Which ones of these are 'plant-friendly'?

coryfav · Post by **coryfav** » 09 Jan 2003, 10:13

L014a, L015, (L018), L046, L047, (L083a), L128, L134, L177, L191, L200, L204, L248, (L262), L264

Hi all, these are the plecos that I've kept. Those in ( ) are already in pleco-heaven though...

Apart from L046, which of these will not chew on plants like Vallisneria sp., Echinodorus bleheri and Hygrophila difformis?

I would one day like to set up a new tank with these plants, together with the tougher Java Ferns and Anubias sp., and transfer some of these plecos over.

Thanks!

(Oh, I hope to get a L133 too!)

Post by **Dinyar** » 22 Jan 2003, 15:29

Most smaller Loricariids should be OK. I think the trick is

1) to get enough plant growth going that even if they chew on some leaves, there's more than enough new growth to compensate for the destruction, and

2) supplement with lettuce, cucumber and other veggies that they find more tempting than plain old plant leaves.

Just stay away from fish like the royal panaque in planted tanks!

Dinyar

coryfav · Post by **coryfav** » 22 Jan 2003, 15:41

Thanks for your advice, Dinyar.

König Löwe · Post by **König Löwe** » 22 Jan 2003, 16:23

If you really wan't the L-191, you could try, but then you run a big risk of at least some of the plants getting destroyed.

I put my L-191 in my 250 litre tank with five big Echinodorus bleheri plants. Before i got him eating algae wafers properley, he had managed to destroy allmost all the leaves on the plants. They are now slowly growing back, and the Panaque is eating algae wafers without touching the plants.

Yann · Post by **Yann** » 22 Jan 2003, 20:00

Hi !
If you don't want any risk just go with the "carnivore" Loricariids such as Hypancistrus zebra Hypancistrus sp L262, Leporacanthicus joselimai L264.

All the others are either wood eating fish or have a taste for vegetables matter!
¨Cheers
Yann

coryfav · Post by **coryfav** » 23 Jan 2003, 02:06

König Löwe, at least your Echinodorus bleheri was given the chance to grow again. When I once put this plant into my pleco tank, they chewed on the stems and sent the leaves floating!

So I guess it's not really possible to have a tank full of plants and yet have a good variety of plecos in it.

yannfulliquet, thanks for listing out those other plecos. Yup, I know which ones are those and will keep them in mind.

Caril, sure we can arrange a day & time. The tanks are in my godsister's house - only place I could find big enough for my pets - and there's an elderly lady friend who goes to bed pretty early. PM me your number and we can make the arrangement?

Cheers!

S. Allen · Post by **S. Allen** » 23 Jan 2003, 02:35

Hey Cory

I'm keeping 14, 46, 134, 177,191, and 200 in a planted tank now, royal doesn't really eat plants, but if he goes on a terror, he can rip out many of the smaller plants

coryfav · Post by **coryfav** » 23 Jan 2003, 12:19

Hi Allen, that's about the same plecos as those I'd which sent my plants (amazon swords, water wisteria, etc) floating off!

I can only trust them with java ferns and anubias sp. now.

Thanks!