MaddieLynn

I'm planning to eventually have 4 fancy goldies in my 55g, but right now I only have one who is about 3" (counting the tail). Could I keep a pleco in there with them? I think a placo would love being brought home from the store and getting a lovely 55g home instead of something like a 10g...

Also, are all of the myths about plecos attacking goldies and sucking off the slime coat true? Yes, I'm sure the myths are about plecos and not CAE's.

Anyone ever done this sucessfully before?

rileyrk190

hmm i've never heard that myth with plecos, only chinese algae eaters. I know that my LFS has had a pleco with their goldfish for years and its HUGE.

gremlin

I have two sailfin plecos in my pond with my goldies. I have never had a problem with them attacking the goldies (or vice versa). I think the main thing is to make sure that ALL the fish are well fed and that they all have ample room to get away from each other if they want to. I also have a chinese algae eater in with them. I had three, but don't need that many in my pond, so I gave two of them to my sister for her pond. I haven't had any problems with any of my fish being aggressive to any other fish. The worst that I've seen is my new american flag fish chasing the mosquito fish away from a clump of moss.

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MaddieLynn

So, the 55g would be big enough for the pleco's entire life?

gremlin

It should be okay. They are not super active swimmers, so as long as you can keep up the water quality and provide at least two caves for him to hide in and still have room to swim around, he should be fine. What is the length and width of the 55 gallon? Remember that even though your fancy goldfish is only 3" long now, it could grow to be a foot long. A good way to tell if your tank will be big enough would be to get 5 rulers (one for the pleco and four for the goldies) and float them around in the tank. How crowded are they? can the move around without bumping into each other? Also, you will need to have at least double the normal filtration since goldies and plecos are both high waste producers.

That all said, I look forward to seeing pics!

MaddieLynn

The 55g is normal sized - 48" long by 12" deep by 18" high.

And I'm thinking I might not get the pleco after all. I don't have double normal filtration. I have a HOB rated for a 60g and also a powerhead that I can use if need be. I'm running a sponge filter in there right now to get it cycled for a betta.

gremlin

Only 12 inches front to back would be a bit of a tight turn for your fishies. I would almost reconsider the number of goldies, too. I haven't had any tanks inside for so long that I really don't know the dimensions of the different sizes. So - I am looking at a bird cage that is 24" x 12" x 12" and thinking - 2, maybe 3 fancy goldies and nothing else. Unless you wanted to get one of those big snails or maybe some cories. Something that would not add a whole lot to the bioload but would help to clean up the extra food.

Butterfly

Since Goldies are essentially cool water fish keep that in mind when adding other fish. Some Plecos don't like the cooler temps some do. Corys like it to stimulate spawning but I don't know about all the time. Just some thoughts to keep in mind
carol

Heather M

My brother kept a pleco with a rather large gold fish for the duration of its life. They never bothered each other. in fact, I think they were quite happy.

aquarist48

Good morning. Some great advice above. If you do decide to add the Pleco with the Goldfish, just have a back up plan to rehouse the Pleco should it not turn out for the best. Hope you share some pictures with us
Ken