Smallest Pleco

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M

mtnkngxt

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 6, 2007
98
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0
Hampton, VA
I am looking for get some small unique Pleco's for my tanks. The catch is that my largest tank for awhile will be my 75. I also have a 64,30, and a 16.

I would like to start the babies out in the 16 and move them up as they grow. Once I have 2 large enough for my 75 I will trade 1 in for more babies for the 16 and procede so on until I have a good cycle going. I am not looking to make a profit, but obtain some other fish that I have my eye on without spending to much money, and providing people with some of the more rare plecos. I understand that these guys require lots of maintaining and care. I also know they are not just algea eaters, and that some prefer wood, and even meat. I'm looking for the smaller species that do well in community tanks. I had looked at gold nuggets but after searching, I found that most of the people on here and at Aquaria do not believe they last long, because of the keeper's inability to replicate their neccessary diets.

Sorry for the long post, just trying to cross my t's and dot my i's.
 
Exotic pleco's don't grow fast. Most of them don't get very big. The kind that get large, and would only be 2 to a 75 gallon tank, and grow that big within a couple years, would be commons. Most of your other large plecos grow extremely slow. Commons (which will include gibbiceps, joselimaianus, and hypostomus) will generally get you little to nothing compared to what you paid in the first place, and for feeding. I recommend that you look into either breeding, or a different fish.
 
Thanks for the response. I guess I'm interested in breeding them then. Can you give me any reccomendations on a species? I'm looking for something with a personality.
 
Then you have the wrong fish. Loricariids are not known for their personality, they are known for hiding. If you want to breed for profit, expect to sink thousands in to set it all up.
 
No you got the wrong idea. I merely want to breed for enjoyment. I'm not out to ruin my hobby by turning it into a business. I am merely looking for a species of pleco that I could breed and share with my friends and in return they share their stock with me. We have basically a miniature swap meet club. When one of us has fry we all have the option to get some before they are given to LFS or used as feeders or whatnot. We all would like to try different tank setups and species.

Please do not take this as a attempt to start breeding for profit. It is merely an attempt to further my abilities as a keeper.

I appreciate your attention WyldFya. I did not mean 'personality' as the way I stated it, rather the uniqueness or most interesting look or variations. I have been over on the one of the Pleco forums, but appreciate and respect the opinions of the long time MFK members.
 
Well... theres hundreds to choose from. If your new to them though, one of the Ancistrus species might be a good starter to try breed.
 
I'd start with either an albino bristlenose, or standard bristlenose, as these are the easiest to breed. Later you might look at things like farlowellas and L010a red lizards loricarias.
 
Ok thanks I know my LFS carries bristlenose, and that is where I shall start. I appreciate both of your advice, and sorry if it seemed at first that I was intending to do this for profit.

Davo is that a Zebra in your Avatar?
 
Davo's avatar is of an L260 Hypancistrus species, commonly known as Queen arabesque. The common zebra pleco is labeled L046, however there are other L#s, and is identified as Hypancistrus zebra.
 
Ok thanks alot for the info. I have alot of reading up to do over the next few days. Once again thanks for all of your help guys.
 
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