Can I ask this here????????????????????

[jimmyjoe]

Hello everyone I'm looking for some information about an adventure I want to explore. I want to add a couple of Pleco's to my planted aquarium but I guess I started this all wrong. What I mean by this is adding pleco's now that I have an established planted tank. Question: quarantining pleco's same as any new addition to your community tank. Question 2: if so can I put two together in a 30 gallon QT tank for 6-8 weeks? That's all I got, if you guys can add anything please do so. The pleco's I'm interested in are pleco's that don't exceed 3-4 inches. Thanks Jim in Ohio

[brewmaster15]

30 gal plenty to qt plecos.. I treat all my fish like discus if they are going in with discus.The Pathogenic Bacteria and parasites we deal with with discus tend not to be species specific.

Are you looking for algae control or more for display Jim. Bristlenose generally do well with Discus without going after their slime coat as some plecos do.

Al

[jeep]

QT for all new arrivals is highly recommended no matter the source. This includes plants. Protocol can be different depending on the fish.

What kind of plecos are you thinking about? Some can develop a taste for the discus slime coat and cause major problems. Bristlenose are excellent with discus...

[Willie]

I keep many different types of plecos in my discus tanks beyond the standard bristlenoses. Current inhabitants in the 125 gal show tank include L-128 (Blue Phantom), L-307 (Panagolus sp.), L-236 (Crack Zebra Pleco), L-260 (Queen of Arabesque) and a monster Royal Pleco (~12" long). There are many reports of plecos feeding off the slime coat, but that's not been my experience. My discus tanks are barebottom, so I feed liberally and siphon uneaten food/poop daily. (There's are spectacular amounts of poop, but never any uneaten food, in the mornings. )

My belief is that plecos will not feed on the slime if they have enough to eat. Putting out this much food would be a problem in a tank with substrates.

[Charlyc11]

Willie I was wondering about mixing plecos, I have 10 zebra L046’s and I wanted to add a few ABN’s that I have in a grow out tank and I feared a food competition. I also have lots of cories so I guess it wouldn’t matter.

I keep many different types of plecos in my discus tanks beyond the standard bristlenoses. Current inhabitants in the 125 gal show tank include L-128 (Blue Phantom), L-307 (Panagolus sp.), L-236 (Crack Zebra Pleco), L-260 (Queen of Arabesque) and a monster Royal Pleco (~12" long). There are many reports of plecos feeding off the slime coat, but that's not been my experience. My discus tanks are barebottom, so I feed liberally and siphon uneaten food/poop daily. (There's are spectacular amounts of poop, but never any uneaten food, in the mornings. )

My belief is that plecos will not feed on the slime if they have enough to eat. Putting out this much food would be a problem in a tank with substrates.

[danotaylor]

Putting out this much food would be a problem in a tank with substrates.

And without a meticulous cleaning regime like yours Willie!

[Willie]

Willie I was wondering about mixing plecos, I have 10 zebra L046’s and I wanted to add a few ABN’s that I have in a grow out tank and I feared a food competition. I also have lots of cories so I guess it wouldn’t matter.

My experience with zebras are that they're extremely shy, not just of plecos but just about any other fish in the tank. If I try them again, they would have their own tank. Even dither fish seems to spook them. BN's and zebras are close in size so I don't expect conflict to be a problem. But, as you say, the zebras may lose out on food. Given that 1 L-046 costs about 40 BN, you may want to think about a separate tank.

My 110 gal altum angelfish display tank contains L-333's, L-328's, an oversized L-600 and assorted cories. They were just older fish that I threw together, but now I see L-333 fry scurrying around the bottom. (The tank is 36" deep so I have no way of ever catching these fry. )

[brewmaster15]

My 110 gal altum angelfish display tank contains L-333's, L-328's, an oversized L-600 and assorted cories. They were just older fish that I threw together, but now I see L-333 fry scurrying around the bottom. (The tank is 36" deep so I have no way of ever catching these fry. )

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[Charlyc11]

Sorry to hijack the thread but somebody told me info is info. I have them in my 125 in a corner with their own condo/caves and I place food right In front of them so I see no issue so far. I use to have them in a species only but I change that once I got the 125. I might go back to their own tank when they are old enough to beed.

20240212_180849.jpg

My experience with zebras are that they're extremely shy, not just of plecos but just about any other fish in the tank. If I try them again, they would have their own tank. Even dither fish seems to spook them. BN's and zebras are close in size so I don't expect conflict to be a problem. But, as you say, the zebras may lose out on food. Given that 1 L-046 costs about 40 BN, you may want to think about a separate tank.

My 110 gal altum angelfish display tank contains L-333's, L-328's, an oversized L-600 and assorted cories. They were just older fish that I threw together, but now I see L-333 fry scurrying around the bottom. (The tank is 36" deep so I have no way of ever catching these fry. )

[jeep]

Willie I was wondering about mixing plecos, I have 10 zebra L046’s and I wanted to add a few ABN’s that I have in a grow out tank and I feared a food competition. I also have lots of cories so I guess it wouldn’t matter.

My pleco tank has never bee so clean after adding a group of cory's. I started off with 8 cory fry and now there's around 15 so I guess they're happy too, lol...

[brewmaster15]

Sorry to hijack the thread but somebody told me info is info. I have them in my 125 in a corner with their own condo/caves and I place food right In front of them so I see no issue so far. I use to have them in a species only but I change that once I got the 125. I might go back to their own tank when they are old enough to beed.

20240212_180849.jpg

Chuck how old are they now?

al

[Charlyc11]

About 1 1/2 years old I got my first batch in January 23 and they were about 6 months and my second and third batch in February 23 those were about 3 to 4 months.

[jimmyjoe]

30 gal plenty to qt plecos.. I treat all my fish like discus if they are going in with discus.The Pathogenic Bacteria and parasites we deal with with discus tend not to be species specific.

Are you looking for algae control or more for display Jim. Bristlenose generally do well with Discus without going after their slime coat as some plecos do.

Al

I really like the L046 zebra's, but I can live with a couple Bristlenose Pleco. Just for algae control, and the pleco not to go over 4" in length.

[Willie]

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[Johanna]

I have 2 x Peckoltia compta (L134), Hemiancistrus subviridis (L200), 2 x Panaqolus maccus (L104), Farlowella (not sure about the exact species) and an albino longfin bristlenose. All of these are ok with discus, they are not interested in sucking their slime coats and seem to be ok with the high temperature. They get more than enough food by cleaning away the leftovers from discus. I feed them spirulina tablets and pleco wafers as well, but some (I suspect the L200 and Farlowella) are still eating holes in my plants.