Pleco for an african tank?

cvermeulen

cvermeulen

Sucking up knowledge
May 18, 2007
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Considering stocking options for my 200gal... I want to go with a colorful, active community, so cichlids are hard to beat, but I gotta have a pleco... what aquarium is complete without a pleco, or at least a big fat catfish who will gnaw on anything?

Anyways.. Will a large pleco be OK among nippy cichlids? I plan on having lots of cover in my tank, but I don't want the poor guy to have to spend his life in hiding.
 
Though there will be someone who will post to do so, I don't recommend it. Too often, you will end with a stressed and eventually dead pleco.
 
rbishop said:
Though there will be someone who will post to do so, I don't recommend it. Too often, you will end with a stressed and eventually dead pleco.
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I agree I have tried to keep plecos with Africans more than once and they have been out competed for food or have been eaten or stressed to death. Not a good choice, as stated synodontis make great tankmates for african cichlids.
 
Ok, thanks a lot for the advice guys... I've learned everything I can about building a tank and filtration system, but I haven't come up to speed on fish yet!! :P I do really enjoy plecos though; can anyone suggest a mix that will still have lots of color, personality, and activity, but not pick on the poor pleco? I'd also like to put a big snail in the tank... so if africans are that nippy, they might not wind up being my best choice!
 
Ive had an L018(gold nugget) with my mixed all male african tank and havnt had an problems. I have a huge peice of wood and plenty of caves. He's never had any nip marks on his sail/fins and I've never seen them mess with him. I drop a cucumber/zucchini half in once a week and he tears it up. He's been in the tank almost a year and a half.

I also have an L031(peppermint) that is mostly in my 29, but he's been in the 55 for a few days at a time with no problems.
 
i've had african cichlids for 6 or 7 years now. every time i tried to put a pleco in there, because like you, i wanted one, the africans attacked it with a vengance. i only tried common plecos though. if you want a pleco that bad, just beware that you may have a dead one or one that "disappears" within a week or two.
 
if you have to go with a pleco, why not go with some colorful south american cichlids. Firemouths, jack dempsies, green terrors, red snooks, even go species specific with angels or discus. All colorful species of cichlids. Umm if you decide to stay with the africans, might a suggest a school of petricola. they are so cool looking (syno petricola if you were wondering)

thats my two cents
 
Africans chiclids are hard water, plecos are soft. Look to the south americas chi if you want to go pleco. Even there, more agressive cichlids have been known to rip the eyes out of big plecs.
 
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