My Pleco became a discus eater overnight!

[Kindredspirit]

.......and yet the pet stores tout them as great algae eaters and never tell people how big they get.

This is very true!!!


M ~

[Kindredspirit]

It was a common pleco that killed one of my blue discus about a month ago. He did this all in about 20 minutes. I had to relocate him to my 125 gallon cichlid tank. I will not put another common pleco in the tank with my discus or other sensitive fish.

Diane

I so think I remember that Diane!! I was shocked but I remember thinking I will never put one in my tank!


Marie ~

[Ryan]

I keep a few common plecos in the tank in our office. They are mixed with some South American cichlids. They do a pretty good job at keeping my driftwood clean, but I can tell you that they don't touch most algae. They do, however, love the beefheart and bloodworms that I feed, and they greet me at the top of the tank when it's feeding time just like the cichlids do. So much for algae clean-up

[kdazzel]

Ed 13, Wow! nicely said!


I'm not sure what kind of a pleco he is. He's black with some gold spots. Believe me he ate like a pig too. His belly was always bulging. Like I said he would run ___(Swim) out when I put food in and eat blood worms , beef heart and brine shrimp like a maniac all the time, along with algae wafers at night. I should of known it. dang. should of listened to warnings.

kdazzel

[Ed13]

I'm not sure what kind of a pleco he is. He's black with some gold spots.

Most plecos black or dark base with spots, either black or yellow, come from blackwater rivers. Often the water is the color of weak black coffee or tea meaning than there is not much algae to eat and hence this plecos are usually carnivores, ex L-260, L-333, gold nuggets and zebras
Since you have it and not know what is I'm guessing you have the more common ones, probably L-18 gold nugget!

[Apistomaster]

It is never a good idea keeping a large species of pleco with discus. However the small carnivorous Hypancistrus sp are all discus safe and will eat the same foods as the discus. Peckoltia species like the common clown tend to be specialized wood eaters rather than algae eaters. Both genera of plecos do well in warm water and actually make rather good substitutes for Corydoras. Most of the Corys don't do well at discus temperatures. Corydoras sterbai is perhaps an exception but I find that for breeding C. sterbai that the mid 70's produce best results.