The pond has a waterfall and a submersible pump running all the time so I don't envision the water freezing over. I am just wondering if anyone knows if the plecko fish can survive winter temperatures. We live in Pennsylvania, so it can get very cold in the winter. It is only in the 40s today. Any info anyone has is appreciated.
2007-11-08 02:10:33 · 6 answers · asked by Greg D 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
depending on the size of the pleco, and the type....
if it is a larger one of the regular brown kind it should be okay if your pond is at least 2 ft. deep. Normally I would take my tropical types of fish out of the pond over the winter and have them in a separate tank till spring, I live in Western NY it gets real cold and most of the ponds I see freeze through.
I have also seen winters with no snow here lately too though :P Plecos naturally live in water temps between 40-90degrees F.. hope this helps
2007-11-08 03:23:54 · answer #1 · answered by Kristin H 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know anything about sucker fish, but I can tell you my experience with gold fish. You can go to Tractor Supply or some other farm store and buy a cattle tank heater. It's thermostat only comes on when the water reaches 32 degrees to keep the water from freezing. You should also keep your filter running to aerate the water. If the water freezes in such a shallow pond the fish suffocate. Good luck.
2016-05-28 10:10:02 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it really is hard to tell because pleco is a general term for the plecostomus which there are many types and each requires different situations. it might be ok to leave him in there but what can it hurt to throw a $30 pond heater in the pond? sometimes you can loose your fish also over the winter due to temperatures. just depends what your fish are worth to you?if you got 2-3 little commets then dont worry
but if you got likea couple 12" koi or something i would want to protect them even through the winter
good luck with your problem hope nothing dies
2007-11-08 02:49:30 · answer #3 · answered by dshepprm125 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The water temp for a pleco should be 78 degrees. So I would suggest a heater to keep it close to that, maybe a couple degrees lower so the pleco won't be too cold, and the koi won't be too hot, which with the weather now I don't think they will be too hot.
I would put one in there to also try to keep the water from freezing....
2007-11-08 02:38:30 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Plecostomus fish are all from the Amazon Basin,bring the poor thing inside. 70 degrees F is about as cold as he should be. If you don't believe me go to some of the many websites that tell you what the requirements for Ansistrus species are.
2007-11-08 03:05:54 · answer #5 · answered by PeeTee 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We keep a pleco and a catfish in our Koi pond outside, and our temps drop below freezing in the winter here too. They will be fine as long as your pond is at least 30 inches deep. It can even freeze over on top, and it will not hurt them.
2007-11-08 02:18:10 · answer #6 · answered by stulisa42 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋