Plecos and shrimp?

[madfox]

I'm looking at getting a new small species pleco for my Amazon tank, since we no longer have Bozo the Clown pleco. But I was also planning to have some shrimp in there. Do plecos leave shrimp alone? I know some of them like their meat, but I've read that most are not ACTIVE predators, so I guess they just eat what they stumble across? And if they are well fed enough, would that make them less likely to eat my shrimp, if they'd be inclined to to begin with?

Here are the ones I'm considering (but haven't made a choice on yet):
Queen Arabesque
King Tiger
Sultan
Leopard Frog

I'd love a Zebra, but, well, I haven't won the lottery yet!!

Thanks for any advice. And feel free to recommend other species, too! 4" or less range, please!

 

[philjackson1]

I have a group of longfin albino bristlenose with red cherry shrimp and they don't even pay attention to each other. The plecos swim right into them and they scurry away, and the shrimp will sometimes hitch a ride on a pleco without the pleco even knowing or caring. I don't know about the other plecos though.

 

[bazil323]

I've got 2 L387 plecos (little larger than you're looking for at a top of 4.7") with a few cherry shrimp. To the best of my knowledge, the plecos have not bothered the shrimp at all, but then again the shrimp stay mainly in my floating plants and floating fake baby hideout while my plecos stay in their caves almost all the time and barely coming out at night for feeding. I'd say the never venture more than 10 inches from their particular cave. They do tend to be more carnivorous, but like you said, they pretty much just eat whatever has stopped moving already.

I do have 2 baby bristlenoses in that tank as well, but they are both about 1" and are more herbivorous.

 

[jpappy789]

Baby shrimp might get in trouble. Adults should be fine.

 

[stezatois]

well it depends on the pleco im sure, my bns leave my shrimp alone. However the sailfin pleco happily enjoyed 2 bamboo shrimp.