A Little info on Pleco's

Plecos are really cool fish. Some of them are strict herbivores while others are strict carnivores and then there are the omnivores. Some grow to be quite large while others don’t. Hopefully this will be of use when trying to identify a pleco you are looking into getting. Before we get started there is one thing I would like to point out. Even though a pleco is identified as a herbivore it has it’s omnivorous tendencies as well. If you have a dead fish in the tank it will eat it. If there is nothing else in the tank for a pleco to eat it will take a meal where it can find one. Just as with all animals a natural instinct of survival exists. Just one other helpful tidbit in general. Pleco's like other catfish have a very low tolerance to salt, so as far as a brackish tank I would have to say uh uh.

This is not a complete list of every kind out there but rather some of the more easily found in your LFS.

Common Pleco - Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus is the most readily available pleco and the one that most people don't know what they are getting into when they get one. By far the most effective of the pleco's in eating algae, but they also will have a field day with your live plants (especially if you have swords). The part most people don't know when they get one is just how big this sucker gets ( hehe, I made a funny). The common pleco can get between 1 to 2 feet in length. That's a big fish in anyone's book. This guy can handle just about any kind of water you put him in but he really prefers medium to soft water, temps can be anywhere from around 68 - 82 F, and a pH in the 6. - 7.5 ranges. There is a drawback to this guy besides the size issue. He's not the best choice if you have big flat sided fish such as silver dollars or discus'. They have been known to latch on to the side of the fish and make a meal of them. They are categorized as a herbivore but they are also scavengers are will eat a dead fish. I personally call them more of a omnivore. This means they are a bit like people, they will eat either veggies OR meat. Unlike myself they prefer the veggies.

Galaxy Pleco - Leoparacanthicus galaxias  is a rather large fish reaching about 1 foot in length. A striking fish with it’s dark grey skin, orange brown edges on the pectoral fins, and white spots. Omnivorous feeding habits and easy water requirements make this an easy fish to keep. They like plenty of hiding places including submerged root wood for it to gnaw on. This guy actually has sharp teeth and has been known to bite when handled, so you might want to take that into consideration. Like I said before, the water requirements are easy. pH in the 5.8 to 7.5 range, soft to hard water, and temps in the 74-82 F range. Since they are pretty much nocturnal I would suggest feeding right before you go to bed when you turn the lights off. These guys will pretty much eat what ever you give them, but if you really want to make them happy there is always prawn, snails, and of course who doesn't like the good ole blood worm. Now these guys do have a tendency to be somewhat territorial so choose tank mates carefully. South American cichlids would be a pretty good choice since they are from the same region and the cichlids are not un able to defend themselves.

         Bristle nose pleco - Ancistrus temminckii. Now this is an interesting looking little guy. He looks pretty much like most pleco's except it has a beard, and the beard in on the top of it's face. It is also one of the few species you can kinda sex. The males have more whiskers. ha ha. They don't get as big as a lot of them do. They only get from 5 to 8 inches, which makes them more suitable for for most aquariums. They absolutely love to eat algae and really don't attack you plants like the common pleco will. But then again they aren't as large either. They will also eat left over food on the bottom of the tank and anything that happens to die and lay on the bottom of the tank. Like most pleco's they are pretty much nocturnal but do venture out in the light which is nice because they are interesting to look at. They like the middle of the road for tank conditions. Temps from 70 to 80 degrees, pH 6 to 7, and medium water hardness. All around a nice fish to have.

Zebra Pleco - Hypancistrus zebra. This is one of the coolest looking pleco's (in my opinion) with their black and white zebra stripes. If you are looking for a pleco to eat algae, look somewhere else for this guy is a carnivore. Unlike most pleco's they don't like the average run of the mill water conditions and this makes it a bit harder to keep them. They still prefer the warmer waters being from Brazil, but they tend to do better in the more acidic water. I would suggest this to be a fish for the more experienced fish keeper and not one for a first aquarium.

Clown Pleco - Panacolus marcos. This guy is about as tough as a common pleco from my experience. I think they are a good looking pleco. Unlike the zebra pleco they are not marked enough to stand out for a showpiece fish but rather a nice compliment to the tank as a whole. Warm water around 80f and a mid range pH and this guy is comfy. One thing I would suggest is some nice driftwood for them to gnaw on and be ready for the large amount of poop they leave in the tank.