Pleco Advice...

[rodandalisonthompson]

Im quite new to fishkeeping but I have fallen in love.......

I have a Rio 125l tank with 2 shark cats, 2 neon dwarf blue rainbows, 2 congo tetras, 2 glass cats and a gold nugget pleco. I love the gold nugget pleco - i could watch him all day!

I would really like to keep some bristlenose pleco and some zebra plecos but i think im safe to say that my current tank would not be a good idea.

So....im thinking of buying and setting up a plec tank for 2 x bristlenose and 2 x zebra. I would like to see if eventually some breeding would happen.
What size tank should I go for? Im thinking of something around the 70l mark? Is this a good combination?
Is my gold nugget plec ok to leave where it is or should it go in the plec tank?

I would love to have the bottom of the plec tank carpeted in plants....how do I go about this and is it practical.



On another issue - i can never see the glass cats they keep hiding! Should I add a couple more?

 

[LisaLQ]

Depending on what species your gold nugget is, you may need to upgrade your tank, as some can reach 14-16".

I'd think you'd need bigger than a 70l for four plecs, but to be honest, in order to breed zebras, you're going to need more than just one male and one female. Might be worth reading into zebra breeding before you make any decisions, considering they can cost up to £200 each too

 

[KathyM]

On the plus side, Gold Nuggets are very slow growing apparently, so you'll have plenty of time depending on how big he is now (I'm assuming he's a tidger as most are sold very small).

I do agree with Lisa though that 70l is too small for the 4 you want, and that Zebras are better off in groups. I know there is a Zebra plec forum out there somewhere where you could get some advice on the best possible setup for them if you're wanting to make that commitment. If you haven't bred plecs before, I've read Bristlenoses are the best to start with too.

Best of luck with your plans!

 

[dwarfgourami]

If you haven't bred plecs before, I've read Bristlenoses are the best to start with too.

I'll second that. And you only need to get a pair, instead of a whole group. They do al the work themselves, all you need to provide is a suitable cave or two, plenty of good food and enough grow-out space for the little ones. I've got baby bristlies in every tank by now, except for my species tank.