What can I put in with my Plecostomus??

[gizmo]

Hi there, some of you will know that I have sadly just had my large Oscar put to sleep today, and now I have a problem with what can I put in with my 12" (30cm) spotty Pleco. I really don't want to get another Oscar, I used to keep them years ago and had to watch them fighting. 3 years ago I bought 4 different coloured Oscars and a Parrot Fish, after 2 years I had to give 2 Oscars to a friend as they started fighting, and then my Parrot fish and 1 Oscar got Popeye (treatment didn't save them). So now I give up after todays visit to vet.

I have a large pond of goldfish, and am thinking of bringing some of the fancy ones inside (after a period of adjustment) to live in my 5ft tank with Pete Pleco. I have been reading up on other messages in here and it seems that goldfish will tolerate warm conditions. Can someone tell me what temp is the highest they will survive. I have heard Plecos can stand cooler temps - is this so?

I would like to find a happy medium to keep both together and maybe even some other tropicals with them, or otherwise I'll have to find a new home for Pete.

Sorry this is so long winded, but thought it best to put down as many details as poss.

[evilknieval69]

hey gizmo, sorry to hear about your oscar.

firstly, im dont know anything about goldfish so i cant help you there!!!

second, other fish you could put in would be things like severums, jack dempseys, convicts, kribensis, jewels, heaps of different cichlids really!!!

or you could go for lots of small fish and have it has a HUGE community tank, ie, neons, dwarf cichlids, danios, angels, discus, corys etc. etc.

you could get another oscar but you dont seem keen on that idea i dont think

you could make a MEANLY planted tank consisting of mainly plants and a large school of small fish or something.

whateva you end up going with, good luck and im sure it will be nice

**EVIL**

:bounce:

[Tsarmina]

i'm not sure about goldfish in warm water, but i have seen a pleco in cold water (about 17*C).

[sharn]

plecos that size and plants dont often mix well from my experience, theyre too bulky to leave them intact but its worth a shot if youd like a planted tank.

dont feel down about going from 4 to 2 then to 1, oscars are notorious for fighting amongst themselves, especially when they hit the 20cm mark (puberty) and they also have the odd tiff also. popeye- from what i understand is bacterial and is commonly caused by water probs? if your waters fine it might just be 'one of those things'. dont beat yaself up bout em, and dont give up on them just cause youve had a run of bad luck (ive been having one lately too and it isnt nice at all)

anyway, onto other fish you could put with your pleco- rogans suggestion of JD's is good, they are some real stunning fish and can mix with a few other species ok (obviously fishs personality has to be taken into account). also green terrors are cool, havent seen much down my way but they dont normally mix to well with other fish.severums are nice big fish and are pretty placid for their size (can you tell i like my big fish lol)

you could turn it into a community with lots of really bright coloured fish, turn it into a african tank (plecos can adjust to them i think, not sure). you could turn it into a specifics tank ie amazon with all amazon fish and plants or maybe a slightly planted tank with a massive school of some sort of tetra, barb etc. they look really cool but you might want more variety. plecos arent too picky as long as theyve got stable conditions so youve got a good amount of fish you could chuck in there. im not sure about goldfish being in higher temps either sorry hehe

good luck with whatever you choose and have fun stocking your new tank!

[Jo1]

A well known nationwide aquarium company uses plecos in all their goldfish tanks. We have mainly bristlnoses with our goldfish but can think of a couple of tanks with large plecos and goldfish with temp set around 20. The plecos are fine and very large so have survived for years. Plants could be a problem but you could try acorus (jap rush) which is tough and you would have to put lead on the bottom otherwise there are some nice silk and plastic lants which would look fine.

[Tanksman]

I had a goldfish who survived my attempts to kill it (cycling) when I first set up my cold water tank. When I setup my first tropical tank he was just chucked in as the temp went up to above 25. He puffed a bit and looked a bit uncomfortable for a few days I guess but he was fine. He would still be there but I didn't like him eating all the small fish so he went to a pond. The best part was his snail destroying qualities.

I would keep away from Japanese rush.

[PETEYPLECO]

When i bought my 2" goldspot pleco ( also named petey ) i kept him in a small tank along with my goldfish and white clouds while I set up his new tank properly. The tank he was in at the shop contained gold fish and was about 18 degrees so there were no major temperature variances when I got him home but I still had him sit in the bag for about half an hour before actually placing him in the water. He lived in this tank for 5 months quite hapilly at this temp - but I would add he was not as active as he is now in his warmer home. Hes in his big tank now and kept at a steady 26 degrees along with neons, clown loaches, mollies and a geophagus. To answer your question I would say the goldfish and your pleco could live together at an agreeable temp but you would have to get both species temp range and see if there is a happy medium. Also check other water parameters such as PH etc.

[gizmo]

Oh wow confusion has set in, haha. Thanks for all your great ideas, problems is I had my wee brain set on goldfish, and now all this talk of community tanks, planting, etc has got me in a real muddle. I'm off to the fishy shop tomorrow to do some looking. I'm actually now favouring Sharn's idea of a tankfull of nasties (I do like fish that will grow to a good size and with a bit of character). Don't think I'll be able to have too many plants, cause Pete Pleco is a bit of a b.....

I can't wait to see what I decide, it'll all depend on what fishy's wag their tails at me I reckon. Will keep you posted

[gizmo]

I have new Babies. Went to the fish farm and as I said the first fishy that wagged it's tail at me would win. I walked thru the door and this georgeous wee golden beast was trying to get out of its tank to come home with me. He turns out to be a baby Giant Gourami and he's gonna grow as big as my darling Oscar. I bought him a couple of Angels for friends, but still want to get a couple more, maybe a Silver Shark. I think Pete Pleco has his nose out of joint now, I put some plants is and he's already ripped them up - he's a proper wee bu...., (definitely has to be a male) haha

[LYNDYLOO]

Hi Gizmo,

Hmmm, so you decided to go Tropical then, Good choice I gottta say, I've got a 4ft Tropical Community Tank, with lots of different Fishies in it, Golden Gourami's, Breeding Angels, etc, Just keep in mind if you wanting to get some Silver Sharks, they do grow rather large. Had a couple of these in my tank and they out grew may tank pretty quickly.

Hope you enjoy your new fishies. :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

Lynda

[Alan]

That sweet little beast that wagged it's tail at you willl turn into a monster.

At least 10 times the weight of your oscar I'd say.

So unless you have a monster tank, I'd suggest you take it back before you get too attached to it.

Find another smaller growing monster, and do some research on what you are looking at before you commit yourself to their ownership.

The giant goramy and the pacu imo should not be allowed to be sold to the general public, for the sake of the fish.

Alan 104

[Faran]

I have to agree with Alan on that one, gizmo. They're called Giant Gouramis for a reason, mate. Here's a little info that tells you the size they grow, and more inportantly; what size tank he'll need as an adult.

But if you're willing to take on the responsibility of caring for one of these gentle giants once you know what you're getting into GOOD ON YA!!! Always wanted one as they have p-e-r-s-o-n-a-l-i-T but couldn't house one.

Enjoy!

[Joze]

I have a giant gourami and she is good fun, however (be warned club members) moving her or treating the tank is a big job and something of a well thought out exercise. This one fish needs a 50 litre bin to hold her over, a knotless net capable of holding a 20kg fish anything smaller will collapse under the weight of large angry fish. Its a fish that I would not recommend to anyone who may have to move house - ever. Large tanks, good filtration, and excellent drainage facilities do help. Her tank is within the reach of the pool vaccum hose, it could not be any other way, the convenience of the pool pump cannot be ignored. They dont like being messed with and can get cranky, they also have a nasty bite if you arent quick enough separating food from fingers, mine adores chicken mince and will eat incredibly large amounts of this given half a chance. Fresh cook strait shrimp go down a treat and so does lettuce. I agree with Alan though, if you dont have the facilities dont get one.