To Clown Plec Or Not To Clown Plec, That Is The Question...........

[Ruskull]

So I was in my local Petco today picking up a couple of Otocinclus Catfish and I noticed they had a Clown Pleco for about $8 plus tax.  I was considering getting him to replace the Bristlenose in my son's 55 gallon South American mixed tank.  He has Angels, a Swordtail, various Tetras, a BN Pleco and Threelined Corries.  According to some quick web research apparently they only grow to about 4 inches long and they're very peaceful..........

Any opinions appreciated, thanks in advance.

 

[TallTree01]

Go for it.

 

[Ruskull]

Well that was easy............LOL
 
I'm mostly worried about the Angels & the Bolivian Rams.

 

[TallTree01]

Do they cause problems with the bristlenose?
If not, the clown pleco will be fine. 

 

[TwoTankAmin]

They come from different locations and have different dietary needs but they should be fine together. You really have a spread of SA fish- cory from Peru, most  common bn are bastards but definitely SA based, so are most angels. Tetras are an SA fish but many are now farmed. But the swordtails are not SA, the are Central American.
 
If you get the clown it will need wood in it's diet. Here is the Planetcat feeding blurb:

 
A wood-eating fish, the tank should be decorated with several different types of driftwood. These fish really like to have something to chew on and squash, cucumber, and other vegetables should be readily available to them (yams are a favourite). Supplement two to three times weekly with frozen foods.

 

[fluttermoth]

There's only one down side to clown plecs, IMO; they are even shyer than most!
 
I have one and very rarely saw him; once or twice a year at most, until he ended up 'retiring' (he is 15!) to the tank right next to my bed; I see him a bit more often now

 

[Ruskull]

That's guys, I'll probably pick him up this weekend.