So I'm currently upgrading to a 100 gal tank... cycle, cycle, cycle. I have 2 babies about 3". When I first got the tank they are in (26 gal) they were only about 2" and I bought a pleco at the same time. He died within days.. I don't think the tank was ready for a pleco but not sure. The tank had NOT been cycled properly, I later learned, and there probably wasn't much in there for him to eat. Unknown why he died, he looked normal - just started swimming up & down the walls and letting out air bubbles as he did. Then dead.

So for the new tank... I'd like a pleco. Suggestions on not killing this one?

Also, what about a Discus as a tank mate? I think they are the coolest looking things.

Lastly, has anyone out here created their own feeder tank?

Thanks for the insight!

Brooksie

i bred black convicts for the purpose of feeders in a 10 gallon tank for a while... gave up on it after i noticed too many not getting eaten due to their quickness compared to my slow oscar... gave them all away except for the one feeder i have now that grew.

I love plecos and they are supposed to be very hardy, they can handle bad quality water and low oxigenated water, for they can breath atmosferic air by absorbing it with their stomach.
Discus are fragile fish and are very sensitive to nitrates, even more than oscars.I would not advice the combo.
A lot of OFL members will advice against plecos with O's, for the plecos may get the habit of sucking on the slimecoat of slow moving fish.
i must admit i got lots of plecos but NEVER had any of them take an interest in sucking on other fish but if this happened i'm sure my opinion would change.
Just feed your pleco a lot and that will keep them busy.
I feed mine a quarter of zuchinni every other day and they eat until it's completely gone. I feed algae wafers as well, and they still eat all algae in the tank.
Allways make sure thep leco got some driftwood to chew and rasp on, for they need that to properly digest their food.
Give your pleco a good hiding spot or cave so he can hide if he wants to.
A 100 Gl tank shouldt be big enough for 2 smaller or one medium pleco.

This is one of mine, and grows to a foot.
This is a Hypostomus pleco and should be easily available.





allways willing to answer all pleco questions, hope this helps a bit.
PLECOFANATIC!!!

Nice Pleco... mine didn't last long enough to get a pic.

Any thoughts on what might have killed him? Like I said he showed no visible signs of illness. He was eating an algea disc the day before. The only thing he did was go up and down the tank walls letting out bubbles.

Brooksie

Did he have some driftwood in the tank?
I killed my first pleco by using lead to keep the plants in the gravel.
Lead can easily poison plecos and should be avoided.
May have just beeen bad luck.
I got this hypostomus from a friend and her dad actually never fed this fish...
He had to get by on ciclid poo and food remains.
This is when she entered the tank.


When i got it it started to eat and grow and grow.
You may just have had a sick one, for healthy plecos can take quite a beating.
any idea what plecos are available to you?

I also didn't have a properly cycled tank. I put my fish in only after a week. I'm not surprised he didn't make it. BUT, he had just arrived at the pet store the morning we bought him - stress? No driftwood. I am going to be putting some in my new tank - buying supplies now.

i went through 5 common plecos before i finally got a sailfin that lived.
mine did the exact same thing, darting up to get air before they finally died.

i gave away the sailfin when i realized i couldn't keep my nitrates down.

now the only pleco i have is a little candy stripe in my community tank. he is really cool looking, though i never get to see him.

if you want to get discus, i would advise trying to keep angel fish for about a year first. if you can keep those alive, then i would say give discus a shot. but they wouldn't do well in a tank with O's

That's very likely. Ste stress will have build up due to travel and rehoming.
They need the tanins that they rasp from the wood, to "jumpstart" their digestive system.
If not supplied with driftwood, a pleco will not thrive.
Although most algae wafers have rasped wood added to their algae and other supplements.
So that should have been adequate...think the travel stress was a bit much maybe.
I started my tank with Plecos and just love driftwood.
My pleco is eating on the left. I prefer to feed zuchinni.

And this is a piece of driftwood after a year of living with Plecos.
They did a good job!

Did you give him some algae wafers to eat? When i was little i had a couple plecos and could never figure out why i couldnt keep them alive. Well it turns out that i didnt know you had to feed them. I thought they would just eat algae in the tank. Well that algae quickly runs out.

They are actually detrivores, which means it can eat and proces other fish poo and rotten materials. In some chinese dialect the pleco is called "The eat-shit-fish".
Nevertheless i aggree with you, plecos must be fed.
That's why i like feeding zuchinni, that way I'm sure the plecos will get all that they need. They really eat all evening, all night and in the morning they'll still be chewing.
By feeding every other day the plecos will reduce their own waist by eating it.Gross but true.

So what is the key to the driftwood? Buy it at a store I assume but do you need to do anything to it? Put it in with the cycling tank first? Or can it go straight in a populated tank from the store?