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Safe Plecs for a Planted Tank

tubamanandy

Member
Joined
28 Feb 2013
Messages
362
Location
Thornton, Lancashire
I'm looking for a really nice Plec but I don't want it to ruin my planted tank :)

Whilst I love Gold Nugget & Zebra Plecs, I don't think they would be suitable.

Can anyone give me some pointers ?
 
Difficult one as some don't always behave if that's the word as you can expect. I have just read a write up in PFK of a superb planted aquarium one of the fish in it is a King tiger plec L66 said to be plant safe, you might want to look up Bob Meehan or Julian Dignall two experts on catfish .As they can be expensive and a bit of research is worthwhile
 
Hi all,
I've not kept these, but they are potentially very large, and difficult to keep long term.
I'm looking for a really nice Plec
It doesn't really matter what they look like, you are rarely going to see them in a planted tank, they are extremely nocturnal
one of the fish in it is a King tiger plec L66
I had <"L333"> & <"L129"> (Hypancistrus spp. like <"L46"> & <"L66">) for a number of years, and they didn't damage the plants. I also had an Ancistrus (<"L100">), and that ignored all the plants, other than an occasional graze on Echinodorus bleheri.

Your best option for a slightly more diurnal traditional plec might be either <"Ancistrus claro"> or <"Peckoltia compta">, but they aren't easy to find and are expensive.
Julian Dignall
If you have a look on <"PlanetCatfish"> (Julian Dignall is "Jools", and it is his web site) it is worth looking at Larry Waybright's posts ("Apistomaster") he is a very good fish breeder, planted tank keeper and plec breeder (his Peckoltia growing out in the photo).

125L1340003.jpg


They may not be quite what you are after, but <"Farlowella"> spp. work well. Have a look at <"Tom's Poco Pozo"> and <"5 foot biotopish"> on <"Apistogramma forums">.

cheers Darrel
 
I have 3 LDA001 or L169 (they are the same it seems) in my planted tank and they are lovely wood eating little beauties that don't appear to go near my plants at all.

http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=158

I put in some wood that I pre-drilled with a tunnel and they are often hanging out in that so even though they are mainly a nocturnal fish you can put the wood in a shady area that you can still view and you can always see them. Having said all that, once used to me and the tank, they are most often out and about in the early morning or evening before lights out chewing on courgette.

I also have Farlowella and while i haven't achieved breeding like Tom, they are great fun to watch. They often hang out on plants but have never seen any eating/plant abuse going on.
 
I have had plecs for ages and have found that as long as they have lots of other green alternatives they never touch my plants
 
I had ancistrus in my planted tanks. What drove me mad more then anything was the digging!
 
interesting thread! I'm being bugged by my other half, to move my gold nugget plec from the hospital tank; to my 20g planted...I'm very tempted, but i reckon it could also be a disaster.
 
When I had plec's and plants I used to spent every other day replanting stems that had either dug up by the plec's. They also damaged the plants whilst they vacuumed around, usually punching holes in broad leafed plants.
 
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