Pleco Help?

Question

Do plecos(common plecos) ussually have a pointy spike on thier lower backside?

WHAT KIND OF WOOD DO I ADD TO THE TANK?

Answer 1

Keep in mind a common pleco could be any number of pleco species. It's not uncommon for pleco to have spines in any number of places. Commonly along their fins.

As far as wood it's not required for pleco that get enough roughage. Also not all pleco munch on it. What you want is drift wood. A good fish store will stock, and you can buy it on line. If you are collecting in nature be sure to boil it for about 5-6 hours. (More to remove the tanin than anything else.)

Answer 2

It is called the anal fin and all fish have it. In livebearers, the male's fin is pointed, the female's fin is rounded.

In plecos, it could appear to be pointed, but it is not a way to determine sex.

Sex is usually determined in plecos by looking at the face. The male's face is angled down more sharply than the female. Hers slopes gently down to her nose.

In the bushynosed (B.N.) plecos (bristlenose pleco) the male has numerous spikes around the face and on his nose (hence the name) that the female does not have. These B.N. plecos are more sought after than the standard or common pleco because they do not grow to more than 5-6 inches while the standards will reach 24 inches and up as adults.

All plecos like a piece of wood in their tank, they actually chew on it to get roughage into their digestive systems. It helps them digest their food and keeps them healthy.

Answer 3

I love the term "common pleco" - this means which ever the fish supplier had extra. I bet it is the Trinidad though. The spines are fine. I would add driftwood from a petstore. You can collect it from a lakeshore or riverbank, but be sure to boil it 20 min and let it cool back to room temp getting it in nature you risk parasites and diseases.

Answer 4

depeneds what kind of pleco you have