Most Plecos Are Fresh Water, Right?

[Ilya]

I'm planning on setting up my tank around plecos. Because I love them so much . Anyhow, I would like to set up a tank around an algae eating plec. Haven't chose which one. It's going to be a community tank. I need plants, bogwood, and fish. I'll also have a sand-ish substrate.

 

[Pimp]

tank size?

 

[Suicidal_AZN]

all plecos are fresh water!!!
they will not last in saltwater!!
so yes fresh water only

 

[Ilya]

tank size?

From what I've been told judging from my measurements, a 22 gallon. I'm only interested in one, possibly 2 plecos.

 

[Ilya]

That reminds me. I've seen some Plecos at a lake at the coast about 40 minutes from where I live. And I have fished there and caught many plecos. At that time I didn't know they were plecos, so I think I might go there again and bring one back. The largest I've seen them was about 4-5 inches. The most common would be 4-5 inches.

 

[andywg]

all plecos are fresh water!!!
they will not last in saltwater!!
so yes fresh water only

Actually, some plecos have been found thriving in brackish water environments in the wild.

From this post from nmonks:

A number of loricariid catfish do naturally inhabit slightly brackish water. They are not euryhaline in the sense of being tolerant of a wide range of salinities, but some are tolerant of low-end brackish. See, for example, this fact sheet from the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, reporting Hypostomus plecostomus from fresh AND brackish water. Admittedly, Florida isn't its natural habitat, but given that these fish are not migratory, they are presumably only found in appreciable numbers in places where they live and breed.

http/nis.gsmfc.org/nis_factsheet.php?toc_id=191

Here's another example, for Hypostomus ventromaculatus, which according to Fishbase is found primarily and most abundantly in the brackish end of rivers and not "deep in the Amazon". Presumably this species is adapted in some way to this environment.

http/filaman.ifm-geomar.de/Summary/Speci...ry.php?id=48185

 

[Pimp]

i think a 22 gal is too small

 

[stang1]

A 22G will be fine for a couple of the smaller Plecos that only grow to about 6". As long as regular maintenance is done, plenty of hiding places are created then there should be no problem.

 

[Straydum]

your tank limits the type of plecs you can get. common plecs are definately out. try pitbull or bns