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Does pleco eat other fish?
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Yes, a plecostomus will eat other fish. However, plecos will only eat dead or dying fish that sink to the bottom of the tank – they won’t eat other healthy fish. If you want to stop your pleco from eating dead fish, make sure to feed it a high-quality diet regularly.
Many other large suckermouth fish like Chinese Algae Eaters also have this habit. Fish like Discus, Gouramis, and Goldfish should not be kept with larger Plecostomus.
What do plecos actually eat?
Plecos are omnivores, meaning they eat plants and animals. Your pleco will enjoy earthworms, bloodworms, and shrimp. You can choose between fresh or frozen varieties. Earthworms, bloodworms, and shrimp can be found at pet shops and fish stores.
Keeping an aquarium looking clean and free of algae is most often an ongoing battle. You may even have searched for fish that clean the tank. In freshwater aquariums, “Plecos” (short for plecostomus and used to refer to fish of the family Loricariidae) are one of the most common fish purchased to aid in algae cleanup.
Do plecos need to be fed everyday?
While Plecos do eat detritus and algae, it will still need its diet supplemented. Feed your Pleco every day or every other day with Pleco-specific food. One to two times per week, feed your Pleco pieces of cucumber, zucchini, or lettuce (not iceberg).
Do plecos actually eat algae?
Plecos. Various South American suckermouth catfish are effective algae-eaters. The most popular are the various species sold as “plecos.” The namesake for the group, the common pleco (Hypostomus plecostomus), is an excellent algae-eater but is not the best choice for most hobbyists.
Can plecos live without food?
A good example of aquarium herbivores are some types of plecos, the otocinclus and some other fish that may eat algae.
Overview chart for individual fasting tolerances of popular freshwater fish.
Type of fish:
Period it can safely live with no food:
Plecos
10 to 14 days
What makes plecos happy?
How long can plecos go without being fed?
Most healthy aquarium fish can go three days to a week without eating. However, it usually isn’t recommended to go more a day or two without feeding unless completely necessary.
In pristine conditions, the typical Common Pleco lifespan is between 10 and 15 years! They have a longer life expectancy than most tropical fish, so be prepared for years of care.
What’s the lifespan of a pleco?
Plecostomus are primarily nocturnal and will spend daytime hours resting along the benthos in dark crevices. The average lifespan for plecostomus is 10 to 15 years.
Can plecos live in tap water?
Keeping and Breeding
As for water hardness, the plecos have no problem with hard water from the tap, but if you want to breed them, it is best to use soft water.
Do plecos like sand or gravel?
The ideal substrate for plecos is fine gravel or soft sand because it will allow the pleco to filter through the substrate to find food. The tank should be densely planted, especially with broad-leafed species like Java Fern and Anubias, to ensure that the pleco can feed on algae growing on the surface of the leaves.
Can I release my pleco into the wild?
Also, do not release your common pleco into the wild because they are a highly invasive species and can do a lot of damage to the environment. Thankfully, there are much smaller plecos that are better suited for the average home aquarium.
How many plecos should I keep together?
“No” to Multiple Plecos Together
They often do wonderfully alongside other types of community freshwater fish. When plecos reach maturity, they simply cannot get along with fellow plecos. They can be highly territorial around each other. Therefore, it can be extremely dangerous ever to house them together.
The Rubber Lipped Pleco is one of the largest places on this list and will require a tank size of about 20 gallons. It’s one of the most efficient algae eaters and will quickly clean your tank of algae other plecos would leave behind.
10. Rubber Lipped Pleco.
Length:
4.3 inches
Minimum Tank Size:
20 gallons
How big will my pleco grow?
Pleco catfish (Plecostomus) can grow up to 24 inches (60 cm) in size. However, it takes a long period of time for them to grow this big. For such fish, you need special conditions, especially if you keep them in an aquarium.
Do plecos breed easily?
Plecos are far most one of the easiest to breed fish species. They don’t need any special medication, supplement, or even a breeding tank to spawn. Just a couple of caves, a minor temperature rise, and they are all good to go.
How many babies do plecos have?
They need to age close to a year before able to breed regularly, and a single pair can be very prolific, having 150 -200 eggs at a time.