Plecos and driftwood

[Hurley]

I just set up my 30 gallon to house 2 cichlids and not being smart I set up the rockwork before I rehoused the old fish. Well, I have since been able to catch the old fish minus one stubborn clown pleco. I am tempted to leave him in there. First off, will he be alright in a cichild tank? Second, because I have it set up with rocks I have no place for driftwood. I understand they need driftwood to survive but is there anything I can feed him to substitute driftwood or should I just find a small piece to stick in a cave for him to munch on? Thanks!

 

[oscar83]

first off IMO 30 gallons is a tad too small for a clown pleco. he would be much more comfortable in at least 55 gallons. secondly, yes, he will be fine with cichlids. clown plecos, being passive bottom feeders wont be bothered by cichlids. you definetly do need some driftwood in the tank. i cant think of anything you can really subsitute for that so you should put a piece in there for him somewhere.

 

[mduros]

He NEEDS driftwood. His survival depends on it. I have a clown pleco in my 29 gallon, maybe not ideal, but I think he'll be okay in there and won't stunt or anything. But as Oscar said, would probably be happier in a bigger tank. Just don't get another one, two in that tank would be too much.
Take care,
Mary.

 

[tai95]

He NEEDS driftwood. His survival depends on it. I have a clown pleco in my 29 gallon, maybe not ideal, but I think he'll be okay in there and won't stunt or anything. But as Oscar said, would probably be happier in a bigger tank. Just don't get another one, two in that tank would be too much.
Take care,
Mary.

You really think a 29 is to small for a clown pleco? The clown when full grown will be under 4", a 29 or 30gal would be fine for it. The only thing you'll have to worry about is water quality. The clown eats a lot of wood and they make a lot of waste. If you keep up with your water changes it will be fine. Just make sure you have driftwood and don't expect the clown to be an algae eating machine.

From planetcatfish: Suggested tankmates
Other loricariids, small cichlids and tetras. In a small tank (15-20 gallons) add a school of small tetras. Silver hatchet tetras were common in the Rio Tinaco. A larger tank can house a community of wood eating loricariids. Other loricariids caught side by side with P. maccus included: Hypostomus plecostomus, Hypostomus emarginatus (L 153), Hypostomus plecostomoides (L166), L092, Hypoptopoma, Otocinclus, Lamontichthys llanero, and Glyptopterichthys (L154). A tank with this many wood-eating loricariids requires heavy filtration and frequent large water changes.

If the pleco gurus over there say it will be fine in a 15gal tank a 30 will be plenty.

 

[DeRo316]

Just get a nice peice of driftwood and re-do the setup including some of the previous rocks. In a 30 gallon it wont be too hard, and its better than a dead pleco. I have a rock and driftwood setup and it works great for my cichlids and gold nugget.

 

[mduros]

You really think a 29 is to small for a clown pleco? The clown when full grown will be under 4", a 29 or 30gal would be fine for it.

No, just agreeing he'd be happier in bigger quarters, but I think he'll do fine in a 29. I thought they got as big as albino bristlenose, which I have two of in my 55 gallon. They're under a year old and my male is pushing the "maximum" size. But if the clowns do only get to be about 3.9" as planet catfish says then it should definitely do fine in the 29.
Take care,
Mary.

 

[Hurley]

I think he will be fine in the 30gallon. I have had him for about a year and he's just about fully grown. He has always had driftwood to munch on in the past so I will stick some behind the rocks so he can get to it but it won't be visiable from the front of the tank.