Plecos!
- Thread starter kimlynn
- Start date
No and no...some are omnivores but will not seek out other plecos or fish to eat as a staple diet.
Pleco's don't usually eat each other unless one dies. Some pleco's are quite capable of eating other fish. I once saw a large common pleco at the lfs trap a feeder goldfish against the front glass and rasp it away. Vampire pleco's are also occaisonally predatory critters from what I've read.
There is no blanket answer since "pleco" encompasses an awful lot of fish. Yes some carnivorous or omnivorous plecs will readily eat small fish and other live critters.
i beg to differ on that notion, i have two plecos in my tank and the bigger one took a dime size chunk out of the other one and i am still treatin him. Do not know what the circumstances where but it happened so just watch those darn plecos
As said- many different species and dietary habbit- I think most eat algae/veggies/and biofilm- but some are carnivores.
I think the usuall danger with Plecos is if they don't get enough food they may try eating the slime coat off each other or other fish.
Some species don't like other species and will fight. Bristlenose and Bulldog (aka rubber mouth/nose) Plecos are fairly safe small plecos that won't hurt other fish.
I think the usuall danger with Plecos is if they don't get enough food they may try eating the slime coat off each other or other fish.
Some species don't like other species and will fight. Bristlenose and Bulldog (aka rubber mouth/nose) Plecos are fairly safe small plecos that won't hurt other fish.
It totally depends on the fish. "Pleco" is a ridiculously vague term. It encompasses passive herbivores, aggressive omnivores, and everything in between. Some can get territorial, and will attack another that 'intrudes'. Some will not attack anything unless they are defending themselves from attack, and others will just let another fish eat them and not fight back. OP really, really, really needs to be more specific to get any useful advice.
I believe kim has 2 BN's (Ancistrus spp.) and a medusa (Ancistrus ranunculus)...so possibly she's asking specifically about her fish?
If so, male Ancistrus will quarrel and sometimes the outcomes are deadly. If theres more than one male you want to make sure they get their own space. Since its a large, 200 gallon tank I would make sure to provide plenty of cover and maybe feed in different spots to reduce encounters.
If so, male Ancistrus will quarrel and sometimes the outcomes are deadly. If theres more than one male you want to make sure they get their own space. Since its a large, 200 gallon tank I would make sure to provide plenty of cover and maybe feed in different spots to reduce encounters.
:iagree: If you have more than 1 male ancistrus, they will fight for dominance. If this is the case, make sure they have several good caves to claim. Put their food as close to the openings of their favorite caves as possible. This should preclude any problems.