Pleco alternatives

[mlov1022]

Have 2 common plecos in my planted 55 gal discus tank. Problem is they eat my amazon sword leaves and are killing the amazons. Wondering if there were any good alternative to them that won't eat the plants.

[dandestroy]

otocynclus

small, very efficient, do not eat plants

might be chased around a bit by Discus, (and sometime end up in the belly of large one if they think its food). If your discus are juvy or used to other fish in the tank this should not be an issue.

[swinters66]

Yep I keep 2 oto's in my tank...they are too cute, stay small and I have not had any problems with them or the discus or anything.

[Marinemom]

I read somewhere in one of these threads that the otto cat can sometimes suck the slime off the discus. Is this true? I'm currently looking for an algae eater that will not attack my discus and eat thier slime. Any other suggestions?

Diane

[poconogal]

I read somewhere in one of these threads that the otto cat can sometimes suck the slime off the discus. Is this true? I'm currently looking for an algae eater that will not attack my discus and eat thier slime. Any other suggestions?

Diane

Diane, many Discus keepers have Bristle Nose Plecos with their Discus, as they rarely, if ever, bother the Discus. They also stay small, only grow up to about 4 inches. You can check out one of the Simply sponsors, www.rockymountaindiscus.com - they sell them and have pics, too. But they also give some info on the BN and they say that it is actually NOT a pleco, which may be why they don't present a problem.

I have 2 in my 45 g tank. Mine are albinos and are just adorable, I love them. I had brown diatom algae covering everything and within 2 weeks, they had the tank squeaky clean. I also put one into my 20 g tank where I had the brown algae and also some green, and that now sparkles, too.

HTH, Connie

[crazie.eddie]

Keep in mind, ottos or plecos, you should always supplement their diet with algae flakes, wafers, and vegetable (zuchini, blanched peas, etc.). Otherwise, they will just starve from eating algae or the slimy stuff in the tank and may start sucking the stuff off the fish.

[poconogal]

Keep in mind, ottos or plecos, you should always supplement their diet with algae flakes, wafers, and vegetable (zuchini, blanched peas, etc.). Otherwise, they will just starve from eating algae or the slimy stuff in the tank and may start sucking the stuff off the fish.

Good point Eddie. I do feed mine algae wafers or zucchini every night. Also, for the plecos, a small piece of driftwood should be in the tank. Mine munch on that plenty.

Connie

[TrevorB]

Can farowella catfish be kept in a discus aquarium? I have one in my ram/angel tank and that thing sparkles! And he doesn't bother the plants, but keeps the anubias spotless. I also have 4 albino bristlenose (from Rocky Mountain Discus) in my discus tank and they do a great job keeping it clean, and haven't had any problems with the plants.

Trevor

[Ed13]

Some people have good luck with otocinclus and farlowellas in discus tanks when the temp is on the cooler side (prob under 84F) but the ancistrus species are better suited for higher temps. Do a search I've posted a wide variety of plecos that will thrive in discus tanks and will even benefit from the high protein content of the discus diets.

Btw, the sucker on plecos was developed for the most part to hold them in the fast currents were they like to live not to eat algea

[Marinemom]

Thanks for the advice on the BN pleco. Maybe I'll try an albino pleco. I am a little leary about putting an oto cat in the tank with the discus. I have one in my 25 gallon with my livebearers and I do see him go after some of the fish occassionly. He chases mostly but I still won't trust it. I used to have three otos in that tank but for some reason I always end up with just the one oto cat. Is it O.K. to have just one or do they need to be in groups? I will also look into getting some algae wafers for him and my other pleco that is now living in my 125 gallon tank with the big south american cichlids. Do I add the wafers when the lights are out or maybe after the first light goes out? (each tank has two lights set on timers and they come on and go off at different times so the fish do not get freaked out.) Where can I find these wafers? At the lfs? Are you sure that this BN pleco will not suck on my discus? I really do not want to lose another discus to this pleco incident.

Diane

[swinters66]

The 2 Oto's I have, Ive never seen messing with my discus. They seem to like my silk plants more than anything...that's where I find them. I guess I should put in a few algae discs...since I dont have any algae growth anywhere.

[poconogal]

Thanks for the advice on the BN pleco. Maybe I'll try an albino pleco. ... Where can I find these wafers? At the lfs? Are you sure that this BN pleco will not suck on my discus? I really do not want to lose another discus to this pleco incident.

Diane

Diane, any pet place that sells fish food will have them. They'll be called Algae Wafers, or Algae Discs or something like that. After lights out, you can drop the wafer in. I feed one wafer per BN. Also, if you don't have any, put a small piece of driftwood in the tank. They will munch on it. Their digestive systems need the wood.

I'm 99.99999% sure they won't bother the Discus. I think there are threads here on Simply about them also, so you can check them out, too. I understand how you feel, especially after what happened (I read your post). I was leery too, but after much investigation and recommendations by Discus breeders, I got mine. They never even look at or go anywhere near the Discus at all. I also like that they stay at 4" or less and are totally peaceful with other fish. I've read though that for males, they should have 10 gals. per male, because of territorial issues. That's why I just got 2 for the 45 g and only one for the 20 g tank.

Connie

[hexed]

Diane,
The BN plecos do not bother with my discus at all. I have 4 otos in my planted tank and they chase the tetras but stay away from the discus completely. They chase the tetras then start munching on algea so I figure it is to keep them away from their food LOL!. I do drop wafers in my tank at night to give them something to munch on but I do not know if they actually eat them cause I also have dwarf crayfish to clean up the floor at night. Dwarf crayfish do not bother any of the fish in my tank and only come out at night.

[architect1]

I have a yellow pleco in both tanks or mine and he's like a construction crew. He’s an army on his own. He cleans everything and keeps the plants intact.

SEA algae eaters are a good one but I notice now one is trying to eat something of the discus. I also noticed they can be a huge pain in the ***. I had one that attacked my other sea’s in the tank and killed 4. He chanced them all the time.

[Marinemom]

What do you think of a clown pleco and how big do they get?

Diane