# Help on plecos!!!



## Cartster21 (Jul 29, 2009)

I have a 45G tank with 6 cichlids currently in it. It has been up for close to two months and been going well until my pleco died. I took a water sample to find everything okay and decided it was a strange occurances. I bought a new pleco and everything was going well for close to two weeks when it died and took another water sample to find everything okay. I have no idea as to what is going on any suggestions?!


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

As suggested in your other thread the stocking is not best for this tank....the africans are more than likely killing your plecs.....there is a possibility they are starving tho.....do u feed your pleco at night or is their any algae readily available throughout the tank?


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## Cartster21 (Jul 29, 2009)

If the africans are killing the plecs how do i stop this? There is plenty of algae on the plants and i feed it once a night. Is there any other fish i could replace it with to clean that wouldnt be attacked?


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

Theres many people who arent successful at keepin Plecos with their africans and their is plenty that have great success....i being one of them....its relly hit or miss wether it will work out our not....the plecs need some good hiding spots to escape the aggressive cichlids.


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## Cartster21 (Jul 29, 2009)

So by adding more hiding places i can try again? If i fail again what would you suggest?


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

id suggest not adding anymore plecos......i find it sometimes better if you can find and older bigger pleco the put in there ....they tend to be able to hold their own a little better than younger smaller ones.


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## Cartster21 (Jul 29, 2009)

For a currently 45G tank how big would you suggest going?


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

well about what were the sizes uve had before?


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## Cartster21 (Jul 29, 2009)

my first was maybe two inches the second between 3 and 4


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

well the BN grow to about 6 in so id shoot for as big a BN as you can get......u may also want to try rearranging the tank decor before adding the pleco and keep the lights off for the day.....the rearanging will take all the focus off the pleco and more on the cichlids establishing new territories.


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## Cartster21 (Jul 29, 2009)

I will do exactly that  i cant tell you how hopeful you have been thank you so much ill let you know how it goes


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

anytime good luck.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Note that even a 12" pleco can be killed by mbuna. Especially if (a) the mbuna are adults and not fry, and (b) you've got an aggressive mix, and (c) they are in a small tank.

In that tank, I'd scrape the algae myself rather than adding plecos.


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## ladybugzcrunch (Jul 26, 2009)

My mbuna beat my pleco up badly so I took him back to the LFS. I will try a BN in my new species tank but not with my mixed mbuna, little killers! Mbuna like algae so it is not such a bad thing to have in the tank. Synodontis cat fish do good with mbuna if you need a clean up crew.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

If I really, REALLY wanted a BN in that tank I'd remove the johanni and zebras, and have 6 labs instead. That might work, but my lab fry tank killed a pleco that was 10X bigger than them.

I do have BN in my tanks, but I also lost quite a few in the process.

Those eyeballs that stick up are just so intriguing!


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## Cartster21 (Jul 29, 2009)

Haha no arguments there! The plecos are my favorite fish just so easy going like he has no problems.


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