pleco ideas and advice please

[kelly82]

ok, im looking for a little bit of advice. i have a 6 x2 x2 tank, live plants, no co2, and the stocking in my sig below. im wanting a new pleco, i think, i really adore the L46 zebras, but price is against me and id be scared that id buy one and it would go fins up purely due to how much it cost me and sods law (would be just my luck!), are there any other types of pleco which are similarly stunning and will stand out in the aquarium, that wont eat my plants or have issues with any of my tanks inhabitants (snails included) my tank readings are ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5-10 max, p.h 8.0, temp 78*. thanks.

[toddnbecka]

Just about any of the Hypancistrus species would be fine in your tank. The L-129, L-333 and L-134 are fairly small fish with attractive patterns/markings. The L134 are the most day-active and visible in general. Hypancistrus are omnivorous, and will eat just about anything you feed the other fish. Some veggies on occasion are good for them too.
The emperor pleco (L-204) would also be good since you have bogwood in the tank. All Panaque species need wood in their diet.

[kelly82]

thanks for that, il get looking and see whats what, there are some truly stunning little fish out there :cool:

[Rjb3]

I would add the L-18 to that list.

[kelly82]

will check that one out too, thanks. are any of these mainly veggie eaters? i like the fact i dont have to put meaty foods into my tank, i obviously do for my fish but they eat it before it hits the bottom (bloodworm,mysis shrimp,tubifex worms,brine shrimp), im not sure how i would feed a pleco something meaty,i put weighted cucmber in for my bristlenose and the otos so something that will have the same type of dietary needs would be good, any tips would be very much appreciated. im a bit of a newbie with all these different types of plecs, ive only had bristlenose and a clown before.

[pinkertd]

For lots of detailed information on the various pleco species, please check over at planetcatfish. You will find a detailed fact sheet on each of those plecos, including diet.

[Rjb3]

Kelly82,

The dozen species of plecos I keep all eat the same flake food mixture of half meat half veggie and they're fine. The thirty species of cory catfish eat it too. I make and sell my own food so it's designed to sink or float depending on the fish I'm feeding. The catfish and plecos do fine with my mix of flake and sinking crumbles/granules. You'd be surprised at the number of customers that tell me "We've had plecos before but yours are out more often where we can see them." It's all how they're raised and what they're fed.

Regards-Bob