I had two pleco, one was a clown pleco, the other a royal tiger pleco. They were both rather small, I know they are both meat eating dwarf species. Rencently the royal tiger pleco was heading into the territory of the clown pleco and they started to fight. Then I noticed the tiger pleco wasn't around anymore for a few day. He was bold and didn't really hide much so it was unusual. I looked under his driftwood and he was dead!!! Kind of decomposed. Could it be that the clown pleco killed him? If not, I don't know what the heck is going on because also one of my tetras showed up with an eye missing a couple of days ago.
dead pleco.
- Thread starter goozy
- Start date
my tank
It's 37 gallons
Ammonia 0, ph 7.4, nitrite 0, nitrate 0. emporer 400 filter. temp. 78
Plently of caves and hiding places. Inhabitants are various tetras, two male kribbies and an apple snail the size of a baseball. And of course one clown pleco.
It's 37 gallons
Ammonia 0, ph 7.4, nitrite 0, nitrate 0. emporer 400 filter. temp. 78
Plently of caves and hiding places. Inhabitants are various tetras, two male kribbies and an apple snail the size of a baseball. And of course one clown pleco.
Im sorry about your pleco I had one of mine die about 2 days ago I would guess the othe pleco killed him I had 2 common plecos which arent carnivourous but the one I got from timmain on this forum ended up killing my other one it left hime with pink flesh in spots and he turned all white where he scrapped of if upper layer of skin. Now Im down to 2 I had three but seperated one from the others they would gang up on him but I guess they just need someone to mess with. I dont think anything else killed your pleco though but your pleco.
I asked the guy at the shop where I got the clown pleco if it's possible that one would kill the other and he said yes, they are very territorial. The clown pleco is only about three inches long and the king tiger pleco was only about two inches. Before I found his body under the driftwood I notice a very large amount of poop in the area where he died. I thought it was really wierd but now I think that it must have been from him when he was dying. Poor little guy.
one of my friends who is not on AC has only 1 common pleco in a 10g. it is about 12 years old and about 9" his back is hard and he will not grow anymore. he eats only tubifex worms and other fish. noe day i saw him sucking on the side of a oranda goldfish. a few days later there was a dead oranda golfish in the tank. not that i dot mind this since i hate goldfish, but it was kinda weird seeing a common pleco eating this other fish when the pleco normally eats algae and left over food.
just thought everyone should hear about this weird pleco story.
just thought everyone should hear about this weird pleco story.
The only time a pleco will go after a live fish is if it has learned to eat the slime coating off. This happens when there isn't enough food in the tank to support the pleco. The reduction in slime coating opens the path for bacterial infections, which is what usually kills the fish, rather than the loss of it's slime coat.
They will eat any fish post-mortem. That's what scavengers do.
They will eat any fish post-mortem. That's what scavengers do.
I have 4 plecs together. An L200 (lemon spot pleco) a Gold Dot Bristlenose, a clown (which I suspect ifs female) and a 3-4 inch royal. I have not yet seen any territorial problems with any of them, and oddly enough the clown wouldn't be the one I'd worry about. I've had problems with aggressive bristlenose plecos, one of my others thouroughly beat my royal up.
Plecos do fight occassionally though, and their mouths are not the dangerous weapons. Most male plecos have spines in their cheek pouches, that when mature they use them as weapons, beating their heads together. I have an adult male bristle and when he puffs out his cheeks it looks like two miniature porcupines.
When you say king tiger, or royal tiger by any chance were his markings very similar to the clown? Or could teh clown have nmistaken them as similar? That would normally cause lots of problems. Plecos are most territorial with others that look like themselves. If the clown and the tiger looked similar the clown may have decided to end the competition.
--Mia
Plecos do fight occassionally though, and their mouths are not the dangerous weapons. Most male plecos have spines in their cheek pouches, that when mature they use them as weapons, beating their heads together. I have an adult male bristle and when he puffs out his cheeks it looks like two miniature porcupines.
When you say king tiger, or royal tiger by any chance were his markings very similar to the clown? Or could teh clown have nmistaken them as similar? That would normally cause lots of problems. Plecos are most territorial with others that look like themselves. If the clown and the tiger looked similar the clown may have decided to end the competition.
--Mia
