pleco or cory for quiet/unheated tank??

catdoc · Post by **catdoc** » 14 Aug 2003, 04:55

I just set up a tank for an axolotl (a completely aquatic salamander--biology grad student left town and passed him on to the lfs who then donated him to me). I would like to find a nice calm, non-aggressive fish to put in there with him. I'd like to put a pleco or group of cories in there, but I don't know of any that would be happy in an unheated tank. Would a bristlenose or bulldog pleco be ok? The max temp will be around 70F, probably a good bit lower once the weather cools off. If I add a fish, it needs to be one that doesn't require a strong current or heavy filtration (apparently these are not tolerated well by the axolotl.) I may end up just tossing in a pair of fancy guppies for lack of anything else, but I'm hoping that I can find something a bit more interesting to liven it up in there!

TIA,
Christy

Post by **Silurus** » 14 Aug 2003, 06:37

Unfortunately, bulldog plecos prefer a strong current and good filtration, so they're not very suitable fish.
I'm not sure small fish (like guppies) would do it either. Wouldn't they end up as snacks for the axolotl?

catdoc · Post by **catdoc** » 14 Aug 2003, 19:16

Re the bristlenose, that's what I was afraid of. Any other suggestions?

And, yes, the guppies could end up as a snack.

In fact, there were a couple of adults and several baby guppies in the tank with him at the lfs, 5 of the babies got transferred in the move with him.

Maybe I'll just get a big apple snail and some danios. I'd ask the lfs owner but she didn't really know much about the axolotl.

Taratron · Post by **Taratron** » 14 Aug 2003, 22:55

Check out Anapsid.org, under Amphibians, for more on your new pet.

Sid Guppy · Post by **Sid Guppy** » 14 Aug 2003, 23:07

I have a big fat Axolotl at school, she (it's a girl) isn't much into tankmates....

I got her from a friend because she was the third in a tank with two others (an adult pair). fins ripped off, toes and legs missing; the others saw her as a boxing ball annex spare foodsupply.

Lucky that they are masters of regeneration; everything grows right back. Later I tried to put her in a tank with two Australian Yabby's (lobsters). Overnight these critters almost dismantled the poor amphibian, although the Yabby usually eats only plants and dead meat.

Any fish put in with her is toast! up to young 1 1/2" goldfish; it all gets eaten, danio's, platies, guppies, malformed cichlid-fry; she's my living wastebasket for "leftover-garbagefish" from breeding.....

At one time there was a halfgrown bristlenose with her, but she's simply too curious (about whether such a thing is edible) and couldn't left him alone. That bristlenose got fairly nuts, before I put it back in the schooltank.

Axolotls aren't sociable. And since she's alone, she's looking fine and being fat & happy on a dead/misfit-fish and earthworm-diet.
Only thing is, she's getting nuts when someone approaches, and loves to bite (softly) in fingertips.

catdoc · Post by **catdoc** » 15 Aug 2003, 04:40

Oh, well. It sounds like the big guy will have to go at it alone. Thanks for the tips, I wanted to know what would be best for ALL critters involved and there's no point in putting a fish in there if they won't get along. Too bad, 'cause I thought it'd be a way to squeeze in another catfish without getting yet another tank set up. (Hubby is starting to think that I am totally nuts, another tank would be the clincher!) At least now I have an easier way to get rid of my angelfish culls!

Thanks again. Off to check out the suggested website...

Christy