Looking for Gold Nugget Info

**Trillianne** · 06-02-2011, 02:57 PM

Ok so... the bf has expressed some serious affection for the gold nugget plecos and I've been doing some research but getting a bit of mixed results.

I've seen everything from max sizes of 8" to 14" and multiple L numbers with some being "adults of L-other number" and possible speculation they are all the same fish.

Has anyone here kept these fish?

**skullduggery1** · 06-02-2011, 03:18 PM

There are a few varieties,and to tell the difference is by the amount of gold in the fins and spot sizes.Great algae eaters that benefit from cuke/zuchini feedings,as well as melon and peas.Chopped prawns and a good sinking shrimp pellet will help also.Some driftwood will help the pleco digest all of those green foods.Most are from the Rio Xingu in brazil,which has few nutrients and little sediment in the water.So mostly sand and rocks,unless it is an Irrini nugget.The irrini is an offshoot of the Xingu with more logjams and submerged debris.

**toddnbecka** · 06-02-2011, 05:21 PM

From what I've gathered you need to be sure the gold nugget isn't starving to death before you take it home. Not being fed for extended times while in holding tanks then shipped often kills off the necessary bacteria in their gut, and they can't digest their food. Look for one that's been in the store for several weeks and doesn't have a sunken belly.

**Trillianne** · 06-02-2011, 05:50 PM

I had read that they can be difficult to acclimate, so that information about their bacteria colony being part of the issue was quite helpful.

**Crispy** · 06-04-2011, 08:46 PM

gold nugget's are not the easiest to acclimate or keep. they are 100% wild caught (to my knowledge). they like strong currents and well aerated water. they are omnivores and require both meaty and vegetative foods. quarantine time is a must to get it eating properly and to look for parasites (very common in wc fish). they are also very slow growers!

**Fishguy2727** · 06-04-2011, 09:29 PM

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aqua...ghlight=nugget

They grow VERY slowly, which is why you get conflicting info on max size. I have seen some in captivity that were at least 8", but that was in a 1,200 gallon 20' long tank.

The article should give you most of the info you need. The essentials IMO: high flow, driftwood, high quality pellet food (NLS Thera+A exclusively), and high water quality. Other than that the biggest issue is that they are healthy when you get them. Ideally see them eat, but they should at least have a healthy belly on them. Acclimate them slowly.

I do not like the drip method. It is too slow IMO. The water cools by the time it even gets to the bucket, then sits in the bucket at room temp until you are done. I use an air tube but have it completely open. This is faster but constant, so it is still a healthy acclimation. This is how I do discus, sensitive fish, SW fish, and corals.

Here are a couple pics to show how much they like high flow. The whole tank doesn't have to be rapids, but give them some hiding spots with high flow and they will love you. In the second pic the pleco is on the underside of the driftwood directly in front of the output from the Fluval.

**Strider199** · 06-04-2011, 09:55 PM

I love that first picture.

Thats extreme.

**Trillianne** · 06-04-2011, 11:09 PM

It sounds like one would fit into our main tank quite well, assuming he gets acclimated well. Our eventual plan to upgrade from the 65g (have now) to a 150g. (Year or two down the road) So slower growth does give us a bit more leeway.

One article I read was suggesting they had been bred in captivity but it was certainly much more rare.

**Fishguy2727** · 06-04-2011, 11:37 PM

Any time you can get something captive bred it is a good idea to do so. This may be one of the species where the only CB options would be online, if that.