how do you breed common plecos

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
I would go after putting them in a pond lined with mud. Keep a high water current. I have never heard of anyone breeding them in an aquarium. Go to the Plecofanatics breeding boards, and ask about sexing them. The males will proably be distinguishable by the larger odontodes, particularly those near the gills. I would guess sexual maturity would come at 12-14". If you do try to breed them make sure to keep them seperated, as they may become aggressive. Also this will avoid anyone else coming along and eating some caviar.
 
well unfortunately you are trying to breed one of the many types of plecos that spawn in mud, as apposed to cave spawners, it makes it much harder to do. if your just looking to breed plecos, try the bristlenose catfish, some of them are easier to breed. if not build a big wall of mud, proberly slightly acidic type mud and hope for the best. oddball and wyldfya has given some good advice
 
paul112 said:
So just out of interest, are the ones at the pet stores wild caught or bred some other way?
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Here in the states the common pleco's that you see in the lfs are breed by the hundreds at florida fish farms. They pet them in outdoor ponds and they tunnel into the bank and breed.They are mass produced and cheap.If your going to bother breeding plecos I would spawn one of the small rare types that you can sell.
 
I agree, it is not worth it for you, as no pet store will pay more than what they pay for getting them through a supplier, including shipping, and consider you can pick one up for $2 sometimes less. that means you might get $0.50 -$1.00. Not worth it.
 
To breed comon plecos you need about 5 adults 1-2'size and a large dirt pond at the end of summer empty the pond and sift the mud you should end up with a few hundred
 
so how does filtration work in a big mud hole? how big would the pond have to be ? I still have to research this alot, but at the moment , my fish are havin babies.....
 
well youd need a lot of filtration. you'll get a lot of fry aswell. to be honest, it wont really be worth it. as suggested before, try breeding some smaller cavespawners, you could try out with some sp. of bristlenose if you want. they are easy to tell sex, and easy to breed. you could just jump to a more exotic plec like L260 (my future project) or L200 (wyldfyas project). thats just my opinion
 
At the zoo in San Antonio Texas, there is a small stream that runs throughout.....it has concrete sides and bottom.....The common pleco has spawned there for years....i believe
 
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