# Can plecos survive in cold water?



## Albino_101

I have a 20 gallon tank, and the algae is out of control, but it is a cold water tank with no heater, so would a plecostomus be able to survive in the tank???


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## lohachata

yes...but not for long..maybe a day or so..that is if the temps are below 68 degrees..


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## Albino_101

well I need to get a thermometer in there then, I think the temp might be at least 70 as my room is warm from all the other tanks.


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## SGT Z

Before I knew any better, my pleco lived in a 15 gallon at room temperature for 4 years.

Now that I do know better, that is MUCH too small for a pleco.


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## hXcChic22

SGT Z said:


> Before I knew any better, my pleco lived in a 15 gallon at room temperature for 4 years.
> 
> Now that I do know better, that is MUCH too small for a pleco.


Actually, there are a LOT of plecos that stay fairly small, under 6 inches. For a 20 gallon that is not too bad, especially if there are not other bottom feeders or the tank is not overstocked.


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## DevinsFish

Bushy Nose Pleco. He will not get bigger than 4 inches and is the only Pleco that their main diet is actually algae. They look awesome too. If you have an intense algae bloom, that's what I would get.


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## Bettawhisperer

For an algae bloom you need something like Apple snails along with the plecos. And no plecos can not be kept in cold water. If you temp is 70 that would be ok. A 20 gal. tank is way to small for a common pleco. They grow to be two feet long if well cared for. Bristle nose plecos are better for a 20gal. They only get to an average of 5". I have a common pleco that is 13" long that goes into my Koi pond in the summer but I bring him in for the winter months then in the spring he goes back out.


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## Revolution1221

a common pleco is much more suited for colder temps as stated before not under 70 but a bristlenose should do alright but maybe concider it to only to be a temporary stay atleast until he is needed again. we actually for the first time got in some large bn today at work because the smalls always seem to be sick. they are at least 5 inches if not a little more and let me tell u it may not seem like very big but they are beasts and actually make a 20 look small we have 1 in a 20 high 1 in a 20 long and the other in a true 30 gallon. should be fine but if it grows to adult size in that tank it will acount for a good bit of your bioload capacity.


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## Albino_101

well I got a ton of baby albino bushynose plecos, so I am gonna try one of those, and if all else fails I might just give my hi fin banded chinese shark away and turn that tank into a tropical tank again.


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## Cam

Many of the Ancistrus species, or "bristle-nose" will work well in a tank that size, and they will work okay in pretty cool temperatures. I would say about 70 degrees would be about the minimum as far a keeping him happy.

Make sure you have proper care conditions, as well as proper hiding places, and a proper diet. My bristlenose can't get enough of his veggies and algae, he does a great job.


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## PostShawn

I have a large gold fish tank with a couple plecos in it. They do fine in there and have been fine for almost a year. The gold fish are starting to get big so they will probably go in a pond in the spring or summer. But so far my two plecos are just fine in around 67*-70* water. The plecos have about double their size since I got them almost a year ago so I think that's normal fish tank growth for them. 

I just have the tank with no heater in my house and I let the temperature get to whatever it's going to get. I have a heater on standby in case it gets too cold and I through a few ice cubes in there if it gets too hot and run a fan near it and I try to keep the AC on a little bit even if I'm not home. 

So my two plecos are just fine in gold fish temp waters. I don't know what to do to transfer them from warm to cold but I'd probably do it slowly if at all possible.


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## steelzuk

I bought a large tank once and there was a plec left in that. The woman was getting rid of the tank due to all the fish dying and she was not interested anymore. When I helped move the tank I noticed the water was freezing, checked the heater which was broke and It looked like it had been for a while. The woman said the Plec had been alone for a good 6 months or so!. He (or she) is getting along fine now in my community


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## charking

YES!! my old pleco, he was 15+ years old and up until 5 years ago he was a cold water pleco in a school!!! and he was easily 18 inches long!!


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## charking

PostShawn said:


> So my two plecos are just fine in gold fish temp waters. I don't know what to do to transfer them from warm to cold but I'd probably do it slowly if at all possible.


yes i introduced mine 1-2 degrees every 2 days  and he did fine, ate well etc


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## Bettawhisperer

Depends on what you are considering cold. I would say no lower then 60 for a short amount of time. I bring mine in from the pond in the winter.


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## toddnbecka

I have several unheated tanks in the basement, winter water temp is usually arouind 68 in those. I have so many BN that I have to distribute them among all the available tanks for growout. I haven't seen any difference in growth rate between the warmer and cooler tanks, either the BN or the cutteri cichlids that most folks wouldn't even think of keeping that cool.


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