Other plecos (besides BN) with discus

[craniac24]

I've heard that sometimes people will experience problems with plecos attaching themselves to discus. Are there any other types of plecos besides BNs that are safe to add to the discus community? I've seen some very beautiful ones that I'd love to add to my tank, but obviously not if I would be running any risk to my discus.

Also, are smaller plecos more or less likely to exhibit these tendencies than larger ones?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

[billeagan]

I keep/have kept various kinds of pleco's with no issues. Don't forget to feed them... They need something besides the algae on the sides of the tanks=)

Stay away from chinese algae eaters. they're bad news.

[pcsb23]

My experiences with common plecs is they often go for the slime on discus when they (the plecs) get bigger.

Most L-Plecs I've tried have been pretty good and there are loads out there to choose from, some are very very expensive too!

[craniac24]

Most L-Plecs I've tried have been pretty good and there are loads out there to choose from, some are very very expensive too!

Hi. What is an L-Pleco?

[wheeler]

the L is a catalog number for plecos to distinguish them apart. eg L-176

[Bainbridge Mike]

There are lots of different plecos to choose from. Ancistrus, parancistrus and baryancistrus are usually safe. Be cautious of anything that can grow larger than 6 inches and you will probably be ok. If you see something you like, you could post here to see if anyone has specific experience with that species.
Mike

[pcsb23]

the L is a catalog number for plecos to distinguish them apart. eg L-176

thanks wheeler :D

[bennyk]

can you keep spotted sailfin plecos safely with discus? :)

[nolefan]

If I am not mistaken spotted sailfin aka snowking grow very large up to 18 inches will be alright at a small size but grow quite rappidly and will produce large amounts of waste.

Try gold nuggets,clown plecos or even green phantom plecos they stay fairly small and arte colorful.

Lee

[Moon]

The spotted sailfin is Gibisseps type and grows to about 18in. These can be very aggressive and might cause problems with discus. Any of the smaller ones should be OK.
Joe

[bennyk]

Thankyou for the excellent responses!

[yeomans]

Has anyone had any good experiances with gold nuggets and their discus?
josh

[Debbie]

I have kept green phantom, common plecos, royal panaques, gold nugget, mango, blue panaque, L104, and L264 with discus and not had a problem. Teh only cats I have had a problem with were farlowella and ottos.

[ShinShin]

Almost all the Panaques will work for discus. The problem with larger plecoes is also that the manufacture huge amouts of fecal material.

Mat