# Gold Nugget



## cichlify (Sep 1, 2009)

I have a south american setup with a galaxy plec(L241) and a gold nugget(L18). I recently added the gold nugget and the galaxy wants nothing to do with him. I also have a 75 gal mixed malawi tank with hap moorii, l. caeruleus, and a couple p. acei. Would the cihlids pay any attention to him if I were to put him in there? I know they would possibly out compete him for food, but its either that or let my L241 f him up. Eventually I would like to design a tank around him, but that wouldnt be happening any time soon.


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.


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## cichlify (Sep 1, 2009)

you should work for a fortune cookie company! lol


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

A quick read of PlanetCatfish suggest that these two species should not be mixed, as males of both species are very territorial. And if your SA setup is the one in your tank section, I would suggest your 30 gallon tank is not a suitable sized tank for either species once they start to approach full adult size.

I'm not a fan of mixing SA fish of any types with African rift lake cichlids. Both species come from very different watery environments. A SA fish may survive in a rift lake setup, but it won't thrive. It's a case of doing what it has to, to live.


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

DeadFishFloating said:


> A quick read of PlanetCatfish suggest that these two species should not be mixed, as males of both species are very territorial. And if your SA setup is the one in your tank section, I would suggest your 30 gallon tank is not a suitable sized tank for either species once they start to approach full adult size.
> 
> I'm not a fan of mixing SA fish of any types with African rift lake cichlids. Both species come from very different watery environments. A SA fish may survive in a rift lake setup, but it won't thrive. It's a case of doing what it has to, to live.


Sure, SA fish will thrive with Africans if you take into account the needs of both species present, especially if these are captive bred fish (likely in the case of the L18 at least). Captive bred fish come from captive water. :lol: 
Move the goldnugget to the 75 if the cichlids leave him alone then he'll do fine, if they kill him, well he's dead. That's why I said nothing ventured, nothing gained. Besides, you were going to move him to the 75 gallon anyway weren't you?


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## cichlify (Sep 1, 2009)

Yea that makes sense. I was planning on putting him in a 45 that I have (not set up) when he gets a little larger. He's only 3 or maybe 3 and a half inches so I dont think tank size is a concern at the moment. and of course eventually I am going to break down my smaller tanks and set up another 75 gal amazon tank. It will just take time to implement my plan, but fortunatly the plecs i have grow insanely slow. I've kept the galaxy for about a year and hes grown a little over a half inch.

This was just a temporary solution I was thinking of until I can get my 45 set up.


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

> Move the goldnugget to the 75 if the cichlids leave him alone then he'll do fine, if they kill him, well he's dead.


That's a very poor attitude to have towards a pet fish, especially one as nice as a gold nugget pleco. Maybe we have different views on such fish, as a 3 inch gold nugget would cost the best part of AUS$1000. But that's never been a concern for me, I value all my fish, wether it's a $10 cichlid or a $150 pleco.

Now as for the statement about captive bread fish being used to your local water. Can you guarentee your captive bred fish were bred in your local water, and that the breeder did not alter the water to induce a succesfull spawning.

Many SA cichlids will live in slightly alkaline water, but they can not succesfully spawn in such water. Quite often the breeder has to mix in RO water to help bring the water down to a certain acidic level to obtain a succesfull spawn.

Or your captive bred fish could come from the pacific northwest where alot of areas have soft water, perfect for SA fish, but not so good for African cichlids. I'm sure right across the USA, different areas have different water conditions depending on the local water supply. You could even have different water values in the one city, depending where you live in the city. This is certainly the case in my city.

Like I said, there is a difference between surviving and thriving.


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

DeadFishFloating said:


> > Move the goldnugget to the 75 if the cichlids leave him alone then he'll do fine, if they kill him, well he's dead.
> 
> 
> Maybe we have different views on such fish, as a 3 inch gold nugget would cost the best part of AUS$1000. But that's never been a concern for me, I value all my fish, wether it's a $10 cichlid or a $150 pleco..


Apparently :lol: 
Yep, I've kept many a gold nugget pleco and I know exactly where they came from, water the same as my own relatively hard with a pH around 8, I got them locally. The only issue with them is that they eat wood, but in this case its a temporary solution.
Water conditions across my area are very stable because of the great lake drainage. Many SA fish do well in neutral to alkaline water, but unless you attempt it you'll never know which work and which don't. 
I remember how finicky my discus were 15 years ago, I fussed with them trying them at all different water values in different combinations to see what would work and what wouldn't. Today TR discus breed easily at my water values. Right now I'm having moderate success spawning Dicrossus at a neutral pH. The point is, if you don't try it you won't know what works. For you it may be out of the realm of possibility with these plecos because they're a $1000 fish, but here they range between $20-$50, well with in my experimental limit. Nothing ventured nothing gained. :thumb:


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

There have been countless stories of BN plecos getting killed in African tanks. Others haven't had problems. I don't risk the lives of my fish unnecessarily. Personally, I'd rehome the gold nugget if you don't have a suitable environment for it now where it will thrive and not risk being killed.


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## cichlify (Sep 1, 2009)

well i just added some more wood I had from before and made some more caves in the tank he's in already. They will be good in there long enough for me to set up a more perminent home. and hey....$100 for a 3 inch nug? write me a check baby!


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

The ridiculous prices for plecos down is becuase they are illegal to import. The only ones that come into the country are smuggled in from S.E. asia.


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## cichlify (Sep 1, 2009)

I've heard from my LFS guy that many of the fish smuglers use to be drug runners who would fly planes from columbia to the us with cocaine, but now its all about the fish! haha not sure on that one but it makes sense to me! the fish cowboys instead of the cocaine cowboys. lol


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

Well a 2 inch zebra would go for AUS$1400 down here.


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## cichlify (Sep 1, 2009)

daaang! my friend actually just bought 4 of them, not sure on what he paid but i know its no where close to that price! thats really intense to think about a 1400 dollar fish thats only 2 inches. you just blew me away my friend. lol


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