# Pleco



## darkfalz (May 7, 2006)

I'm thinking of taking home of the catfish from work. There's a bristlenose (ugly brute I must say) and another catfish which I think is a pleco, but I am no expert. It's about 3 inches long. It's fins are a bit tattered but it has managed to survive a long time in there.

Just a few questions, does it need a hidey place like a cave or something to hide under in the day as I run the lights for 8 hours or so a day. And is just one of them okay or are they social fish who need others of their kind?

Also can't say I have much algae in my tank, I assume I can just feed him wafers and things (which I am feeding them at work).

I'll quarantine him for two weeks while his fins heal and he adjusts to my water, will be be okay in a bare hospital tank with wafers to eat (it will be cycled and filtered and will get water changes every second day.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

They do need a cave, a hollow log, a PVC pipe, a flower pot or something to hide under. Give him a hunk of pipe in the QT and he'll be ok. I never heard of common plecoes being social. Most cichlid people keep them 1 to a tank. Be aware, that unlike bristle-noses, a lot of pleco species get huge.


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## Guest (Jan 10, 2008)

I suggest you try to ID the catfish/pleco before bringing it home. There are tons of pleco species and alot of them get pretty big, so it would be best to know what you are dealing with. Also, not all of them are algae eaters, so you really need to know what kinds of foods to feed them.

If you can take a picture of the un-ID'd one, a number of people here may be able to ID it.


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## darkfalz (May 7, 2006)

It's currently getting bashed by the one reminaing cichlid in the tank, I haven't had a chance to take them to the pet store yet. With no other cichlids to bash he's going for the catfish and tiger barbs. I can surely take a photo of him next week.


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## Guest (Jan 11, 2008)

Since its getting beat up, you could bring it home and take a pic and get it ID'd. I keep forgetting that you don't work at a pet store, but have a tank at work... That way, it will escape the bully cichlid and you can find out if it would be ok to keep or not.


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## darkfalz (May 7, 2006)

I could move him to the safer tank at work first, but I'm not sure about the substrate which is mostly broken coral, those are mostly livebearers. I know that some catfish don't like salt or high general hardness. He's pretty cute unlike the BN, would be a nice looking fish once the fins heal.


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## darkfalz (May 7, 2006)

I haven't IDd him yet, but I did already buy a hollow ceramic log for his homecoming. But I have a question about it - it's only got a hole in one end - will he be able to get out once he is in? Can they swim backwards?


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## Guest (Feb 1, 2008)

Yeah, they can scoot backwards. That's what mine does.


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## FishMatt (May 12, 2010)

Yes hiding places for sure it is a catfish.


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