BN Pleco - stocking level? how many?

[shoveltrash]

Just wondered, for those of you who have ABNPs or BNPs - how many do you stock in your Discus tank? I have a 65g, with 6 5" Discus. Am seriously considering getting a cleanup crew but not sure what a safe stocking number is?
thanks! :)

[Altum Nut]

Hey Trish,

I would consider ruling out the regular BN and stick with only the albino's. The regular one's have a tendency to latch onto Discus. As for stocking numbers...4 to 6 would do wonders and keep glass sparkling clean. Keep in mind they also produce some extra poopy. The only other thing is they could get bloat in time from the meaty foods we feed our Discus.

...Ralph

[Chad Adams]

Hey Trish,
I stock the ABN 1-2 per 20 gallons.
I too have had the bloat take out a few.

Chad

[Larry Bugg]

Hey Trish,

I would consider ruling out the regular BN and stick with only the albino's. The regular one's have a tendency to latch onto Discus. As for stocking numbers...4 to 6 would do wonders and keep glass sparkling clean. Keep in mind they also produce some extra poopy. The only other thing is they could get bloat in time from the meaty foods we feed our Discus.

...Ralph

I'm curious why you say the regular BN might latch on and the albino won't. The only difference in the two is the albino gene which shouldn't have anything to do with sucking? Did you mean the regular pleco vs the BN pleco?

[DLock3d]

Trish, Hans sometimes has some non BN that are beautiful and don't latch.

[shoveltrash]

thanks all for the replies! interesting that the consensus is that the Albinos are safer, wonder why?
heck, I was thinking that just one would do the job.....now I'm upping that thought process LOL.

snookn21 has some Albinos, I'm thinking of getting :)

[DiscusOnly]

thanks all for the replies! interesting that the consensus is that the Albinos are safer, wonder why?
heck, I was thinking that just one would do the job.....now I'm upping that thought process LOL.

snookn21 has some Albinos, I'm thinking of getting :)

I don't know if they are safer but ABN do stay on the smaller scale. If you get domestic ABN, make sure it's not brown mixed. They tend to get bigger.

[dprais1]

I have zero experience with BN but I so saomeone had a longfin albino. any input on that?

If they clean the glass does that mean I don't have to??

--been wanting to get some but i just haven't really been too impressed until I saw the longfin variety.

[JenTN]

Trish, I have 2. They are poop machines. I keep them because my son and I like them. I wouldn't keep them for algae control. As they approach a year old, they stop eating algae anyway. IME, the amount of poo is not worth any algae that is eating, I'd rather wipe it off. I'm talking 3-4" plus strings of poo. However, I have one that is a super snail eater extrodinairre, which was a huge plus because I was overrun when I had plants.

[Mep1127]

I had two BN plecos at one point... They fought alot idk how some people do with 6 and up.

[jimg]

I'm curious why you say the regular BN might latch on and the albino won't. The only difference in the two is the albino gene which shouldn't have anything to do with sucking? Did you mean the regular pleco vs the BN pleco?+1

[jimg]

Just wondered, for those of you who have ABNPs or BNPs - how many do you stock in your Discus tank? I have a 65g, with 6 5" Discus. Am seriously considering getting a cleanup crew but not sure what a safe stocking number is?
thanks! :)

3 would be fine more wouldn't hurt as long as you keep hiding spots for them to call their own.
3 keeps my 90 very clean.
long fins,albino, brown all the same so long as their ancistrus. i have bred them and had many in different tanks and never (yet) had any attach or stop eating algae as they got older. the sae will stop eating algae and rely on fish food, but I never had a bnp stop keeping the tanks spotless

[Darrell Ward]

Without reading the entire thread, 12 hour work days wear me out, here's an old timer's take. Plecos are great fish. However, BN Plecos and Discus are not an ideal mix. They learn to eat Discus food, bloat, and die. It may take months, or even a year or so, but it will happen sooner or later. A siphon hose and paper towels are far better tank cleaners anyway, and they don't poop.