Plecs For Tiny Tanks

[MoonstruckMuse]

Alright, I had already posted this in the other catfish section, but asked about well... other cats, not plecs. I already say the "30 plecos under 8 inches" thread, but was wondering if someone could give me a bit more info?

I'm planning for college a little early, haha. I've always loved catfish of any kind, they're so amusing and beautiful. However, I've never tried for smaller ones - I've stuck to common plecs, pictus, a shovelnose, etc. No idea what the fishy world offers in terms of smaller cats.

My best bet for the tank I'm taking is a 7 gallon hex - decently planted, large piece of driftwood, sand substrate, well filtered. However, being a hex, its footprint is rather small - about a foot across. What could live there? I particularly like plecos, if there are any that suit that size. Actually, any bottom dwellers in general would be awesome. I can feed frozen & live foods on occasion, maybe about once every week, *possibly* more if I can talk my roomie into it...but I'd prefer nothing too messy, and no fish that depend solely on meats, like the zebra pleco. I'd also prefer something a bit more hardy, haha. I in no way neglect my fish, but it's always nice to have a fish that sticks with you through thick and thin, you know?

Corydoras pygmaeus, habrosus or hastatus were suggested, and dwarf synodontis petricolas as well. Seems like it'd be easier to have a solitary pleco though, then to have those guys in a shoal of 3 and not as happy as they could be.

 

[PufferFishRule]

i cant think of any small plec or cat that will fair well in a 7 hex...maybe a small whiptail or Otto would do...

 

[Chubbywubs]

If its cold water, then i have a similar hex tank (not really sure on its size) but i have a Butterfly Pleco in mine and its grown to about 2-3 inchs. Not sure if it will continue to grow or not but ill let you know.

Also have to fantailed butterfly moors, and a dot tetra and a zebra tetra fish in there two and they all seem to be doing fine.

 

[Egmel]

You could look at Parotocinclus species.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

You could look at Parotocinclus species.

that would be my suggestion, if you can get hold of one

 

[MoonstruckMuse]

They're adorable! Very cool cats, do they prefer to be kept in small groups like the otos?
I'll go pester my LFS, haha. ::crosses fingers::

And I was considering a sub-tropical tank, actually! Perhaps some white clouds and a hillstream loach, though... I'll have to fiddle around with it to get more aeration/movement.

 

[Egmel]

They're adorable! Very cool cats, do they prefer to be kept in small groups like the otos?
I'll go pester my LFS, haha. ::crosses fingers::

I have 2 gold spot dwarf plecs and as you may have noted in an earlier topic they are quite shy, I can't help but think they would be happier with more friends. However mine are mildly territorial so if you have a tank with a small footprint then you will need to make sure that each one has its own 'spot'! Mine get confused for an hour or so after I move the wood/rocks about in my 20G but they soon choose a new fave hidey hole, or leaf covered spot. Interestingly enough, they're almost always in sight, they never hide so much that I can't find them within a couple of seconds

And I was considering a sub-tropical tank, actually! Perhaps some white clouds and a hillstream loach, though... I'll have to fiddle around with it to get more aeration/movement.

I was looking at doing a similar set up a while ago but ended up being captured by the tropical bug instead. However if you can find a rhinogobius wui or two then they're meant to be cool (not a plec obviously!). I don't know if many plecs are cool water species, what temperature were you thinking of keeping the tank at?

 

[MoonstruckMuse]

To be quite honest, this is all speculation right now - if I actually settle on subtropical, I probably would shy away from plecs, just because I really have no idea what their bottom limit for temperature is. I guess I'd say aroun 76F for tropical, 68 for subtropical? I suppose I could try and keep it at 72 if I wanted both, but with a smaller tank, I'd be afraid of the temperature swinging right away if my heater ever failed/

Dwarf gold spot plecs are really adorable, hehe. Did yours ever start coming out a bit more? They sound like they've got great personalities.

And haha, I knew about those gobies and have been looking for them for years! Well, maybe not that many years, but at least the last 2. They sound like fascinating fish, but my LFS just shrugs his shoulders whenever I mention it. =( I'll keep at it, though, haha. If one comes in, I'm definitely doing subtropicals. xD

 

[-germ-]

Muse, i've got a sub-trop set up, i've been basing my hillstream temp on one of the may sets of conflicting info; which is 69-70 degrees.
Just wanted to advise you that if you are sure that you will be getting hillies then buy some rocks and get growing algae for them now, they'd love coming straight into a tank with well built up algae as is so rarely the case....

 

[MoonstruckMuse]

Alright, thanks Germ! I've stuck one of those betta minitanks outside with some dirty filter water and rocks, hopefully that'll work just fine. Great idea, a welcome home present is just what he needs. =)