Pleco For Heavily Planted Aquarium...

[paw-paw]

HI!

I am deciding about which pleco to add for a very long time now...

I had the option to get my old one back but I was adviced not to take him because he will abrupt my plants which I do not want of course...

I have ottos already (5 will be) in juwel 240 aquarium (63 gallon us) but they aren't bottomfeeders, they like plants.
Would love to add something in the bottom that wouldn't be aggresive (I have guppies and glasscatfish) and not too shy (would love to see my fish, you know)...

Was thinking BN plec but than some say it will eat/harm the plants or abrupt them and others it doesn't...I have cabomba, cryptocorinas, and a lot of other plants which I currently don't know names for...

I don't want too big a plec because it can unintentionaly harm my plants..So what to add?

Oh, would like to keep something that looked similar to p. josemalinas (sorry, probably spelled wrong) - goldspoted pleco which I had but isn't suitable for planted tank. Like I have ottos but want something more plecis if you know what I mean

 

[aaronnorth]

BN is only option i think, keep him well fed and hope for the best, like you say, people have had different experiences with them, if you are a more planted person then stay away, if you prefer to have a few plants and are more devoted to fish, then get one.

cryptocorynes
anubias
java fern
mosses


They are strong plants, a.swords are targeted by plecs usually.

 

[paw-paw]

so just Bn than?
Well I like fish more, but want my aquarium to stay planted as well
I saw longfin Bn along with albino long fin Bn, they were all juvies. So...I have a question...I know that adult BN males have bristles on their noses and femaled don't or at leat not as prominent but..how could I tell gender in juvies?

Also do you think one would be lonely (I know biger plecs don't want their own company but bn do breed in tanks so they are less teritorial?)? Shoul get two?
If I decide to take two than...would it matter that one was albino and the other on normal?

THX

 

[connorsbala]

Ive got a plec in my relatively heavily planted tank. He does have a go at my amazon swords, but he doesnt harm the other plants eg crypts, tiger lotus etc but when he goes on a rampage he does knock them,, but doesnt uproot them!
My feedig regime is granules in the morning, then an algae wafer in the evening, say on monday. THne on tuesday i feed bloodwomr, as i have a caecilian worm in there, then one Wed it would be granules and a slice of cucumber, thursday Bloodworm...you get the drift! The plec eats the bloodworm too, so i suppose he gets well fed, hence doesnt harm the plants too much

 

[TwoTankAmin]

BN are pretty easy on plants with one exception- the finer leaved swords. The bn are not really eating the leaves but going after the algae on them, Unfortunately swords such as amazon have somewhat delicate leaves and the bn in rasping for the algae also rasps the leaves often leaving worn areas or holes.

As long as plants are well rooted the bn rooting around in the gravel should not uproot them, However, in higher light tanks with more delicate type foreground plants, these foreground plants can be uprooted by the bn.

Yes you can mix regs and albinos or reg fin and lf.

 

[Davo86]

Bulldog plecos should also be ok as should some of the Peckoltia sp. such as the leopard or clown provided they are kept well fed.