Why Plecos or Suckermouth Catfish Should Be Banned in Kerala | The Sad Reality of Sucker Catfish

Plecos, also known as Suckermouth catfish, are commonly recommended in the aquarium hobby in Kerala, due to a lot of misinformation. Beginners often rely on advice from friends and pet shop workers who suggest that Plecos are excellent for cleaning the aquarium by consuming all the biowaste produced by other fish in the tank. They are also touted as effective at preventing algae growth on the glass of the fish tank, leading to a reduction in aquarium maintenance.
However, this information is largely incorrect and misleading. While it is true that Suckermouth catfish consume algae and can help to keep the aquarium glass clean, they cannot survive by eating the biowaste produced by other fish in the tank.
I am creating this video to emphasize the importance of banning the Plecos or suckermouth catfish in Kerala. To better understand why they need to be banned, let's classify their life cycle into four stages: 1 month to 6 months, 6 months to a year, one year to one and a half years, and over two years.
During the first stage, which lasts from one month to 6 months, the suckerfish primarily feeds on decaying aquarium plants and algae growing in the fish tank. They may have little interest in fish food during this stage. Once they complete 6 months, the suckerfish enters the second stage, which is the dominating stage. At this point, the fish grows rapidly and becomes more interested in fish food. During this time, the sucker fish can reach a length of up to 15 cm.
In the next stage, which lasts from one year to one and a half years, the suckermouth catfish becomes increasingly dependent on fish food and produces more biowaste in the fish tank. In the aquarium hobby, it is well-known that fish that consume more fish food also produce more biowaste. As a result, Plecos or suckermouth catfish produce more bio waste in the fish tank than any other fish. This makes them counterproductive for a healthy fish tank environment, leading to ammonia spikes and poor water quality. This, in turn, forces aquarium hobbyists to perform more frequent water changes.
At the final stage of their life cycle, suckermouth catfish can grow up to 25 cm in length. At this point, most aquarium hobbyists recognize that the fish has outgrown the tank and will move it to a small pond or a larger cement tank. However, when plecos are moved from a completely controlled environment to a semi-controlled pond, they immediately begin to dominate the base of the pond. As fishkeepers, we should be aware that the strength of any pond or local river system lies in the base of that water body. Once plecos start to dominate the base of a local pond, they quickly consume the aquarium plants and other plant matter at the base of the pond.
Meanwhile, the actual damage is done to the local pond's ecosystem. There may be many egg-laying and live-bearing fish species that maintain the balance of the pond. Most egg-laying fish lay their eggs on the pond base, among the aquarium plants and vegetation. Once sucker mouth catfish establish themselves in the pond's base system, they easily target and consume the eggs laid by these fish, which are an easy source of protein for plecos to aid their growth. This eventually results in the extinction of egg-laying fishes in the pond, which in turn causes issues for the live-bearing fish. As these fish have fewer algae to feed on due to the shortage of it in the pond, they too eventually become extinct, leaving the pond with no fish and a drop in water quality. As a result, the pond becomes of no use.
In some instances, aquarium hobbyists release their plecos or suckermouth catfish into natural waterways like rivers or streams, rather than in semi-controlled environments like ponds. Once in these natural waterways, the suckermouth catfish rapidly establish themselves at the base of the river and consume the eggs of egg-laying fish. As these suckerfish continue to establish themselves more and more in the river streams of Kerala, native fish species like karimeen can become completely eradicated from the region. This can have significant financial and ecological impacts. With the decline of fish populations in the waterways, mosquito larvae will complete their life cycles, leading to an increase in deadly diseases like malaria that can rapidly spread throughout Kerala. Additionally, the presence of pollutants and other harmful organisms in the water can render it unsafe for drinking.
After comprehending the detrimental effects of fully grown suckermouth catfish in streams and rivers, the governments of Karnataka and Telangana have prohibited the sale of suckermouth catfish within their states. Even the country of Bangladesh has banned this fish. Therefore, my personal recommendation is for Kerala to also impose a ban on suckermouth catfish, which will ultimately prevent the trade of plecos in aquarium pet shops.
#SaveKeralaFish, #ProtectKeralaAquaticLife, #SayNoToPlecos