"Elaine T" wrote in message
news
Dick wrote:
On Tue, 17 May 2005 17:39:54 -0300, Phatty wrote:


Hey everyone, I am having a problem. I few month back I put together
a new tank for my son with a spare 10g tank and filter I had lying
around. This is not my first fresh water tank but it is my first with
a sand bed. I have had 2 plecos come and go in it and I am wondering
if perhaps it is the sand. I know that reptiles can die from
impaction does this also happen with fish. The other fish in the tank
have been fine and shown no sign of problems. all water tests come
out fine with no ammonia or ntirates/nitrites. PH is around neutral
with my city water if I remember correctly

thanks for any info you all may have

Phatty



I tried Plecos in a 10 gallon tank and had the same disaster. I gave
up also and have to be content with those in my larger tanks. Strange
because I do keep 2 Clown Loaches and one Siamese Algae Eater in a 10
gallon tank.

Anyone able to keep Plecos in small tanks?

dick

Ancistrus spp. have done fine for me. I've never tried a common plec as
they grow as long as the tank!

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

It really depends on the variety of Pleco that you get. My Queen Arabesque
will grow to a max of 5 inches.....I've been challenged by my LFS to return
the Gold Nugget if he ever even considers outgrowing the tank....he is in a
30UK gall. Not sure what the Snowball Plec will grow to....

Really it would depend what joined the Pleco's in the 10 gall tank
IMHO....the problem maybe here rather than the plecos being in the tank
might be the bio-load of what was in there with them.....then a tank with
just Plecos might be a little boring to watch (sorry all plec lovers - and
I'm one of them). One of our favourite family games at the moment is "spot
the Plec" - if anyone spots one in the 50UKgall tanks we all get very
excited (how sad is that - lol)

The three plecs that we have all live with different substrate and I've not
actually noticed any difference - as long as they have good hiding places
they seem happy.
The Gold Nugget has pea gravel....the Queen Arabesque fine gravel...the
Snowball has coral sand (in with the Mbunas). So whatever it is I don't
think it is necessarily the substrate. That being said the substrate in all
the tanks gets a good stir up and vac at least once a week.

Gill