killer pleco

[kalev]

k this is a weird question i got a pleco awhile ago he's a sail fin and for some reason he has become a killer not sure if he's whats been killing my guppy babies all along but i know he killed at least one of the parents and a swordtail for some reason he runs at em and stuns them then starts sucking on em till he kills them has anyone seen or heard of this before and if so is there anyway to reform him?

 

[Ti.]

Plecos do turn killer.
I have read cases of them becomming killers.
Some guy had a tank of neons and a pleco.
Each day he would see the number of neons dissappear and could not explain it.
He just kept going to the shop and buying more.
Till one night he kept a low light and watched the tank.
Sure enough the pleco came out and devoured the neons resting at night.
My suggestion is to quarantine his butt and force change his diet.
Otherwise get a new one, they are cheap.

 

[Oddball]

Plecos can become nasty indeed, i once kept a pair of peckolita taparas, who soon turned territorial. They were fine until something got too close at which point they would attack and rasp their victims scales off, not nice.......

 

[StingrayKid]

Arn't Plecos Suckermouthed? How can they hurt them? Just a thought.....

 

[jlOisAhoTti]

Is it in a small tank because possibly he could be fighting for space.

 

[sushi]

I've got a 4" pleco, suposedly a Red spot but with my lfs I don't know. I know it grows to at least a foot long. I've seen the big version.
Is he likely to become vicious?
Is it due to hunger?
I don't wanna have to get rid of him. I love him so.

 

[superpenguin22]

Arn't Plecos Suckermouthed? How can they hurt them? Just a thought.....

they can suck hard and pull off scales

 

[FishDan]

Almost any fish will "turn killer". Even though "turn killer" is wrong. In nature all fish are killers, though most are simply opportunistic in that they will eat anything they can, be it vegetable amtter or smaller fish. Plecos are no exception, they are not above making a snack out of fish that will fit in it's mouth.

\Dan

 

[Michael Roth]

Just to add, some pleco's do have teeth.

Not my picture, Dr. Axlerod's.