What kinds of fish might eat a plecostomus?

Question

I have a lovely baby plecostomus that I'm introducing into a larger tank in a day or so, and I was wondering what some potential predators might be? I wonder because I'm also using this baby for a project displaying a food web. I haven't found too many tropical predators. I suppose I don't really know what to look for. Maybe you could help me? Remember they're warm-fresh water fish, so that rules out most sharks and giant gold fish.

In the tank (For now it's a cold water tank, but not tomarrow!) there is a Crappie, and a giant Gold Fish. When we put the heater in tomarrow it could get interesting. I'm not too worried about them though. They're pretty hardy fish.

>.< And no, I'm not trying to kill anything. I'm drawing the dangerous fish. I luf my pleco! So cute.

Answer 1

Nothing really targets a pleco in nature. Maybe a really small one might get eaten by a huge freshwater if the size diffrerence is too great.

Pelco are a kind of amour catfish and that means alot :), I know of some people having their smaller pelco killed (not eaten) by the nastier fishes like oscars, flower horns, peacock bass, etc. But even this fishes know well enough to leave a mature pelco alone.

Your Crappie, and a giant Gold Fish can't do anything to your pelco unless they can fit the pelco into their mouth. Even if that happens, the fish will probably choke on the armour of pelco and both will die. On the other hand you pelco might cause your goldfish some problem, pelco likes to suck on the slime of the goldfish and when the slime is gone from the golsfish, it will become prone to disease and infection if it gets a wound.

Answer 2

your Crappie will eat your baby pleco. Actually your pleco is both cold and warm water. They are found through out the Great lakes and rivers in north america and survive very well. (I catch them all the time when salmon and steehead fishing in Erie and they are LARGE) If you are wondering what else in the river systems that will eat baby pleco's, well just about everything. Bluegill, perch, walleye bass, pike musky crappie will all eat smaller fish.

In a tropical tank, oscars have been known to eat small plecos or anyother smaller fish. Cat fish as well if larger enough will eat a small pleco.

Answer 3

It would be more helpful if you said what is in the btank already, and then I could tell you if those particular fish would be a danger.

A fish will eat any fish that fits into it's mouth, as a general rule.

That said, not much will bother a pleco unless it is much bigger. I had a ghost knife that ate a small pleco, but he's pretty ruthless.

Answer 4

Most pleco have tough "armored" scales, and retractable spines. (This varies depending on the species.) Of course in practice a fish will eat anything that fits in it's mouth.

Note pleco and goldfish aren't good tank mates. A pleco needs temps in the 74-79F (68-82 for some species) range. A gold fish 65-68F range (never above 72F). Neither fish will thrive in each other's preferred range. Also pleco are omnivores. They will eat other fish that fit it their mouths, dead/dying fish, and are known to suck on goldfish.

Answer 5

The crappie should gobble it up real quick,and some angel fish would be one to watch out for.The large gold fish should not be a problem because it also is a bottom feeder.Just be wary of the large mouth type fish.Oscars also will eat em up.Why not put some medium sized snails into the tank instead of murdering a small pleco ?

Answer 6

Baby Plecostomus

Answer 7

that's kind of sad if you're trying to kill a baby pleco just for shcool. and i understand that it's school but isn't that kind of cruel?


oh ok just wanted to get that clear sorry :0D

Answer 8

Why are you putting a heater in a cold water aquaria?