Clown plecos?

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komodo182

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 5, 2009
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New Brunswick, Canada
Hello everyone,
a local fish store around me just brought in some nice wild caught clown plecos.
They are about 3-4 inches and look beautiful. I was just wanted some clarification on a myth?
I have always heard that plecos will suck the slime coat off fish. I have several plecos in different tanks and have never seen it myself. The only reason I ask is I want to put the pleco in with my discus. I know the temperature is a little high for what the clown pleco is used to ( my tank is 86, I have read they can handle 74-84F, so I am guessing 2 degrees will not make a huge difference).

So in summary, do you think my discus would be safe from being sucked on if I added the clown pleco? Or is the myth really true?

Thanks
 
It's not true, even more for one such as a clown pleco. Keep him fed and give him some driftwood. They tend to hide alot.
 
If the people say 74 to 84 then I wouldn't go outside of that, to say it is only 2 degrees more does not make sense...84 is probably the maximum upper tolerance another 2 degrees totally blows through that.

It is like saying that a human can go without oxygen for a maximum of 5 mins without brain damage (I know this isn't the exact figure) and then saying "well another 30 seconds shouldn't hurt"
 
Just Toby;4873322; said:
If the people say 74 to 84 then I wouldn't go outside of that, to say it is only 2 degrees more does not make sense...84 is probably the maximum upper tolerance another 2 degrees totally blows through that.

It is like saying that a human can go without oxygen for a maximum of 5 mins without brain damage (I know this isn't the exact figure) and then saying "well another 30 seconds shouldn't hurt"
Click to expand...

I believe that would be comparing apples and oranges at least in my opinion. I would believe the temperatures suggested online if I saw more data from their experiments.

I will use an example here

I have read online that goldfish can handle 68-78F. We both know they can handle more or less if properly acclimated. The range we deal with on campus for goldfish is between 0C to over 45C (depending on the temperature they are originally acclimated with, according to Willmer et al., Figure 8.28 ( in case you want to look it up in a textbook) 0C-45C is roughly 32F to 113F.
My point being is I don't take these statements about temperatures too seriously off websites. They are ideal ranges and I believe they will vary by a bit. I mean, it does not even state what temperature the fish is initial acclimated to, therefore, the data cannot be taken too seriously.
I know goldfish is a crazy example to use since their thermal tolerance polygons are huge around 1220C^2! But my point gets explained using them.

Another more simple example is cardinal tetras. How many discus keepers have cardinals in their tanks? I do. The cardinal tetra has the same ideal temperatures as the clown pleco, yet they survive without issue (unless they get eaten)

Needless to say, this is something I am not too worried about and my prof agrees about that part (I double checked with him about the temperature issue before even posting on here), so I think I am safe on that end.

Thank you for the concern though
 
I dont think the temp is good that high. 82 max maybe 84 but that's pushing it.

They are Panaque so wood and veggies is a must and very little meaty foods. I would get both.

Ps. Plecos are not goldfish. Very bad comparison IMO.
 
Jackson;4874879; said:
I dont think the temp is good that high. 82 max maybe 84 but that's pushing it.

They are Panaque so wood and veggies is a must and very little meaty foods. I would get both.

Ps. Plecos are not goldfish. Very bad comparison IMO.
Click to expand...

Better than a human comparison. We can just stick with the cardinal example if you would like then. I do not have a thermal tolerance polygon for them though, but as a discus keeper that keeps cardinals in the tank with discus, I can assure you, the cards are fine.

If you want more of a bottom dweller example, I can use bullhead catfish ( a local fish). It survives in the saint john river which right now is under ice. However is thermal tolerance polygon is 1162C^2, very similar to that of a goldfish. Survival temps is from 0C-35C, roughly 32F-95F.(Willmer et al., Figure 8.28)

Now another issue, it does not look like a L104, more like this

http://www.scotcat.com/loricariidae/peckoltia_brevis3.htm

L205

This would worry me more for temps since I am seeing a 26C which is roughly 78F, big difference compared to 86F.
I am going to hold off until they get their colours back and I can get a decent pic to find out what it really is.
 
Please do us a favor, when the clowns start dieing off don't post why is it happening.

IMO, I don't even put plecos in any tank that is over 80
 
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