medium size, not shy pleco? ideas?

I have a 75 ca cichlid tank....and I want to add a pleco. I want it to be not shy....as I have one that does nothing but hide. in the 2.5 years i've had him, I think I can count on one hand, how many times i've seen him....without rearranging and scaring him out of hiding. it's a shame because he is so pretty. I think he's an L129, or L340. I can't tell which.

I have a long finned BN in my other tank...and he is out most of the time. which I like...because he's very handsome. ;D

i'd like something other than a BN, if possible, and something a bit bigger too. maybe in the 8-10 inch range. can anyone give me some ideas? plant eaters are ok, as this is not a planted tank. thanks =]

also I know there are some pretty expensive plecs out there....i'd like to stay under 40.

 

Hmmm, I mean, my clown is not shy at all, but this is a cichlid tank so no telling how they may act. Probably avoid a long finned species right?

What about a L333. They are very showy and active, they are also big meat eaters.

 

well I bought my little shy one as an L333, but they get over 5 inches, and this guy is not even 3. I mean I guess it *could* be....but it just seems like he's too small to be one. but no matter...I wanted something a little bigger. I would think stay away from flowy fins....but I don't know if cichlids would care about a non cichlid, ya know?

do you know anything about rubber pleco's personality?

 

No, I have never kept them, I hear they are a bold pleco but again, that's with regular tropicals. I know sometimes cichlids are more intimitdating.
Your L333 is probably a L066. Very common mix up. I wish the commons wernt so big, I bet they could care less about a cichlid XP

 

I have plecos in with both my South African and my African Mbunas (which eat veggies) and there has never been a problem in either tank. Just a post-it-note.

 

wendy, what kind of plecos do you have?

any more ideas?

 

I would not recommend my L239s for you they are very shy. I don't know what to suggest I only have the L239s and a clown. My clown is shy some days and not others.

 

good to know about the clown...they are somewhat small though, I might need a bigger one to keep from being picked on. if the cics were to pick on him. I think only if he were to get near the breeding cave they would

 

What about a medusa or a rhino? A rhino should be large enough to be confidant in a 75 with cichlids, they are rather large but I belive a 75 is a good size for them.

 

well i'm thinking about a royal pleco, a green phantom (L200), blue phantom (L128), or rubbernose pleco. i'm leaning towards the royal...just because it's size is a bit bigger, and it is not as shy. though i've read rubbers can be pretty active, if they have enough rocks to feel secure. which this tank has. the rubber would be easier to get, and less expensive, cos I think my lfs has one. I guess I'll go over tomorrow and see what I find =]

 

I wouldn't get a rubbernose.

I'm looking at a blue and a green phantom for the 125. Though, they may be the same species.

 

why no rubbernose? are they shy? well I think the blue and green phantoms are the same, just different color morphs. I think the green is really pretty.

 

yeah, it's kinda shy.

they are not color morphs in the traditional sense of the word. They are from different areas within the same region, so that's why there is uncertainty.