# Black Shark vs. Common Pleco



## LIVINGLIFE (Jan 15, 2009)

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this. I was wondering what would be the better bottom feeder for my tank. The Black Sharks which is somewhat like a cat that eats off the bottom and scavenges through the substrate to help clean left over food and also eats the algae. On the other side I have the poop machine Common Pleco that eats everything and does pretty much the same thing. What would you keep in your tank out of the 2 species? If you could please give some input. Thank you in advance. :-?


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

It might get moved to the 'General section' fyi.

Black sharks get huge and are extremely aggressive. And by huge I mean 24" and by aggressive I mean they have been known to kill adult jags and dovii cichlids. It's really a fish that shouldn't be in the hobby IMO.


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## etcbrown (Nov 10, 2007)

dwarfpike said:


> It might get moved to the 'General section' fyi.
> 
> Black sharks get huge and are extremely aggressive. And by huge I mean 24" and by aggressive I mean they have been known to kill adult jags and dovii cichlids. It's really a fish that shouldn't be in the hobby IMO.


I would be quite interested in seeing that. Not saying it has never happened just that I have never seen black sharks harm anything more aggressive than a peaceful cichlid (ie anglefish or discus). Also never seen one personally over about 10".


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## LIVINGLIFE (Jan 15, 2009)

etcbrown said:


> I would be quite interested in seeing that. Not saying it has never happened just that I have never seen black sharks harm anything more aggressive than a peaceful cichlid (ie anglefish or discus). Also never seen one personally over about 10".


I have 2 Black Sharks 1 is 11 inches and the other is 8 inches. They aren't aggresive toward any of the cichlids in my tank. I have had them for about a year and a half.


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## eric (Jan 1, 2002)

It really matters what you are keeping in the tank with the bottom feeder.


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## LIVINGLIFE (Jan 15, 2009)

1 Pundamilia Nyererei 
1 Strawberry Peacock 
1 Red Top Zebra 
2 Yellow Labs 
1 Ice Blue Cichlid 
1 Ruby Green Hap 
1 Blue Neon Peacock 
1 Maingano Johanni 
1 VC-10 Hap 
1 Albino Pindani 
1 Rock Kribensis 
1 Fenestratus Taiwan 
1 Lamp. Tretocephalus 
1 Burundi Frontosa 
3 Clown Loaches 
1 Convict 
1 Albino Convict 
1 Cobalt Blue Zebra 
2 Black Sharks 
1 Common Bichor 
1 Kigoma Frontosa 
3 Plecos

This is what I have in my 125 gal.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=12102

Now we all know fishbase isn't always accurate, but it lists 3ft. I personally have seen about an 18" in a public aquarium, using my forearm as a guide. And in the link, the one the guy is holding, assuming he's a shorter gentleman, is around 20-24".


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

G'day *LIVINGLIFE*,

Mate, just wondering who advised you that you could keep all those cichlids and other fish together? That looks like a, "but the guy at the LFS (Petsmart) said they would all be fine together" stock list. I have no idea how the african cichlids will all get on, and I've never been a fan of mixing cichlids from different continents, i.e the convicts are central american cichlids. The clown loaches, the bircher and plecos, will all grow very large. The plecos as you have noted are poo machines, and there are plenty of stories of clown loaches becoming a little nasty once they get big, and if a fish fits in the birchers mouth, it'll eat it at night.


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## trimac (Mar 27, 2003)

I strongly agree with Dwarfpike-We had one once was mellow til it reached a certain size-very nasty fish that suck off the scales of other fish-he got to around 18 inches along with a Varigated shark that we had to get rid of. BTW black sharks in the wild live with crocodiles and hippos-so I think one could easily dismantle a cichlid.


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## LIVINGLIFE (Jan 15, 2009)

I'am trying to rehome the 2 Sharks but have no takers yet. I'm running the add on craigslist-monterey bay listing. Any suggestions?


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## LIVINGLIFE (Jan 15, 2009)

dwarfpike said:


> http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=12102
> 
> Now we all know fishbase isn't always accurate, but it lists 3ft. I personally have seen about an 18" in a public aquarium, using my forearm as a guide. And in the link, the one the guy is holding, assuming he's a shorter gentleman, is around 20-24".


Thank you for your input. I made some calls and the LFS agreed to take them and give me credit. :thumb:


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

No problem. I know how fiesty a 4" red tailed shark can be, I shudder to imagine one at 18"!!! :lol:


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