Gold nugget pleco

[Slaphppy7]

That's a toughie - these manufacturers don't make it easy, but I'll try.

Thos BGs are very nice (and many times pricey), but for me personally, they're not worth the risk of trapping fish

 

[Ichthys]

Be sure every inch of that 3D BG edge is sealed to the tank, or it will happen again

…or keep it open so the plec can use it.

 

[Slaphppy7]

…or keep it open so the plec can use it.

That's a thought, but imagine the pleco poop-factory build-up that could accumulate back there...can't get a siphon in there to hoover it up

 

[Ichthys]

That's a thought, but imagine the pleco poop-factory build-up that could accumulate back there...can't get a siphon in there to hoover it up

Not as much as with a herbivorous plec, but yeah, could be quite a bit.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Here is how Planetcatfish.com describes the feeding habits of gold nugget:

These fish are grazers, but not in the sense that they eat only vegetation. They actually sift and chew at the film of organic matter on hard surfaces in search of higher protein foods. In the wild this would constitute mainly of algae and vegetable matter, but with a variety of foods from small insect larvae and crustaceans to other animals eggs. With this in mind, a largely vegetarian diet, cucumber and courgette appear on the accepted menu, with treats of frozen foods such as bloodworm and blackworm, along with frozen prawns. Algae and plants are avoided. Accepted food morsel size changes with age in all of these fish. Best results are obtained by offer these foods in a paste. The very long intestine of these fishes indicates a biology adapted to breaking down food high in vegetable content.

from https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=153

Plecos hide, it is what they do. And they love tight spaces. And while that background is lovely, the pleco would be a lot better off with real wood as opposed to fake. Also, they will grow to about 12 -13 inches TL (measured tip of nose to end of tail).

 

[Ichthys]

Sorry for calling it carnivorous. Most aggressively territorial plecs are. My bad.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Many of the plecos we keep are either omnivores or Aufwuks feeders. So most eat both meat and veggies. I have worked with a number of the Hypancistrus over the years. They are omnivores who like meat. But their kids need more veggies when young. So I tailor most of my food to contain both meat and veggies

Aufwuchs ( German "surface growth" or "overgrowth") is the collection of small animals and plants that adhere to open surfaces in aquatic environments, such as parts of rooted plants. In both marine and freshwater environments, algae – particularly green algae and diatoms – make up the dominant component of aufwuchs communities. Small crustaceans, rotifers, and protozoans are also commonly found in fresh water and the sea, but insect larvae, oligochaetes and tardigrades are peculiar to freshwater aufwuchs faunas.

Many aquatic animals feed extensively on aufwuchs

And I make as many mistakes as anybody and I hope when I do, I get corrected. It is how we all learn To get where I am today I had to make an awful lot of mistakes. I once had a boss who used to say, "I don't want employees who don't make mistakes. If you are not making mistakes now and then you are probably not working."