nathangoudie nathangoudie
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  • Posted on: 31/1/2018 4:51
Setting up tanks for Pleco #1
Hello,

I want to take a next step in the hobby and start keeping Pleco as I have found a supplier in my country with a variety of Plecos.

I myself got a big tank too to get ready (1,7m x 0,5 x 0.6). I have done some readings so I think my tank size is pretty good for most pleco.

Now my concern is setting up... apparently it will be a fast flowing tank and I have no idea how to set up such thing as I've been more experienced in slow moving fish.

The basic idea I have is having a very strong pump to pump water from a filter canister back into the tank. But then my questions are:
1. do I have to place the pipe that pumping water back into the tank (input) at the bottom of the tank or at the middle to replicate stream-like environment? Also what is the expected l/hour for pleco environment?

2. How do I get a huge amount of water out of the tank at the same time? the DIY over flow system I always use works well but it's only good if to get rid of surface waste. Should I expect a lot of waste for a pleco tank (I don't want to drill the tank btw)

3. Does it has to be boulders? Will normal rocks hurt my pleco? Do they need driftwood?

4. If I use fine sand as substrate, wouldn't the stream like environment blow the sand all over?

5. Will any plants survive in such environment? Will there be any dither fish in such environment?

Thanks
Fishlady Fishlady
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  • Posted on: 31/1/2018 11:01
Re: Setting up tanks for Pleco #2
A lot of the answers to your questions depend on which species of pleco you are intending to keep. There are thousands of different ones and their requirements vary quite a lot. Which ones are you thinking of?
nathangoudie nathangoudie
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  • Posted on: 31/1/2018 15:43
Re: Setting up tanks for Pleco #3
I'm thinking of Gold Nugget(L177) or Green Phantom(L200). Those are pretty big though so i guess my tank can house only like 2-4 of them?


Originally my favorite were zebra pleco but the price is crazily high so.... I'd rather get some more experience first.

Also if possible, If I am able to breed them it would be very nice too. Since there are no pleco breeders in my country yet.

Honestly I don't know yet but Gold nugget has my most attention. Butterfly (L169) is still pretty interesting.
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  • Posted on: 31/1/2018 16:08
Re: Setting up tanks for Pleco #4
OK. Typically for plecs you want a filter that turns the tank volume over around 8 times an hour. For increased flow in the tank itself use a powerhead or wavemaker lower down pushing water from one end of the tank to the other. Rounded rocks and pebbles are preferable as the fish can't damage themselves on them.

Gold Nuggets shouldn't be added too early - the tank needs to develop a good supply of algae as these fish are aufwuchs feeders and a lot die in their first few weeks in captivity from starvation. They can be very difficult to acclimatise to life in an aquarium. They are also aggressive to other bottom dwellers and extremely aggressive to other Gold Nuggets. There are very specific requirements for breeding them and it hasn't often been done.

Green Phantoms are also very territorial and can be hard to acclimatise if wild caught. They have been captive bred quite reliably.

I would choose one or the other and start with a small group to try and get both sexes if you're intending to breed them. They will be hard to sex as youngsters. Once they mature you may need to rehome some due to territorial issues.
nathangoudie nathangoudie
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  • Posted on: 31/1/2018 16:31
Re: Setting up tanks for Pleco #5
Wow didn't expect them to be that aggressive. So pleco are actually pairing fish like most cichlids?
Apart from gold nugget and phantoms, are there any specie that will do fine in a group?

For filtration
I was thinking about using a pump that can pump 5000l/hour to filtration. Not sure if it will create a good flow though.

I have drafted some filtration design... maybe it could work. The idea is:
- one end of the tank will have a glass panel or something to create a small chamber (probably onyl 10cm).
- The pump that pump water from the filter chamber (external) to the tank will be at the other end hopefully create a good flow (not sure if 5000l/h is good flow) which will hopefully flow all debris to the other end.
- The flow should be strong enough that when the flow hitting the other end glass, it will create a upward flow and push all debris up in the chamber and trapped in there instead of flowing back into the tank.
- Airstone could be added here to create more upward lift as well as oxygenate
- Overflow will be placed in this chamber and skim all debris float to the surface taking them to the filter chamber (external container)

===> not sure if it works. I think i will post my design for advise.
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  • Posted on: 31/1/2018 16:54
Re: Setting up tanks for Pleco #6
No they don't pair, but usually the fish available in shops are young and unsexable so you need a few if you want to be sure of getting both male and female.

5000 LPH sounds like plenty.
nathangoudie nathangoudie
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  • Posted on: 1/2/2018 4:59
Re: Setting up tanks for Pleco #7
Ah... but do they eat their own fries or eggs?

Also I've been doing some research and found some river tank really interesting and I want to try, but I will need more than 5000l/h then (Maybe 10000)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVYkougfDsI

Also my 1m7 is far too short for this one but still I can replicate something similar.

But then my main concern is does pleco prefer deep water or shallow water? It's easy to replicate such stream when the water is only about 30-40cm but 60cm might cause some problem.
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  • Posted on: 1/2/2018 10:18
Re: Setting up tanks for Pleco #8
That youtube tank is pretty noisy. You might find it hard to sleep with that sloshing noise in the house.

You might want to look at the electricity cost for running a pump like that 24/7.
Fishlady Fishlady
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  • Posted on: 1/2/2018 13:25
Re: Setting up tanks for Pleco #9
Quote:

nathangoudie wrote:
Ah... but do they eat their own fries or eggs?


The males of most of the cave spawning plecs, (Hypancistrus, Hemiancistrus, Baryancistrus, Ancistrus and many others) care for the eggs and fry in the cave until they're fully independent. When they're finally released by the male he takes little further interest in them, but neither parent is likely to eat them. First time breeding males do sometimes eat the eggs when picking them over to keep them clean and if he's spooked in any way when caring for eggs/fry he may eat them or kick them out of the cave early.

Quote:


But then my main concern is does pleco prefer deep water or shallow water? It's easy to replicate such stream when the water is only about 30-40cm but 60cm might cause some problem.


This again is species dependent - some live in deep water with little light and no plants, others in shallow streams so you'd need to check for the species you want to keep.
nathangoudie nathangoudie
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  • Posted on: 22/2/2018 4:22
Re: Setting up tanks for Pleco #10
The variety of species is crazy and I still haven't decide which tank to keep...

The tank is located in the living room for now so noise should be okay but electricity... yea.

I don't think I will go that big, maybe only 5000l/h is fine.

I really don't know how to get the current flowing distributed evenly for the whole height of the tank too.