Help Needed....what Pleco Shall I Get?

[lilmisshertz]

Hi there,
I am eventually going to get a pleco (or 2) for my 4" and 3" tank i will be getting.
The problem I'm having is that I can't decide what one to get.
I like the Para Pleco L075 and Tiger Pleco, The queen arabesque and the flash pleco, and many more!!
I would like a Pleco that isn't likely to always be in hiding, Instead I'd like them to be quite confident.
Size isnt really an issue although I would ideally like a smaller sized PLeco for my 3" tank as I dont
want to overcrowd my tanks (when i get them!) or to have 2 Large Plecos, only to have to upgrade the
tank when they get 12" long!! One 12" pleco is ok but i couldnt have one that size in my 3" as it wouldnt be
fair as you know So any suggestions?? Can anyone tell me what plecos they have and what their temperaments/behavior
is like so i can get an idea what their like. - I know every fish is different but its just to give me a rough idea!

 

[jayjay]

Have you looked through the pinned thread of 30 plec's under 8 inches? What are the dimensions of the two tanks? What sort of decoration will be in them? Are you prepared for the mess of a panaque?

 

[lilmisshertz]

Have you looked through the pinned thread of 30 plec's under 8 inches? What are the dimensions of the two tanks? What sort of decoration will be in them? Are you prepared for the mess of a panaque?

Ill try looking there.
dimensions of 4" tank: 49inches width, 45inches depth, 50inches height
Dimensions of 3" tank:37inches width, 41inches depth, 46inches height
I will be having hardy plants in, attached to a heavy rock! as i know their prone to uprooting the plants etc. bogwood will be in there and a cave or 2. with fine substrate.
I know they produce a lot of waste so i am investing in a good external filter! My partners had a plec befoe and has warned me of the mess!!! lol

 

[lilfishie]

Ill try looking there.
dimensions of 4" tank: 49inches width, 45inches depth, 50inches height
Dimensions of 3" tank:37inches width, 41inches depth, 46inches height
I will be having hardy plants in, attached to a heavy rock! as i know their prone to uprooting the plants etc. bogwood will be in there and a cave or 2. with fine substrate.
I know they produce a lot of waste so i am investing in a good external filter! My partners had a plec befoe and has warned me of the mess!!! lol

well if those measurements are in inches as you said then your tanks are 477.27 U.S. gallons & 302.09 U.S. gallons

but i think it should be cm's which would work out to be 28.34 U.S. gallons & 17.94 U.S. gallons which seems more likely to me

 

[Teelie]

I think you're right. I saw 4" and 3" and was thinking "Betta bowl" but it must be 4' and 3' as obviously the numbers to the right are bigger than that. Inches though are also off. 28.34 equals out to a 29g and 17.94 a 20g.

 

[Jake Jackson]

something that worked a whole lot for me was to check on the availibilty of plecos to you.

You'd hate to go through a lot of different ones and find the perfect one then realize they are rare in the trade, or they will cost $100. bucks plus shipping. Once u know what u have access to, then you'll be better satisfied when time comes to actually get the fish. Proilly be easier to get then too.

 

[lilmisshertz]

Oh your right!!! God Ive got the measurements so wrong! duhhh lol
Thanks for your advice, I'll be going to my lfs soon to see what plecos are available.
I was just wondering what personal preferances you lot have thats all....

 

[Jake Jackson]

Another thing to consider is the tankmates of the plec. If you're just going w/ an all plec tank then you'd be fine I think.

But cichlids can stress out some plecs, water conditions and all that good stuff needs to be factored in as well.

 

[lilmisshertz]

I'm not having cichlids so that shouldn't be a problem, Im researching more into it and seeing what fish are compatible first before I think about what fish I'm definately going to get. I have the nessessary test kits to test for PH,nitrite and nitrate, ammonia. I've also dechlorinated the water, and all that sort of thing