fish and UV?

Question

i have a 10 gal tank with a hatchling YBS turtle that gets along with fish very well and i recently got a UV lamp and i was wondering if i could put a pleco in the tank without the UV harming the pleco?

Answer 1

The UV will not be harmful to the fish, but almost all Plecos get far too big for a 10 gallon tank... At 1.5+ feet long, a Common Plecostomus needs at LEAST 55 gallons... Beware, too, the turtle will likely attack any fish eventually, so don't expect it to last long term...

Soop Nazi

EDIT: This is a UV heat lamp, not a UV sterilizer. The lamp will have no affect on bacteria or algae, it will just heat the turtle...

Answer 2

UV sterilisers can only be beneficial to your set up as they destroy free swimming parasites, nuisance algae and aid in keeping your water clearer. As for your turtle being friendly with your fish I can only see that as being very short term as when it gets bigger it will see it's tank mates as a quick and easy snack, especially in a ten gallon tank. UV sterilisers are not detrimental to fish so therefore it is not this that's the problem but I do feel the size of your tank would not accommodate a pleco for long.