Plecos and Plants  - 09/02/06
Dear WetWebMedia, I have recently acquired two good sized dwarf Panaque a flash l204 and Panaque albomaculatus LDA31. I have two questions to ask firstly is frozen shrimp and meaty food like that correct? I have a large 450 ltr tank consisting of a rainbow school, also I keep a few doras, flag cats and some other l numbers as well as a greedy elephant nose. I'm worried the Panaques will not get to the food before everything else has got there, do you have any tips to get the food to them? And the second question is that do either fish pose a serious problem to a planted tank? My tank is mainly java fern and a good African tiger lotus specimen that I don't want to loose, also some Aponogeton plants.
< Go to planetcatfish.com. Try to identify your Plecos based on the info you have and what they look like. From their they will give lots of good info about what your Plecos eat and how to keep them. Many Plecos are nocturnal, so feed them just after you turn out the lights should make it easier for them to feed.-Chuck>
Best Regards and Thanks for any advice you can give.
Ben

Pleco Picking
Dear Sirs:
<Morning! Ryan with you>
       I am somewhat new to the hobby. <Welcome> I have a 55 gallon tank with mostly angels, and a few live plants which are doing great. <Awesome> I am starting to get some algae in the tank. I am planning on getting some Otocinclus, but would like to get a Pleco as well, one that will not get very large and will not uproot my plants. I have done some research and am still unsure what to get. I have been told that a bristle-nose would be a good choice for my needs, but I was hoping to find something with more color, like a clown or something like that. However, I do know that some Plecos do not eat very much algae, but have more of a diet for meat. I think I need a Pleco with a moderate diet for algae, since the Otocinclus can help out. Any information and advice would be much appreciated. Thanks so much.
                   Ben
<Ben, many aquarists have this problem.  All the great looking Plecos, such as the Zebra or Royal, are nocturnal.  They do eat algae, but in limited quantities.  If you are really after a great algae eater, I would get a few very small common Plecos.  When they grow to 6 inches or so, trade them back in to your LFS for more small ones.  I wouldn't recommend a bristle nose, they get too big for a 55 gallon as well.  If you're after a great looking Pleco, Zebras are stunning in a display- But don't expect too see him very often.  Also, you'll have to provide meaty foods for him to eat every few days or so-not to mention it's one of the few freshwater fish that you'll pay $50.00 or more for!  Good luck! Ryan>

Plec for an Oscar tank
Dear wealth of knowledge,
I have a 75g freshwater tank which is currently empty.  I am thinking about purchasing either 2 red Oscars or 1 red Oscar and 1 tiger Oscar.  My question for you guys is what my options for a "clean-up" Pleco are, keeping in mind tank size.
<I assume by "clean-up" you want something to eat algae, right?  This in mind, I'd suggest the royal Plecostomus, Panaque nigrolineatus http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/loricari/panaque/151_f.htm .  This is a pretty good grazing Plec, and should do a number on algae; will likely need to be supplemented with greens (like blanched zucchini, for one).  It'll also require driftwood, without a doubt.  And might be a bad choice for a Plexiglas tank, as they have teeth that'll wreak havoc on plexi, leaving scratches.>
I also wanted to know a little about freshwater (red tail) barracudas.  I have found it a little difficult to find info on them.  I am wondering about tank size, compatibility, and how prone it is to disease.  Thanks a lot!  Zack
<Do you happen to have a Latin name for this guy?  Right now, I'm inclined to think you mean "Acestrorhynchus falcatus".  Try looking this up on fishbase.org, and do a google search on this name to see what info you can get.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>