I have my 3-4 in. pleco with my baby guppies in a 10 gallon tank--is the pleco going to be alright to stay in the tank with the baby guppies or will he kill them?
2007-05-28 06:20:36 · 8 answers · asked by Paso Fino horse lover 3 in Pets ➔ Fish
Thanks guys--I don't need to know what plecos eat or how they live--I've had fish for over 12 years and have had lots of different fish, but I've never put a pleco with babies before. I just wanted to make sure it was safe--I didn't think the pleco would eat them, but possibly just get so annoyed at them pecking at him that he would go after them.
2007-05-28 07:45:30 · update #1
The tank is small and the guppy fry may get eaten unwantedly due to their tiny size, even though the Pleco is a vege. He may think them as algea..isn't it ? Not worth the risk.
Nemo
2007-05-28 06:49:50 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Note that most pleco species are not an algae eaters. They are night feeding scavengers. Most like a lot of veggies in their diet, but they will eat anything that fit in it's mouth. (Of course guppy fry are rather quick.) If you throw in an algae wafer, zucchini slice, slice of broccoli stem, or the like before lights out a couple of times a week. He may be too full to bother with the fry. Also the guppy fry may like it as well. (Note pleco prefer their veggies soft so give him 2 days before giving up.) PS- Personally I'd root for the pleco as 50 guppy in a 15 gallon tank is too many. Maybe 8-10 adults , and the pleco.
2016-04-01 01:04:06 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You may want to keep the babies separated just in case.Although I think the parent guppies are more likely to eat the babies than the pleco , I wouldn't take the chance. Even if they are not on the menu they might get sucked up by mistake! Also , you might want to look into getting a bigger aquarium soon because your pleco will outgrow a 10 gallon. They can grow to be up to 12 in. in length.
2007-05-28 06:52:12 · answer #3 · answered by Julianna 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, your guppy fry would be safe, (P.S have you noticed the shape of the pleco's mouth? It isn't built to consume moving fish, it would be too clumsy to catch them with)
Plecos, when in their natural habitat, attach themselves the many leave litters at the bottom of the river and they practically suck all the nutrients they can from the dirt flowing below which sometimes include vegetation.It is a pathetic hunter, not exactly the best swimmer.
Your guppy babies would most definitely evade the pleco unless they literally swim into its mouth, then of course it would be surely devoured accidentally.
2007-05-28 07:37:36 · answer #4 · answered by Laurenzo O 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The Plecos are all twilight animals and are most active at this time. Kept in a well large well planted community aquarium with pieces of driftwood for scraping. A soft substrate is also beneficial as some like to burrow. A diet high in vegetable matter is essential to their health and can be supplemented with Romaine lettuce or boiled spinach. Too much animal matter in the diet can cause digestive problems. They generally leave small fish alone, but occasionally will eat any that present themselves to them. They are hardy and undemanding in the water parameters, but will do best in soft water with a temperature in the mid seventies. The pleco is very long lived and will make a fantastic addition to any tank.
2007-05-28 06:26:31 · answer #5 · answered by The Cerebral Assassin 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The pleco will not bother your baby guppies. Plecos are almost entirely vegetarian and wouldn't mistake a baby fish for algae any more than you would mistake a hambuger for a salad.
MM
2007-05-28 06:59:16 · answer #6 · answered by magicman116 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
They should be fine. #1, the pleco is nocturnal and #2, the fry are too small for him to see.
~ZTM
2007-05-28 07:33:08 · answer #7 · answered by ZooTycoonMaster 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They should be fine as plecostomus live almost entirely on vegetation.
2007-05-28 06:26:00 · answer #8 · answered by Peggy C 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋