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Pleco's and Plants
Hello Birdy,
There are many, many different species (hundreds) that are called "plecos".
In fact, the term "pleco" does more to confuse than to enlighten, and I
suggest you might be better off by striking it from your vocabulary and
referring to Loricariids (the family that includes "plecos") by the genus to
which they belong.
Members of some Loricariid genera perform useful service in planted tanks.
For many other genera, there is not a good match. Either the fish will
destroy the plants or the conditions in the typical planted tank will
destroy the fish. If you are talking about the common pet store "pleco", it
is not a good match for a planted tank, especially as the fish gets older
and larger (they can grow to to 2-3 feet, though most get killed off long
before they reach adulthood).
For more info, visit Shane's World at www.planetcatfish.com.
Dinyar
> From: Aquatic-Plants-Owner at actwin_com (Aquatic Plants Digest)
> Reply-To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
> Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 15:48:02 -0500 (EST)
> To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
> Subject: Aquatic Plants Digest V4 #184
>
> Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 12:22:58 -0800
> From: "Birdy" <birdy at aa_net>
> Subject: Pleco's and Plants
>
> I am new to the aquarium world, and I have recieved contradictory
> information about Plecos. I have been told by several local aquarists,
> never to put Plecos in an aquarium that has plants, because Plecos will dig
> them up, eat them, or otherwise destroy the plants.
>
> On the other hand, many people on the Aquatic Plants Mailing list seem to
> list Plecos as fish they have in thier tanks.
>
> I kind of like Pleco's and would like to have a couple. I have a 50 gallon
> tank, with plants growing nicely, and Gourami's eating the algae off the
> leaves and stems of some healthy looking plants.
>
> Is it a matter that certain species of Plecos work out better than others?
> Or is it Plecos under a certain size? Or is it what?