Common plecos---I hate 'em, but they're here!

[Taratron]

Well, hate is a strong word. But I do despise the many many phone calls the zoo gets from people wanting to donate their fish, which, according to callers, are always great for zoo setups. Like a brevy of yellow labs crossed with red zebras, deformed Oscars, redtail cats that are stunted, convicts...and common plecos. o_O

We do have two adult common plecos at work; one is in a Lake Tang setup, and on Tuesday I'm going to yank this foot long monster out. The only tank I can put him into is a lima shovelnose setup; 200 gallon tank with the lima, 7 full grown silver dollars, and a common pleco. The tank has two Magum 350s and a good deal of aeration, and weekly water changes.

Overstocked/underfiltered tank with two commons?

I do want these guys to be somewhat happy with their lives, insofar as plecos can be. Hence I want to make some kind of setup where they can hide from each other and light, but since this is a zoo, they still have to be seen by the public. I was thinking of getting some large black PVC pipe, glueing on some river rock (via aquarium adhesive) and having semi-natural caves for them to hide in. Any other suggestions?

[Sandtiger]

Knowone else has wrote you so I will Your idea sounds good but you could also try low light levels and maybe setting up caves that are along the glass. You could put tape or a flap on the glass and lift it to see the fish. You could also try putting veggies out where they have to expose themselves to eat it.

[fishysmell]

commojns usually arnet that shy

it shouldn`t be to much of a problem

[taksan]

I dunno if you would be working in a zoo I was director of

[Elspeth]

Wondering why you need to move the one from the Tanganyika tank?

[Taratron]

Because the male frontosa is starving the pleco, and tends to attack him whenever the pleco dares to come out to find food. I'd just rather have the pleco in a different tank.