Pleco Recommendations

[dornblaser]

I have to admit that I have never owned a Pleco. I know, really? What is your recommended short-list for smaller Plecos that are suitable for a Discus tank, and how many Plecos per tank? Thanks.

[matt2426]

I have to admit that I have never owned a Pleco. I know, really? What is your recommended short-list for smaller Plecos that are suitable for a Discus tank, and how many Plecos per tank? Thanks.

ive had luck with most l number plecos i have a group of l134 leopard frog plecos and a few l333 with my discus have 5 plecos total in my 125 gallon tank. for how many plecos depends on how many other fish you have in your tank but they really dont even pay attention to one another.

[chevyvega927]

Currently have a L200 Green Phantom and an L177 Gold Nugget (large spots) in with my discus and they are doing excellent. They don't do much algae eating though with the Discus being fed all kinds of high quality meaty foods. These guys gorge themselves on blood worms and brine shrimp completely ignoring all the nice veggies i throw in.

[jeep]

Bristlenose are excellent for discus! Just make sure you keep them out of your canister filters :D

[LizStreithorst]

Bristlenose rock.

[Willie]

Like everyone else, I've read the horror stories about plecos sucking slime off the discus. Recently, I've started to raise and breed plecos. I know that the following types do not have problem living with my discus.

L-66 Hypancistrus sp.
L-333 Hypancistrus sp.
L-398 Panagolus tankei
L-134 Peckoltia compta
L-201 Hypancistrus sp.
L-204 Panagolus albivermis
Baryancistrus beggini

One possibility may be that all these are raised in bare bottom tanks where I can feed heavily, so they have no inclination to eat more. In all cases, I drop a teaspoon of VibraBites into every tank before turning the lights off the fish room so that bottom feeders can eat without competition. There's never any uneaten food next morning.

[LizStreithorst]

I wish I could remember to feed my plecos after the lights go out. That be said, they grow and reproduce just fine. Still, I really should not be forgetting the fact that they are nocturnal.