Great informative video! Getting ready to get a 100 gallon tank so I can put my 6" pleco in it. He is currently in a 20gallon. On a side note. I have a 44 gallon tank, with 11 fish in it. 1 male betta and 10 cory catfish (6 peppered, 3 emerald green, 1 julii). The tank length 34.5". Height 19.5" and width 15. I put the betta in there because the poor guy was mistreated by the previous owner. Can proudly say I saved that fish. However that was just supposed to be my cory tank. I was planning on getting 2 more julie's so the 1 could school better, but now I feel that might be too many fish in 1 tank. If I did, that would be 13 fish in a 44 gallon. Sorry if I wrote a lot, Ive asked pet store "experts" but they all say it's fine. Even though they are the same people who say a betta is fine in a bowl -_- when I look online there is nothing that directly answers my question. Only useful thing I found was the inches of each fish×gallons of tank. In theory i should be ok. But I trust your opinion. Thanks in advance!!!
The 44 gallon is ok for a group of 10 corys, the species you have listed are not that large, all should be well. Make sure to keep them on a sand substrate (one of the best things you can do for your corydoras!). Good to hear the pleco is moving on up to a 100 gallon, which species of pleco is it? Typically the best type of tank for most bottom dwellers are ones with dimensions that favor length and width not height. For example a 40 gallon that is 36" X 18" X 15" H would be preferable for most any bottom dweller. Additionally, for some species of suckermouth cats that really prefer strong water movement it is in sense easier to create a strong flow in such a tank as well.
@@fluval when I purchased the pleco they told me it was a bristle nose. Got him when he was basically a fry. Turns out he is a common pleco. Now that he is 6" I can tell by his pattern and color. Looking further into the species I also found it might be better to just get a 125gallon tank just to be safe. And maybe add a red tail shark or an oscar. Might just play it safe and get angel fish though. After having 7 cichlids. I'm over aggressive fish. I took a screen shot of the tank dimensions as well so I know exactly what to look for. Thank a million!
I have a 150 gallon tank with a 18 inch Pleco. A friend of mine just moved and didn't have room for the tank and just gave he his entire set up with the Pleco
I have a common Pleco, he will be 5 y/o in Oct. and he's about 12" in size. My question, he has areas that are faded, making him look almost tiger striped. The areas seem to darken to his natural color and then fade. Do you have any idea what could cause this? He eats good, seems healthy. I do bi-weekly water changes, we have good well water but it's high in iron and he has proper filtration. I appreciate anything you can offer, thank you. Take good care of you and yours.
The varying color intensity you are seeing is very likely natural for your pleco, as per when he is in brighter light vs. dimmer, has come out from the areas he may hide in, etc...they do naturally change shades as you are describing. You have been taking good care of him based on description and knowledge of your local water conditions (smart) and water change schedule, congrats!
Hi, we would strongly advise you to do research first to understand the species you plan to breed as many of them get enormous and require big aquariums. Some will be okay in bare tanks, other more secretive species would benefit from a more natural biotope. For caves, terracotta pipes, PVC pipes - both with a diameter that makes sense for the species you are planning to breed. Some plecos are extremely attractive, keep us posted on further progress in breeding them. Best of luck!
Alex, plecos are tropical fish so a safe range for most species is between 77 to 80 degrees F (approx. 25 to 27 degrees C). Once you determine the species of pleco you are interested in it is always a good idea to do some research to determine where the species originated from and replicate those conditions, some come from natural environments with strong water flow for example.
Wash the scratch with soap and water and apply a mild antiseptic, should be ok. What caused the welt is likely the bacteria present in the aquarium water. Of course if you see signs of an infection or similar please go to the hospital.
I bought a pleco for my aquarium with plenty of hiding places yesterday, and he stays on the wall of the tank near the surface. I saw him on the floor of the tank 24 hours later and attempted to feed him algae wafers, and he will not eat. He is still hanging out near the surface. Is this a sign of fish stress? Sickness? I'll see if he gets used to the tank in the next few days. Any tips would be great.
We recommend you identify the species and do some research on a number of good on line resources. Some plecos prefer strong water movement, smooth stones and in fact are quite carnivorous. Adding some water current may make a big difference, also make sure the water surface has strong movement to ensure healthy oxygen levels, fish from rivers have a need for that. Also provide hiding places, some plecos are very secretive, we have a vampire pleco in a 300 gallon lobby display here at head office, very beautiful fish, but we rarely see him....
Rodman Edwards mine did the same for a few days. I️ guess he was just getting used to the new environment ? He was probably nervous because of the amount of fish that were in the tank, but he’s good and big now ! I️ got him when he was just a tiny little thing and now he’s grown three times its original size! I️ love my little fella !
how can a captive bred fish be "used to" certain aquascapes that you'd find in the wild? Whenever I see them being bred they are kept in large concrete tanks with slate breeding caves. the young fish that are then born have no experience in the wild so how can they be "used to" driftwood or fast flowing water, I know for a fact their wild relatives are. I'm just wondering. Great video!
Yes, commercial breeding usually employs that type of barren setup. We're not sure what you mean by “used to”, but if you are referring to what we are saying in the video, we've seen first-hand where these fish live in the wild, and we mean it in that sense. By the way, our colonies do live and breed profusely in “natural-type” setups.
+Fluval Aquatics thanks for the reply, it's just that you say what kind of substrate they prefer due to what they are used to in the wild. however I'm pretty sure that the two I purchased would feel more at home back in the bare bottom concrete pool they were kept in their whole lives rather than the aquascape I have set up for them simply because it's all they know.
Anton, sorry for replying so late here....and thanks for your input. Just a comment, animals in general are amazing creatures, they adapt and make use of what they can, barren or decorated, with good water quality, diet and temperature they will respond well, keep up taking good care of your fish!
Can I put a Pleco with minnows in my paddling pool to keep the bottom clean or would it fight them? It holds 750 litres and has 8 minnows to keep it clean but there is sandy coloured stuff on the bottom which all swirls up when I get in to cool off.
@@fluval thanks for your answer. I live in Portugal so its warm mostly but not so warm in winter. There is no frost where I am. But i would put the fish in someone else's pond in the winter..They have abig natural swimming pool. I have a kind of giant bucket...
Data: I want 1 Pleco by himself in a tank I need a small Pleco. It says the minimum size is 20 gallon, so that's what I want, What is a good specie of Pleco for this???
There are some species of pleco's or suckermouth catfish that are very aggressive with other suckermouth catfish. Many of them are compatible however. Always research the specific species you are interested in to avoid any potential issues.
Hi Josie, it is not recommended to have bettas live together. The rule of thumb is never to have more than one betta in a tank, however if you will, make sure to upgrade your tank size.
Wood!! " Did you say Wwwooood" lol Wood is not mandatory as long as your supplementing their diets with lots of vegetable matter to help with digestion. The Ancistrus more or less rasps the bio film that grows on the wood, they don't eat the wood it self. However there are Pleco's that do require wood as part of there diet but the Ancistrus isn't one of them. Great videos for beginners and the more people in our hobby the better the hobby becomes. The hank you
those fish got spread in a Philippine river... now the river is full of that fish they hide on mud holes and killed off other fishes locals called it janitor fish locals kill truck loads of them and their number seem to never die down
Judith, a serious problem for sure, thanks for mentioning this situation, it points out how careful all aquarium keepers should be, never dispose of non native live fish in natural water ways of any kind.
I got a pleco.i love him
I got a giant castle for my planted 65 gallon tank, and my pleco LOVES it:)
Great work :D
Thank you for the valuable information
Nice Video of a great fish.
Really helpful video thanks
thanks fluval gr8 video :)
Great informative video! Getting ready to get a 100 gallon tank so I can put my 6" pleco in it. He is currently in a 20gallon. On a side note. I have a 44 gallon tank, with 11 fish in it. 1 male betta and 10 cory catfish (6 peppered, 3 emerald green, 1 julii). The tank length 34.5". Height 19.5" and width 15. I put the betta in there because the poor guy was mistreated by the previous owner. Can proudly say I saved that fish. However that was just supposed to be my cory tank. I was planning on getting 2 more julie's so the 1 could school better, but now I feel that might be too many fish in 1 tank. If I did, that would be 13 fish in a 44 gallon. Sorry if I wrote a lot, Ive asked pet store "experts" but they all say it's fine. Even though they are the same people who say a betta is fine in a bowl -_- when I look online there is nothing that directly answers my question. Only useful thing I found was the inches of each fish×gallons of tank. In theory i should be ok. But I trust your opinion. Thanks in advance!!!
The 44 gallon is ok for a group of 10 corys, the species you have listed are not that large, all should be well. Make sure to keep them on a sand substrate (one of the best things you can do for your corydoras!). Good to hear the pleco is moving on up to a 100 gallon, which species of pleco is it? Typically the best type of tank for most bottom dwellers are ones with dimensions that favor length and width not height. For example a 40 gallon that is 36" X 18" X 15" H would be preferable for most any bottom dweller. Additionally, for some species of suckermouth cats that really prefer strong water movement it is in sense easier to create a strong flow in such a tank as well.
@@fluval when I purchased the pleco they told me it was a bristle nose. Got him when he was basically a fry. Turns out he is a common pleco. Now that he is 6" I can tell by his pattern and color. Looking further into the species I also found it might be better to just get a 125gallon tank just to be safe. And maybe add a red tail shark or an oscar. Might just play it safe and get angel fish though. After having 7 cichlids. I'm over aggressive fish. I took a screen shot of the tank dimensions as well so I know exactly what to look for. Thank a million!
I have a 150 gallon tank with a 18 inch Pleco. A friend of mine just moved and didn't have room for the tank and just gave he his entire set up with the Pleco
Wow...that is a good friend!
I have a common Pleco, he will be 5 y/o in Oct. and he's about 12" in size. My question, he has areas that are faded, making him look almost tiger striped. The areas seem to darken to his natural color and then fade. Do you have any idea what could cause this? He eats good, seems healthy. I do bi-weekly water changes, we have good well water but it's high in iron and he has proper filtration. I appreciate anything you can offer, thank you. Take good care of you and yours.
The varying color intensity you are seeing is very likely natural for your pleco, as per when he is in brighter light vs. dimmer, has come out from the areas he may hide in, etc...they do naturally change shades as you are describing. You have been taking good care of him based on description and knowledge of your local water conditions (smart) and water change schedule, congrats!
What kind of tank do you recommend for breeding the plecos - bare bottom, sand, aqua soil.....? And what kind of breeding caves are best?
Hi, we would strongly advise you to do research first to understand the species you plan to breed as many of them get enormous and require big aquariums. Some will be okay in bare tanks, other more secretive species would benefit from a more natural biotope. For caves, terracotta pipes, PVC pipes - both with a diameter that makes sense for the species you are planning to breed. Some plecos are extremely attractive, keep us posted on further progress in breeding them. Best of luck!
Are plecos more better in cold water fish tanks or with a more hotwater tank .Thank you
Alex, plecos are tropical fish so a safe range for most species is between 77 to 80 degrees F (approx. 25 to 27 degrees C). Once you determine the species of pleco you are interested in it is always a good idea to do some research to determine where the species originated from and replicate those conditions, some come from natural environments with strong water flow for example.
I have a small Pleco with my Koi Betta ..
I have that fish
When changing my water the pleco fish fin scratched my arm. It did raise, should I be worried?
Wash the scratch with soap and water and apply a mild antiseptic, should be ok. What caused the welt is likely the bacteria present in the aquarium water. Of course if you see signs of an infection or similar please go to the hospital.
I bought a pleco for my aquarium with plenty of hiding places yesterday, and he stays on the wall of the tank near the surface. I saw him on the floor of the tank 24 hours later and attempted to feed him algae wafers, and he will not eat. He is still hanging out near the surface. Is this a sign of fish stress? Sickness? I'll see if he gets used to the tank in the next few days. Any tips would be great.
We recommend you identify the species and do some research on a number of good on line resources. Some plecos prefer strong water movement, smooth stones and in fact are quite carnivorous. Adding some water current may make a big difference, also make sure the water surface has strong movement to ensure healthy oxygen levels, fish from rivers have a need for that. Also provide hiding places, some plecos are very secretive, we have a vampire pleco in a 300 gallon lobby display here at head office, very beautiful fish, but we rarely see him....
Rodman Edwards mine did the same for a few days. I️ guess he was just getting used to the new environment ? He was probably nervous because of the amount of fish that were in the tank, but he’s good and big now ! I️ got him when he was just a tiny little thing and now he’s grown three times its original size! I️ love my little fella !
how can a captive bred fish be "used to" certain aquascapes that you'd find in the wild? Whenever I see them being bred they are kept in large concrete tanks with slate breeding caves. the young fish that are then born have no experience in the wild so how can they be "used to" driftwood or fast flowing water, I know for a fact their wild relatives are. I'm just wondering. Great video!
Yes, commercial breeding usually employs that type of barren setup. We're not sure what you mean by “used to”, but if you are referring to what we are saying in the video, we've seen first-hand where these fish live in the wild, and we mean it in that sense. By the way, our colonies do live and breed profusely in “natural-type” setups.
+Fluval Aquatics thanks for the reply, it's just that you say what kind of substrate they prefer due to what they are used to in the wild. however I'm pretty sure that the two I purchased would feel more at home back in the bare bottom concrete pool they were kept in their whole lives rather than the aquascape I have set up for them simply because it's all they know.
Anton, sorry for replying so late here....and thanks for your input. Just a comment, animals in general are amazing creatures, they adapt and make use of what they can, barren or decorated, with good water quality, diet and temperature they will respond well, keep up taking good care of your fish!
👍
What kind of bristlenose pleco is that at 1:43? I use to have one just like it and have been looking for another.
Likely it is C. cirrhosus.
thank you!
Can I put a Pleco with minnows in my paddling pool to keep the bottom clean or would it fight them? It holds 750 litres and has 8 minnows to keep it clean but there is sandy coloured stuff on the bottom which all swirls up when I get in to cool off.
Plecos are tropical species, so this would depend on where you live! Remember that many pleco species grow to be absolutely massive.
@@fluval thanks for your answer. I live in Portugal so its warm mostly but not so warm in winter. There is no frost where I am. But i would put the fish in someone else's pond in the winter..They have abig natural swimming pool. I have a kind of giant bucket...
Data:
I want 1 Pleco by himself in a tank
I need a small Pleco.
It says the minimum size is 20 gallon, so that's what I want,
What is a good specie of Pleco for this???
Paws Pup clown pleco
Paws Pup don't go to petco
God bless robert e lee
I have 10 bristlenose in a 65g tank. Is that too many?
Should be no problem if is A. cirrhosus or a species similar in size and temperament.
Can pleco's be aggressive with other catfish?
There are some species of pleco's or suckermouth catfish that are very aggressive with other suckermouth catfish. Many of them are compatible however. Always research the specific species you are interested in to avoid any potential issues.
Would they do ok with a betta
Our pick for mixing with a betta would be a smaller species of ancistrus, yes, would not be an issue.
Fluval Aquatics thank you 😊
They get big
Amber, in fact the species of ancistrus we show in this video range between 3 to 5 inches, quite manageable for medium sized aquariums.
Can 2 females live together
Hi Josie, it is not recommended to have bettas live together. The rule of thumb is never to have more than one betta in a tank, however if you will, make sure to upgrade your tank size.
Wood!! " Did you say Wwwooood" lol Wood is not mandatory as long as your supplementing their diets with lots of vegetable matter to help with digestion. The Ancistrus more or less rasps the bio film that grows on the wood, they don't eat the wood it self. However there are Pleco's that do require wood as part of there diet but the Ancistrus isn't one of them. Great videos for beginners and the more people in our hobby the better the hobby becomes. The hank you
wrong, they need wood to clean out their digestive tracts
But they are babies
can you keep these in a 30L tank?
One could be kept in a 30L yes.
lol, no!
Dog: Ady Aky
Algae Eater: Big A
Catfish: Ai
Real names: Lady Oakley, Big Man, and Ari
they look so scary, never liked them in the aquarium.
those fish got spread in a Philippine river... now the river is full of that fish they hide on mud holes and killed off other fishes
locals called it janitor fish
locals kill truck loads of them and their number seem to never die down
Judith, a serious problem for sure, thanks for mentioning this situation, it points out how careful all aquarium keepers should be, never dispose of non native live fish in natural water ways of any kind.