Common Plecos

[dodge41ca]

hi , i have a couple pleco,s and im told they chew on driftwood . does it have to be any perticular wood species or can i use driftwood i find on the beach

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Common pleco's aren't wood eaters by nature, they don't really need it in their diets- algae and occasionally things like cooked prawns make much better foods for them . But there's no reason why you can't have wood in your tank- it makes very attractive decor to any tank and if you get any peices large enough, the plec will greatly enjoy hiding under them. I personally wouldn't take wood off the beach as there's no saying how old it is (it may not be mature enough, and still have sap in it for example) or what chemicals its come into contact with etc.

 

[LisaLQ]

I'd disagree somewhat and say nearly all plecs need wood in their diet - it's just some need it more than others, and some dont eat it at all (mainly the carnivores). But commons are omnivores and do sometimes eat wood as it's full of useful fibre. It's royals and other panaques who it is essential for, but omnis do benefit from it, and I'd have wood in every plec tank just in case they want it.

But to be honest - I dont know whether I'd go out and spend a fortune on bogwood considering their tank size, you'll be taking up valuable water space, which will lead to even dirtier water (which I'm assuming must be a big problem). Two commons are going to need around a 5-6ft x 18" x 18" tank minimum. That's well over 100g btw, so if you cant offer that - I'd think about returning them

 

[paul_219]

Well i odnt have a wood for my pleco i have plants and a rock in my tank.