Attack of the Pleco

K

kain

AC Members
May 7, 2008
22
0
0
Hey all.

I recently started having problems with redish brown algae. So I went out and bought 2 plecos. I bought the smallest ones at the store (about 2 1/2 inches long) I put them into my 29 gallon tank. After about 5 hours I came back. I noticed a my male guppy acting very strange. Sitting at the bottom of the tank. This morning I found him dead with no tail. Should I be worried about my other fish? I have 3 1/2 inch oranda (who will have a new home in July in a pond) 1 male and 2 male plattys and 1 white Molly. I've also got a balashark who belongs to a friend. He made a tank without cycling, all the fish died accept the bala. So he'll only be around for a couple more weeks.
 
water parameters??
 
i think the odds are its the shark i cant see any reson why the plecs would attack any other fish they onlt eat algy and find it very difficult to swin in open water
 
flossyfloofloo said:
i think the odds are its the shark i cant see any reson why the plecs would attack any other fish they onlt eat algy and find it very difficult to swin in open water
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Actually..many species are meat eaters.. tho they usually wait for the food to sink to the bottom.

there are really only a few that eat lots of veggies and even those will eat protein in the form of meat.
 
the pleco could of eaten the guppy but only after it was dead and would not have killed the fish
 
yes but i dont think they would go searching for it and kill for it they have no real teeth

they would probably eat it once it is dead though as u said but i think a killer plec isnt the answer
 
Sounds like it was most likely the bala. Hopefully you plan on taking those plecos back, unless you have a 150g they can go in. That oranda will probably freeze if placed in a pond, too.
 
The Bala is small. about 3 inches long, and he's been in my tank for over a month with no problems with the other fish. The man at the fish store suggested I get the Pleco. What type of algea eater should I get for a 30g tank?
 
What sort of pleco's do you have? A lot of pleco's will grow way to big for a 30g tank.
Buying pleco's to clear an algae problem is a really bad idea, most pleco's will only eat it as a last resort.
flossyfloofloo said:
yes but i dont think they would go searching for it and kill for it they have no real teeth
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Some pleco's do have teeth.
 
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