Plecos

[drudnick]

Ok, one more question here since I dont think I can trust my LFS for info.

What plecos would be good for PH of 5-5.5? I asked my LFS as they had a gold nugget, gold heterdon vampire(think thats name) or a blue phantom (green with yellow spots) that I was interested in. But they said none would like the PH. however, another fish I was recommended to try here they also said would be no good. So back I come with another question...

thanks
Dave

 

[Zack Wilson]

Are you planning on breeding these elizas? If so I would be a little leary of plecos in general. On more than one occasion various species of plecos and other cats have been responsible for eating eggs or fry. They are also bottom dwellers which is also going to mean competition for bottom space--plecos and cories just seem to have no respect for cichlid's territories and don't get the the point when they're attacked.

Otos wouldn't be a bad choice as they normally mind their own business and are small, and I've got some zebra otos in a tank with my elizas and also with some dicrossus and they are fine at a pH of 5.5 and TDS of 60ppm. However even with otos I've had issues with them trying to get in on the bbs action during fry feedings and this worries me as they could suck up some tasty fry too. Catfish are a hard mix in a dwarf cichlid tank where fry are planned for.

Just my .02

 

[drudnick]

I will pass then. Maybe get them for my other tanks.

 

[strohl71]

I have an ancistris pleco in my 38 gal apisto tank (pH 6.0) and it gets along fine. My pair of aggies and pair of cockatoo's barely notice its existence. Granted, I am not an active breeder and do not actively seek fry. I know aggies have laid eggs several times but have never seen fry. It is possible that my pleco has something to do with that.

 

[Apistomaster]

I was shocked to find a large batch of gold Apistogramma caucatuoides fry were eaten when I placed them with my breeding group of 20 large Corydoras sterbai in a 20-Long.
These fry were two weeks post free swimming and I never would have guessed they would hunt them down, literally overnight, I went from about 80 fry to three. There is always something new to learn...the hard way.