Common Replacement..

[PaulEbs]

Hi,

I currently have an ever-growing common pleco, who will need re-homing in a matter of weeks.

I was just wondering what would be a good replacement?

My Tank is 40 UK gallons, and houses:

1 angelfish,
1 opaline gourami,
8 neons,
2 zebra loaches,
1 common pleco,
3 harlequinns,
5 red phantom tetra,
1 penguin tetra

I was thinking of maybe having a few panda cories, but didn't want to push the stocking levels too high as cories love to be in groups. Maybe a bristlenose or something that doesn't grow too large instead?

Any advice appreciated,

Paul.

 

[dwarfgourami]

I was thinking of maybe having a few panda cories, but didn't want to push the stocking levels too high as cories love to be in groups. Maybe a bristlenose or something that doesn't grow too large instead?

Any advice appreciated,

Paul.

Tbh I think that one bristlenose would produce more waste than a trio of panda corys. They are poo machines, those bristlies. If I were you, I think I'd up the numbers of penguins and harlequins and leave the bottom dwellers for the time being.

 

[PaulEbs]

The current penguin tetra is 8 years old, and his shoal have only recently started dieing from old age. I don't want to buy some small penguin tetra, because the current one I have will die and they havn't got the best temperement.

Don't get me wrong, I do like the penguin tetra, it's just not a shoal of choice, plus they grow much larger than loads of other options for shoaling fish.

The penguins were passed down to me from my dad, and the last one is really old, so I'm sure he'll cop it soon.

As for the harlequinns, they seem fine in their band of 3, plus they also grow quite large for a small fish. I was going to increase the number of harlequinns instead of the neons, and wish I had now, as 13 neons was soon 8.

I didn't realise bristlenose plecs created alot of waste, they seem so tiny compared to a common plec!

Cories won't be an option until me and my partner move house in October, as the current substrate is pea shingle [gravel], although I will be changing it to sand once we've moved.

Cheers for the reply, any other plecs you might be able to recommend?

 

[dwarfgourami]

Ah, that explains it about the tetra: obviously, there comes a time when you can't keep buying more to keep every singly surviving geriatric happy.

Afraid I can't advise about other plecs. But as long as your water stats are good, and your substrate is kept immaculate, I wouldn't have thought gravel (as long as it's smooth and not sharp) was such a total no-no for corys. My peppereds have been on it for over a year and seem perfectly happy, once I realised that I had to do twice-weekly water changes in hot weather.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yeah i've cory's on gravel and they're fine, just keep on top of your vaccing and you'll be reet. i'd definately get some ncie cory's in there

 

[PaulEbs]

Sweet, thanks for the words. I really like the look of panda cories..

..how many would you suggest I invested in? Do they eat the scraps like a plec would [I spose all bottom dwellers probably fancy a nibble on what the others don't eat]?

Are there any smaller plecs that are known not too boost the waste too much?

 

[demonmagus]

I think all plecs are messy lol

get 6+ cories (if you have space) as they love to be in groups

 

[LisaLQ]

Yup, cories are great little fish A word of warning about pandas though, they've got a reputation for being very fussy about their water, our three died within a few days of being here, and our water was spot on.

I like my metaes, they seem very hardy - and just as pretty. All I want now are some concolors and arcuatus, but my LFS dont stock them.

But I think if you're getting rid of a common, and are used to that amount of poo already, I dont see why a BN would be a problem? I doubt even at adult size they'd make the mess that a larger common would make. You'd be best to avoid species that eat bog wood (panaques and the like, not very clued up on them though to be fair), and therefore there's more waste.