In search of best way to clean pleco poop

I recently adopted two unwanted large common plecos. They are poop machines. I tried vacuuming yesterday & removed 20 gallons of water in the process. A turkey baster was better, but I’m in search of another way. Does anyone have some tips? Thanks.

 

Hi BobbyZee
Welcome to the forum.
Removing 20 gallons of water should never be considered a bad thing? You can remove 50% of the water every day or even on the same day after a few hours. The water has almost no bacteria living in it.

Have you tried a straight length of hose as a vacuum? Pull the big end off your vacuum and try that before you buy hose.

Small diameter hose will remove less water per minute.

A two foot length of hose on the end of the turkey baster may help stop getting your hands wet? In the salt water section of a good aquarium shop you may find a plastic turkey baster if that helps?

 

I am used to changing 60% of the water in my tanks once a week using a DIY system made from pvc pipe and hosing. I can’t vacuum with this setup. The 20 gallons removed by vacuuming had to be carried in buckets and tossed over the back deck. I don‘t mind wet hands and found the long coral feeders (or whatever they’re called) to be ineffective in picking up axotle waste, but thanks for the suggestion to try them in this pleco tank. May be a winner! Thanks for all your ideas, much appreciated. I’ll try them tomorrow.

 

I recently adopted two unwanted large common plecos. They are poop machines. I tried vacuuming yesterday & removed 20 gallons of water in the process. A turkey baster was better, but I’m in search of another way. Does anyone have some tips? Thanks.

There are electric devices/siphons that will accomplish what you want by sucking up the water and then returning the water back out while there is a small pouch on the side that catches the debris. I've seen them on Amazon and Ali Express. How well they work I don't know since I never tried. Would only try it if you have gravel and not sand though.

 

Since posting my reply I have emptied and refilled a 40 litre outdoor rice fish tub for a reset. It really is surprising just how much gunk settles in 6 months. My point is an auto water change system is great but if it’s not removing mulm and poop it sure builds up over time. Perhaps an electric submersible pump and hose would help move water back over the deck?

 

I use my system and vacuum as well, using different equipment. How could one possibly not?

Eureka! Someone in a Pleco FB group said to use
a fine mesh net. Tried that today and it worked like a charm! This is a simple water & substrate sparing method.

There are electric devices/siphons that will accomplish what you want by sucking up the water and then returning the water back out while there is a small pouch on the side that catches the debris. I've seen them on Amazon and Ali Express. How well they work I don't know since I never tried. Would only try it if you have gravel and not sand though.

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Thanks, I waa comsidering those yesterday at Amazon. The ones I saw were for tanks <20“ high & mine are taller. Doesn’t matter now. Some lady in a Pleco Facebook group suggested a net & it worked well.

 

Don’t keep plecos, but my bearded dragon poops in water sometimes and a net does the trick for the vast majority of the mess.