Plecos in Ponds?

[drobbins27]

My LFS told me that I oculd put a common pleco in my pond, and he would be fine...is this true? seems kinda risky, plus I live in Canada and the water freezes over during the winter

 

[Dragonslair]

The simple answer is NO.
These are tropical fish, so I suppose in summer when the water is constantly warm you could, but the cold will kill them. If you want a pond fish that looks good why not go for a sterlet or sturgeon.

 

[Aquariamystic]

I know plecos cant stand freezing water so I would think thats a negative now if you lived down in the Southern Usa and had a pond where they couldnt excape i would say go for it.

 

[ryan]

As dragon says-NO. There are some Plecs sold as coldwater fish (mainly Gibbiceps) these can live in indoor tanks kept at room temperature. In a pond it would be way to cold and the fish would perish in winter.

 

[Tropjunky]

well no and yes if u have a heater to keep the temp right then yes if not then no

anyways its not suck a good idea

 

[tsr770]

When I was young, we had a goldfish pond that we drained every winter and kept the fish in a horse trough in our basement, we took in a pleco from a guy who had it (12") in a 20 gallon tank. Well Mr. Pleco went on to live in our pond during the summer/trough during the winter for about 5 years. Then one day I came home and looked out the back door at the pond, and there stood a Eggret in our pond which I promptly scared off.

After that the pleco was missing, along with a couple 8-10 inch fantail goldfish.


So yeah he could live in a outdoor pond, IF it was warm enough during the summer, and was brought in when it started to get cold out.


Ours did!

 

[Opcn]

A hill stream loach probably could. He was probably trying to sell you one as a pleco. I think a Rudd mightb an algea eater.

HTH

Opcn

 

[ryan]

I shouldn't think a Hillstream loach would be able to survive a Canadian winter. Rudd feed voraciously on insects, aquatic plants and other fish, competing with other species for food and damaging native fish habitat. I would only advise Golden Rudd as the larger silver species tends to destroy plant life and will try to eat small fish when large. They aren't know for algae eating but they may nible at some.

 

[Silly me]

A long time ago I dump all my fish in the out side duck dam ( we didn’t had any ducks at the time) , but here in South Africa, the water never freeze over winter, the pond water never get below 15degC in mid winter, and the pleco, would spawn in the side of the dam buy making hole in the side of the muddy walls, when we emptied the dam the angles and pleco's was the only survivors and that doesnt mean angles is cold water fish!!