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Stiker
07-29-2020, 01:53 AM
Hello,

I have ready many horror stories of people who have kept Loricariidae species with discus and has them suck on the slime coat on the discus.
Has anyone had experiences with species that are generally considered say? From what I have seen/ been told, the species commonly sold as ‘whiptail’ are safe. Would love to hear people’s opinions as I would hate to put a species in with my wild discus and have it go wrong so I have been thinking it may not be worth the risk.

Thanks

Willie
07-29-2020, 07:13 AM
Typically the only "safe" pleco is Ancistrus, the common bushynose. I keep these in all my discus tanks and never had a problem. I've had other loricariads with discus and have had seen fish with marks on their sides as a result. One way to get around this problem is to have mismatched sizes: large loricariad with small discus, or vice versa.

bluelagoon
07-29-2020, 08:40 AM
I had Wipetail catfish in with discus once for a very sort time. They indeed went for the slime coat and left rasping marks on them.

Iminit
07-29-2020, 09:06 AM
My experience is any fish with a sucker mouth may go after the slime coat. Bushy nose usually don’t because they can’t attach to a discus it’s to fast. But if they do they will continue. Right now I have ottos in with my discus and have seen them harassing the discus. But my tank is a 125 planted so catching them is on the impossible side. The ottos being as small as they are I’ve seen no damage on the discus.

bluelagoon
07-29-2020, 10:20 AM
I had a few corys once too, that the discus let clean them. One discus in particular used to role on it's side and let the cory to it's thing. But corys don't have a rasping mouth. I've haven't seen anything like that sense from corys.

Stiker
07-30-2020, 01:52 AM
Typically the only "safe" pleco is Ancistrus, the common bushynose. I keep these in all my discus tanks and never had a problem. I've had other loricariads with discus and have had seen fish with marks on their sides as a result. One way to get around this problem is to have mismatched sizes: large loricariad with small discus, or vice versa.

Thank you for your response. Would you say the same would go for the Pterophyllum Altum I keep? Are pleco’s generally as much of a threat to suck on the side of angelfish as they are discus?

bluelagoon
07-30-2020, 08:49 AM
Who ever told you/or read that wipetails were safe for flat shaped fish; that is not true.

Stiker
07-30-2020, 10:14 AM
Who ever told you/or read that wipetails were safe for flat shaped fish; that is not true.

Thank you for that.
I wanted to research before making any decisions as I personally believe it isn’t worth the risk