though, cause they are good bottom cleaners and my fish like the snack.
Posted 30-Aug-2009 14:41
PaulO Fingerling Posts: 16 Kudos: 17 Votes: 1 Registered: 25-Aug-2009	haha, The ones at Petsmart are 33cents and are actually pretty well sized compaired to my Corys.
Posted 30-Aug-2009 15:42
Shinigami Ichthyophile Catfish/Oddball Fan Posts: 9962 Kudos: 2915 Registered: 22-Feb-2001	Edited 30-Aug-2009 19:33 I'd pick a bristlenose over a rubberlip/rubbernose plec. Bristlenoses are extremely tolerant, while rubberlip plecs come from cool, fast-flowing waters. The tolerance of bristlenoses is evident in their ease of breeding. Plus, while there are many species of bristlenose, the species that I have maxed out at about 3.5", which makes them even more appropriate for small aquaria. I think the other common species approaches about 5", though. -------------------------------------------- The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.
Posted 30-Aug-2009 19:28
Ira Fish Addict Posts: 661 Kudos: 181 Votes: 1 Registered: 18-Jan-2002	Rubberlips around here are also very hard to find and cost around 25-100 times as much.
Posted 31-Aug-2009 10:37
PaulO Fingerling Posts: 16 Kudos: 17 Votes: 1 Registered: 25-Aug-2009	There arnt any pet stores in memphis besides petco and petsmart, believe it or not, so im limited to what they have.
Posted 01-Sep-2009 02:16
Shinigami Ichthyophile Catfish/Oddball Fan Posts: 9962 Kudos: 2915 Registered: 22-Feb-2001	I just visited the local PetCo here the other day, and they had bristlenoses. My friend tells me that they've also had rubbernose plecs. Both fish aren't as common as, well, common plecs, but they aren't too hard to find. -------------------------------------------- The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.
Posted 01-Sep-2009 03:00
Kellyjhw Big Fish My bubble... Posts: 405 Kudos: 217 Votes: 471 Registered: 22-Nov-2008	Next time you are in Petco or Petsmart, ask them if they will be receiving a shipment of the desired fish. Usually an inquiry triggers them to order said fish. If they say they don't normally carry that fish ask if you can pre-pay for the fish if they are willing to order it. TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now Kelly ;o}
Posted 01-Sep-2009 14:29
PaulO Fingerling Posts: 16 Kudos: 17 Votes: 1 Registered: 25-Aug-2009	Hmm, I never thought of doing that. I wonder if they would.
Posted 01-Sep-2009 19:47
apandaepidemic Small Fry Posts: 11 Kudos: 5 Votes: 0 Registered: 28-Aug-2009	I can already tell you that PetSmart won't special order any fish, I work over in the fish department. As far as the ghost shrimp, it's kind of hit or miss with the size of those. We don't get them in every shipment, so if you come in towards the time we'd be ordering them, it's usually only the small ones left.
Posted 05-Sep-2009 05:46
Tuscuttar Small Fry Posts: 7 Kudos: 5 Votes: 1 Registered: 12-Aug-2009	I heard either Albino Common Plecos or Albino Bristlenose Plecos aquire a taste for fishes slime, is this true?
Posted 10-Oct-2009 17:45
Ira Fish Addict Posts: 661 Kudos: 181 Votes: 1 Registered: 18-Jan-2002	Albino commons and albino bristlenoses are no different at all to the normally colored types. Neither of them are regulars for trying to eat fishes slime. And IMO any fish that allows it deserves to be eaten anyway.
Posted 10-Oct-2009 18:56
Shinigami Ichthyophile Catfish/Oddball Fan Posts: 9962 Kudos: 2915 Registered: 22-Feb-2001	I have heard that bichirs and stingrays should not be kept with plecs for the reason that plecs may rasp on them. Part of the reason I've never had either. -------------------------------------------- The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.
Posted 11-Oct-2009 02:29
divertran Fish Addict Posts: 784 Kudos: 469 Votes: 165 Registered: 14-Nov-2004	hi all. I have a rubbernosed pleco, which I did indeed get at a petsmart, tagged as merely 'dwarf pleco'. I've had him as long as I've had my tank running (probably about 7 years) and he's doing well. To answer the question, no they're not necessary, they're just cool!
Posted 11-Oct-2009 02:52


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