Whiptail Plecos
by Shane Linder
I just got 3 small whiptail plecos. Any info would be appreciated.
They are in a 20Gl with 2 corys and some small livebearer fry.
- These tankmates should be fine.
The store told me to treat them the same as other plecos, of which I have two that are way more chunky and frisky than these little guys.
- I divide up the loricariids into two roups: the "fats" and the "flats". The fishes sold as whiptails fall into the "flats" category and could belong to any one of a dozen or so genera (e.g. Rineloricaria, Spatuloricaria, Pseudohemiodon, Loricariichthys, Sturisoma, etc.). These fish are thinner in general appearence than the "fats" (e.g. Plecostomus, Ancistrus, Panaque, Peckoltia, Glyptoperichthys, etc.). In addition to being a sleeker style of fish they are also less frisky (to use your term) than their "fat" cousins. That being said, chances are that you have picked up some Rineloricaria since they have been coming into the US in pretty good numbers. Actually identifying your fish to species may be impossible even if you take one apart to look at it. Since you only have three you are most likely not in a hurry to kill one just to satisfy your curiosity. There are some good general guidlines though.
Generic questions:
(1) best water conditions (current pH7.4, temp78, hardnesses 5oKH 8oGh)
- Ideally the pH should be just below 7 and the water soft. Temp is fine. I have kept Rineloricaria in pH 7.6 and 110ppm DH though for extended periods of time. They are not likely to spawn in this water though.
(2) growth rate and limiting size
- Growth rate is not too slow (with a good diet). The potential size is impossible to say for sure since we doi not know which sp. you have. About six inches (SL) should be about the maximium.
(3) likelihood of breeding (store said they were wild caught)
- With soft water...very! Rineloricaria are one of the easiest loricariids to spawn. They spawn in hollow logs in nature. In the aquarium you can duplicate this by using PVC pipe sections or bamboo. The diameter should be about 1 inch (2.4cm). Some people claim bamboo works better.
(4) best foods (I use eggplant and algae wafers, there is lots of algae on the glass nearest the window, I have seen peas, broccoli and boston lettuce recommended)
- I use cucumber, zucchini, and algae wafers. Lettuce is low in nutrients and high in pesticides. Never tried eggplant or broccoli. Yams, acorn squash, and canteloup are all eagerly eaten, but are messy! Buy organic veggies if you can. I once lost a three tanks of loricariids to pesticides. Fed all three tanks new cucumber one night and all three tanks were wiped out the next day. I also feed frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp 1-2 times per week.
(5) nitrate tolerance and other sensitivities (I change the water 25% once a week)
- No specific sensitivities. I change 30% per week. 25% is fine.
(6) salt sensitivity (it is currently 0.75 tsp/gallon, I am allowing it to decrease with weekly pure water changes).
- I would not add ANY salt. I have never experimented with salt and whiptails because they should not need it. If the salt is for the livebearers you can stop using it. They do not need it. I have caught several livebearers (including swordtails and even mollies) in pools of pure rainwater. Not only were the livebearers healthy, but the pools were full of fry.