Want a pleco, need advice.

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Lynsey

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Nov 28, 2002
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I am looking for a unique pleco that I can put in a tank with my Oscar. _I am looking for something that stays in the 7-9" range. _I don't want a pleco that gets too large. _


Also, what about a larger bristlenose. _I know that they only get to be about 5-6". _Has anyone had any experiences with Oscars and bristlenoses?

I found an Orange spotted pleco, that looks nice L082. Has anyone ever had this fish?
 

Cichlid Woman

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Nov 27, 2002
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Boy, lots of views, no responses yet. I don't know much about Oscars, but maybe there's no pleco that's safe with them?

The only plecos I've got any experience with are clowns and bristlenoses, and they're both sweethearts. I don't think they'd know what to do if picked on ... what you need is a Jedi pleco, and I don't know what those are.

-- Pat
 

Lynsey

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Well, right now I have an albino bristlenose breeding pair in the tank. The Oscar totally ignors them now. My Oscar is about 9-10" and my Bristlenose are about 4-5". I am just getting worried as my Oscars mouth is looking bigger and bigger, and the bristlenose look about the same. The Bristlenose are not stressed or picked on now (they even breed in that tank), but I don't know if my Oscar will turn on them one day? I don't feed my Oscar feeders, so I don't think he looks at every fish as food. The Bristlenoses have been in the tank since my Oscar was about 4", so they are not new to him.

Also, I have heard that large plecos can scratch acrylic tanks. Is that true????
 

NJ Devils Fan

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Oct 28, 2002
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Lynsey, it is not true that a large pleco can scratch an acrylic tank. I have about a 5" pleco in my 10g tank(I know it need to be in a bigger tank) and it it always on the sides of the tank and never causes a problem. The bottem of their mouths are soft.

I thunk you should get a clown pleco as Cichlid Woman said sinse you already have bristlenose plecos. The look very nice and will only get to be about 5"-6" or so.

HTH
 

mokmu

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Jan 10, 2002
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Yes, some pl*cs can scratch acrylic tanks. I have known Royal Panaques that have been known to do just that. Not really a nasty scratch but small scratches nonetheless. It is because pl*cs have rasping teeth. They are sort of used to scrape algae of rocks and tank walls, like using a less sharpened flint tool to scrape flesh off cucumbers and squash. They are not canines or incisors like most mammals & most fish. Again, pl*cs have different variations of teeth formation. That is probably why NJ's acrylic tanks are scratch free. The ability to scrape on acrylic maybe specie dependent. Take a look at their mouths the next time they suck on the glass. You shall see some formation. Looks like a different sort of flesh.

It has been said that they don't use their mouths for fighting with other pl*cs but have seen one (a 4" galaxias) clamp on his adversary's fin (a 7"common).
 

Lynsey

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I think the clown plecos are too small just like the bristlenose. I was thinking that I needed something around 7-9". However, I have been reading and maybe my bristlenose are not that apetizeing to my Oscar anyway. So they might be just fine. Hopefully.

When I was talking about plecos scratching acrylic tanks, was thinking more like the 12 inchers would scratch the tanks, not the little guys. I have read that the royals will scratch acrylic tanks, but I have not read any other species specific articles in regards to scratching acrylic.
 

mokmu

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Jan 10, 2002
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Dang!!! They still don't work. Well, try the hard way:

Go to planetcatfish.com > go to forums > go to reader's tanks > click on the L185 thread

Next Go to forum index > click on > South American Catfish Loricariidae > Click on the first page of the topic/thread on L133> Scroll down to the last pic.

Sorry again that the links would not work.
 

catjo

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Check out the L160-Pseudoacanthicus spinosus. Very spiny and uses those spines to ward off attackers. Wouldn't be very good to eat. Very tame. Mine is 8" and will eat dried krill from my hand. They get from 8-10" and can take pretty good care of themselves. Not the prettiest of plecs but still nice. It may be just what you are looking for. Best of luck!
 
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