# Plecos and Cichlids



## kdinkel (Jul 1, 2005)

*Do you have plecos in your cichlid tank?*​
Yes I do4174.55%No I don't1425.45%


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## kdinkel (Jul 1, 2005)

How many of you have plecos in your cichlid tanks?


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## Sierra255 (Jan 19, 2006)

When I first got my 55 gallon, it had two large common plecos in it. I very quickly got rid of one. Then, several months ago, I gave away the other one and got a bristlenose pleco instead. He's great and does an amazing job keeping the aquarium clean.


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## BlackShark11k (Feb 16, 2007)

I keep several plecos, some because they get rid of algae, and some because they look cool and get big(which i like  ). My biggest is a 17'' sailfin.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

I kept Common Plecos for years... even though I never felt they offered the advantages they were supposed to...

I later gave them up as they created a lot of waste and didn't help much...

Then I met a couple local guys who had weird looking plecos and gave them a shot. None of them lasted very long for various reasons.

For the last couple years I've not kept any but have recently been considering trying out a couple BNs again... until I read the post in this folder about Rubberlip plecos. Now I'm waiting for other peoples responses.

But it's nice to see I'm the only one who voted no... I like to be different...


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## 1800higgins (Apr 16, 2006)

Must be a Charlotte thing. I'm #2 to vote no. I don't like Plecos.


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## rockincichlid (Jul 27, 2007)

My cichlids eat plecos like they are feeders they go for the eyes then the bellys.


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## pk333 (Feb 22, 2007)

160 gallon tank.

7 Corydoras julii
9 Otocinclus vestitus
2 L110 Ancistrus sp. "orange spot"
1 Glyptoperichthys joselimaianus


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## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

Rubber lips and sailfins.


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## heylady (Oct 14, 2004)

I have a common pleco in with my oscar and a rhino pleco in with my blood parrot. I am really happy with both but especially the rhino....he seems able to tolerate my BP (who is extremely aggressive) and if I could find another I would put one in my 40g too.


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## justjenn (Apr 27, 2007)

I was given a 75g tank w/two plecos, 1 8in & 1 12in. It also had a yellow lab & a cobalt blue. While the plecos did keep all the alge gone, they also produced a lot of waste! I just traded them to my LFS for two blk convicts. I still have a 4in pleco in my non-cichlid tank, but when he gets to be too much of a bio-load on that tank he will move on also.


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## timstone (Jun 1, 2007)

plecos are the poor mans uv sterilizer


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## VampirePleco (Aug 29, 2007)

No one should ever buy Plecos for algae removal, I mean that is what Algae Scrapers are for! Plecos produce a lot of poop, so they may take of one mess but create another :wink:

People should only get Plecos because they actually like Plecos!


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## Alleycat (Dec 2, 2006)

At least a pair of Bushynose in every tank... they don't get big, they eat algae, and don't **** alot like the common ones do... and oh, their beauty is in the eye of the beholder.


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## canadiancichlidfan (Aug 24, 2007)

I have a 6 inch common pleco in my cichlid tank. He's not worth it with how much waste he makes.

The other fish that I have in the cichlid tank is a chinese algae eater who does a LOT better of a job cleaning the tank.


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## BlackShark11k (Feb 16, 2007)

VampirePleco said:


> No one should ever buy Plecos for algae removal, I mean that is what Algae Scrapers are for! Plecos produce a lot of poop, so they may take of one mess but create another :wink:
> 
> People should only get Plecos because they actually like Plecos!


Bushynoses do an amazong job of algae removal. I've never had to use my algae scrapers in my tanks with bushynose!


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## chapman76 (Jun 30, 2004)

I've got various types of bristlenose (regular, albino, calico, long fin) and a para pleco. A long fin bristlenose is a gorgeous fish. I keep my long fin ones in my fry tanks. That way they get to keep their long beautiful fins. Little 1/2" fish seem to leave a 6-8" fish alone pretty well.


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## punk_123 (Sep 4, 2007)

my cichlids always try to eat plecos.... so i kind of gave up


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## BlackShark11k (Feb 16, 2007)

punk_123 said:


> my cichlids always try to eat plecos.... so i kind of gave up


Heh, my plecos kinda eat cichlids...or at least their big enough to pick off the smaller of my CA/SA and even Africans :lol:


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## Cich of it all (Mar 29, 2007)

VampirePleco said:


> No one should ever buy Plecos for algae removal, I mean that is what Algae Scrapers are for! Plecos produce a lot of poop, so they may take of one mess but create another :wink:
> 
> People should only get Plecos because they actually like Plecos!


I actually like plecos, that's why I keep them. Wht do I like them? Because they do a great job of keeping algae under control. I probably would have none if they didn't eat the algae. The mess they produce (poop) is easily sucked up by my filters. The mess they take care of (algae) can otherwise only be removed by scraping. That may not be a problem for someone that keeps one or two tanks, but I have 8 tanks, and I'd rather spend the time watching the fish.
Another factor is that sand can easily scratch glass when scraping, so the less I scrape, the less likely I am to have a scratched tank.


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## cjenki20 (Jul 31, 2007)

I used to have a pleco in a previous tank but had a problem when the tank had to be broken down and fish sold/given away. Nobody wanted the pleco because of its size, 10''+ Finally found a LFS that would take him. (Brand new store opening, guess they were trying to build a good relationship)

So, when I set up the tank again after a couple of years being in storage, I didn't add a pleco and went in search of another algae eater that would stand up to living in an Mbuna tank. Guess what? nothing that eats algae from glass walls stands much of a chance of surviving (unhurt) in that kind of tank except plecos. Talked to all the local LFS stores I could get a hold of and found one that will *buy* back the pleco as it gets larger. He said the he has quite a few commercial tanks that he sets up and maintains that are always looking for larger plecos to add to their tanks as they have hard time getting them. So I bought the pleco and he is happy as can be, he gets chased away from the breeding sites in the tank but otherwise is very happy.

Oh as as for the scraping thing. Pain in the rear trying to do that when you have alot of decoration/rocks/plants in a tank.

Advantage-- they work great and save a bit of hassle, and they are inexpensive at least the common ones are.
Disadvantage-- can be difficult to pass on when they start to get too big for your tank.

CJ


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## star rider (Mar 20, 2006)

I keep BN's in many of my tanks. the albino's are my favorites.

I think you need to keep in mind which cichlids you keep.

I keep mostly Discus and Angels with a Bolivian ram thrown in here and there.

The bn's are good tank mates in these tanks.

the BN's are odd looking and I like them ...I love the bristles on the males.

the extra benefit is that they do keep the glass clean.


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