How do I keep a pleco alive for more than a month?

[Smurfette]

I have a 25 gallon 2 year old established community tank with guppies balloon mollies, tetras etc. all of which are doing very well.  My tank is at about 78 degrees with as neutral a pH as I can get, and I have tried the plecos in freshwater with no salt, and also water with 1 tablespoon of aquarium salt per 5 gallons (to keep the guppies happy!)  neither method has increased the life expectancy of my pleco.  I always try to buy as big a pleco as I can find (usually about 5-6 cms long.)

I have a lot of green algae - it is trailing off the plastic plants, and I also add an algae wafer per day in case the pleco is still hungry.  What am I doing wrong?  Any suggestions before I go and kill another unsuspecting pleco?

[Ovrclckd]

[quote author=Smurfette link=board=beginner&num=990848481&start=0# 0 date=05/25/01 at 20:41:21]
I have a 25 gallon 2 year old established community tank with guppies balloon mollies, tetras etc. all of which are doing very well. *My tank is at about 78 degrees with as neutral a pH as I can get, and I have tried the plecos in freshwater with no salt, and also water with 1 tablespoon of aquarium salt per 5 gallons (to keep the guppies happy!) *neither method has increased the life expectancy of my pleco. *I always try to buy as big a pleco as I can find (usually about 5-6 cms long.)

I have a lot of green algae - it is trailing off the plastic plants, and I also add an algae wafer per day in case the pleco is still hungry. *What am I doing wrong? *Any suggestions before I go and kill another unsuspecting pleco?
[/quote]

I assume you test your water, any ammonia, nitrites?

Other things... plecos and many other types of catfish can't take salt, so stop using salt. Lower your temp to say 76. Add driftwood to the tank if you don't already have it. Those plecos are also quite small, you should try to get them at about 4" or 10cm.

Algae wafers are a pretty good staple for plecos, you might want to add cucumber or lettuce to supplement.

You really aren't doing anything wrong... its odd that they are dying...

[ryanp15]

I think it's probably the salt too. I have had a pleco for 4 months now and until about 3 weeks ago never ever feed him anything. I have a little fake wooden cave in my tank and  he is always in there during the day cause they are nocturnal animals you know. Maybe you should get a small cave for him to hide in during the day. Mine now gets fed spirulina and algea wafers and he is doing really great. He doesn't seem to like algea in my tank at all. I don't know maybe he's just a weird little pleco. He seems to like my driftwood too at night that's where he goes. Try adding some more decor to your tank and see if that helps out any. ;D Good luck.

[clothahump]

Ryan, try cutting his food back a bit, if he is hungry he will eat your algae. 8)

[ryanp15]

When I first got him my entire back panel of glass was covered in algea and he NEVER seemed to touch it he just stayed in the cave all day long. I will cut back on his food though. ;D

[Bleeder]

A few tips:

1.Ensure that there are no other dominant fishes in your tank that will harass your plecos.

2.Plecos would do well in tank filled with gravel (not more then 2mm per gravel). I assume that your tank has it?

3.Try to reduce the amount of salt. Plecos don't take kindly to salt content.

Hope that I have been of help. *8)

[Kristin]

 If I were you I would NOT get a pleco!!!! they will get 3 feet long!! get an oto or a siamese algae eater. they do a good job and they are also small tank friendly. i think a zebra pleco is the only one that will stay 3 or 4 inches, and all the other ones get at least 2 feet. i have seen it myself! big as my arm!  :P

[Dragoon]

A few clarifications on plecos.
1) there are hundreds of species of fish called plecos, although most aren't actually plecos.
2) There are a few that get huge, many that get 12-18" and lots that stay from 3-12".
3) most plecos don't eat algae as a staple food.
4) many plecos are purely carnivorous.
Basically, you want one of the smaller species like a bristlenose or clown pleco. Both are more expensive but they stay small and are the best ones for algae eating. Before you buy it look at it's stomach. If it is at all sunken in, don't buy it. It's probably already dead, it just hasn't realized it yet. Find one with a full round belly.
When you introduce it, make sure you have a pice of driftwood for it to graze on, they need it for digestion. Feed a variety of foods, algae wafers, blanched veggies, shrimp pellets, frozen bloodworms, and even small earthworms.
If you manage to connect all these steps together you should have a healthy pleco with colours you never knew they had before.

[fishboy]

on 06/13/01 at 16:56:38)Kristin wrote: *

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If I were you I would NOT get a pleco!!!! they will get 3 feet long!! get an oto or a siamese algae eater. they do a good job and they are also small tank friendly. i think a zebra pleco is the only one that will stay 3 or 4 inches, and all the other ones get at least 2 feet. i have seen it myself! big as my arm! *
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Actually Kristin Zebra plecs are the only kind that prefers meat over greens. SO don't get a Zebra pleco if you want it to eat your algae they are more scavengers than grazers. Plus they are sooooooooooo expensive
8)

[ryanp15]

Yes zebras do prefer meat. My regular pleco has been alive for about 4-5 months now and it's fine I never feed it and my algea content has went was down. He didnt' do much on the brown algea though. I think pleco's are great fish and the regular ones don't get big as an arm. ;D