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View Full Version : What kind of Pleco could I get?


LosC
03-10-2008, 04:52 AM
What kind of Pleco could I get, if any, for my 20g tank. Check sig.
jbeining75
03-10-2008, 04:58 AM
A 20 gallon is rough... How about some oto cats????? I guess a smaller pleco might work... I'd go with bristlenose or clown pleco but would lean towards maybe 3 or 4 oto cats.....
LosC
03-10-2008, 05:16 AM
Rubbernose?
jbeining75
03-10-2008, 05:18 AM
Rubberlip you mean??? They get around 5 inches while the clown and bristles get around 4 inches. He might be alright in a 20 gallon... I would really go with the oto cats though... A pleco in a 20 gallon is really going to effect the bioload of that tank alot....
LosC
03-10-2008, 05:25 AM
Your right, I'll scrap the Pleco idea. I'm gonna look into Oto's
LosC
03-10-2008, 05:33 AM
Oto's seem very risky.
fins_n_fur
03-10-2008, 05:45 AM
Why do oto's seem risky? As long as your provide them food besides the algae in the the tank, you should be okay, and so should they.
LosC
03-10-2008, 05:59 AM
From what I researched they have higher mortality rates and most die within the first few weeks. They would be competing with my Corys for food, I don't have much algae on the walls.
fins_n_fur
03-10-2008, 06:15 AM
The poor buggers are probably literally starving to death once the algae is gone. If you supplement their diet with sinking wafers and veggies like cucumber and zucchini (courgette), and treat them like regular members of the tank (why wouldn't you), I think they'd be fine. Of course, someone with more experience might be able to expand upon expand this for you.
Dave66
03-10-2008, 06:48 AM
Some sucker-mouthed cats suitable for a properly maintained 20 gallon, their adult size and proper number of specimens.

Ancistrus claro - 3 inches (6)
Otocinclus affinis - One inch (12)
Peckoltia vittata - Four inches (1)
Ancistrus dolichopterus - Five inches (single or sextet)

Those are four that are available. The Peckoltia needs to be just a single one, as they have territories and your tank is too small for more than one. The two Ancistrus species do well in small groups like six, as they are more gregarious and do well if there are several cave-like structures in the tank. The Otocinclus do far better in groups of a dozen or more, as they group together in their thousands in the vegetation-choked regions of the Amazon.
If the tank is planted, with driftwood and stones, it is ideal for the fish species I listed.

Dave
Tigerbarb
03-11-2008, 12:24 AM
If you were dieing to get a pleco, you could get a clown pleco. They stay fairly small, though a 30g is reccomended for them.
LosC
03-11-2008, 06:44 AM
I'd like one but im not dying for one. Maybe in the future when I get a bigger tank. I think I have enough low dwellers. I want some upper dwelling fish. Everything seems to be at the bottom of my tank, I can't even get my German Blue Ram to come up to the surface for food.
Arkie
03-11-2008, 11:18 AM
danios are good surface dwelling fish... or maybe some livebearers???:11:
LosC
03-11-2008, 06:54 PM
What kind of livebearers?
squirt_12
03-11-2008, 07:15 PM
A nice top dweller fish marble hatchet fish. They reach 5cm and stay at the top all the time. They are jumpers so you would have to keep the tank closed tightly.

As for plecos you could go 1 clown or around 6-12 otos. Otos are good but you HAVE to have an algae population before getting them. They will eat through the algae really fast and they have to be fed veggies (eg. zuchinni, cucumber, etc..) and veggie rounds. They are easy to keep if you give them the proper care they need.