Active Pleco

All posts regarding the care and breeding of these catfishes from South America.
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FunkyFredFrog
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Active Pleco

Post by FunkyFredFrog »

I've got 3 plecos.

1 x 10 inch common pleco
1 x 3.5 inch sunshine pleco
1 x 1.75 inch snowball pleco

The common and snowball pleco are scared of their own shadows and I never see them eating but the sunshine is so outgoing and feeds as soon as food is about.

A) what type of pleco do you have and what personalities do they show?

B) Is there a common personality across those types?
andywoolloo
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Re: Active Pleco

Post by andywoolloo »

my common pl*co is in a tank with syno euptera and is very outgoing! espiecially for veg and fruit but in general out and about and swimming and checking things out.

In another tank I have some L066 pl*cos, only see tails in caves cept at lights out feeding.

I have some clown pl*cos in that same tank that are on the wood alot so I can see them, they scamper here and there in lights on which the king tigers do not except in darkness.

I have some rubbernoses which are elusive but can found on the slate and rockwork.

I have a L270 in another tank that stays in a cave or two till lights out.

I use nocturnal lights to see them when I want, blue, whi and red , not at same time. lol
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vanillarum
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Re: Active Pleco

Post by vanillarum »

I have a tank with 260s in it, and I will see them come out to feed when food is in the tank. Otherwise all I ever see are tails. I also have a tank with 400s in it and I never see any of them except after lights out. My tank with 46s in it I will occasionally see the larger males out near the cave entrances, but that is about it. My L340 tank I never see anything but tails. And my community tank has 3 x 104s and 4 x 240s in it. The bigger male 240 is always in his cave, while the 3 females can be seen perusing the tank or tucked under some slate. The 104s are rarely out and about. And that's my story.
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joefish72
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Re: Active Pleco

Post by joefish72 »

I currently have one common and one rubbernose and each has claimed it's own area of the tank. The common has chosen a cave-like shipwreck to reside in while the rubbernose likes to hide behind the pick up for my filter which is wrapped with a live bamboo plant. The common mostly stays in or at the entrance to his cave but will come out when food is presented. About once a week it will make a full survey of the aquarium and will work the glass on the front side of the tank. The rubber I have never seen out unless lights out.
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2wheelsx2
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Re: Active Pleco

Post by 2wheelsx2 »

The most secretive plecos I have are my Pseudas. I rarely see my , and only see the tail of my . My most commonly observed and active fish are my . The bigger Panaque all come out when there are yams, but when I am not feeding earthworm sticks of yams, I see usually only the or maybe the odd .
Xod
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Re: Active Pleco

Post by Xod »

I currently have a 20gallon, hopefully expanding to a 40 by this Christmas. In the tank there are Three that are probably the most active plecos I have ever owned or seen. During the day they can lounge around the leaves in open daylight or just hang and move around under a log. However at the smell of blood from blood worms. These little guys come out like there's a feast scouring the ground for food. Its definitely a site to see as they are extremely friendly and swarm the source of food.
Chouin
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Re: Active Pleco

Post by Chouin »

Most Hypan (L66, L260, L262, etc.) are not very active from my experience, stay in their cave and only go out when it's dark. They rarely come out when there are food and the light are on.
Panaque are active and always searching for food or wood. Place them in a tank with wood only and they will be in heaven. Just be sure to do regular large water change.
As for pseuda, they become more active as they grow, under 4" you rarely see them and they are afraid of their shadows, but afer that, they come out more often and don't care about you being in front of their tank.

Most pleco are also a lot more active when it's near their feeding time.
I feed mine around 10pm after the light are off, but between 8h30-10h they are already all over the tank searching for food, especially my L24.
But the most active I own, Adonis and L128/L200.

Here is a picture I took last weekend at feeding time :
Image

Cheers,
Chouin
125g: L07, L24 (4x), L65, L114 (4x), L160 (3x), Adonis (2x), L190.
125g :L25 (3x), L160 (2x), L114 (2x), L81, L200
125g : Mega Barrae, L18, L24 (3x), L104, L106, L177, L273 Yellow, L425 (6x)
75g: L114, L273 Red (2x), L273 Yellow, L600.
50g: LDA33 (4)
FunkyFredFrog
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Re: Active Pleco

Post by FunkyFredFrog »

How big is that sunshine pleco chouin? Mine is only bout 3 inch or so!

Search for Funkyfredfrog on YouTube for my tank videos!
Chouin
Posts: 64
Joined: 22 Jan 2004, 23:50
Location 1: Montréal(québec)
Interests: Fish And Chick

Re: Active Pleco

Post by Chouin »

The L14 is approx 6".
I look at your video, nice tank !
Chouin
125g: L07, L24 (4x), L65, L114 (4x), L160 (3x), Adonis (2x), L190.
125g :L25 (3x), L160 (2x), L114 (2x), L81, L200
125g : Mega Barrae, L18, L24 (3x), L104, L106, L177, L273 Yellow, L425 (6x)
75g: L114, L273 Red (2x), L273 Yellow, L600.
50g: LDA33 (4)
FunkyFredFrog
Posts: 113
Joined: 08 Nov 2010, 22:06
My cats species list: 15 (i:0, k:0)
My aquaria list: 2 (i:0)
Location 2: Sheffield

Re: Active Pleco

Post by FunkyFredFrog »

Thanks dude - I may take the plants out as its not really a typical pleco environment.
Chouin
Posts: 64
Joined: 22 Jan 2004, 23:50
Location 1: Montréal(québec)
Interests: Fish And Chick

Re: Active Pleco

Post by Chouin »

Plants are good againt nitrate, if they stay in good condition, I would say to keep them in the tank.
Chouin
125g: L07, L24 (4x), L65, L114 (4x), L160 (3x), Adonis (2x), L190.
125g :L25 (3x), L160 (2x), L114 (2x), L81, L200
125g : Mega Barrae, L18, L24 (3x), L104, L106, L177, L273 Yellow, L425 (6x)
75g: L114, L273 Red (2x), L273 Yellow, L600.
50g: LDA33 (4)
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