Pleco - 1 Plants -0

Pleco 1
Plants 0

‍♀️ trying to keep my plants from being uprooted constantly and found out yesterday that terracotta pots are aqua safe and could maybe keep my plants together long enough to get better stronger roots. Nope.

 

Haha! Plecos are quite naughty lol

 

Is that a Crypt floating? You could try loosely tying the roots to a small rock, bury both the roots and the rock as if you were planting it. Might be just heavy enough to stop the pleco from uprooting it, but also loose enough not to damage the roots and give it time to get a stronger grip on the substrate.

 

Put him in a larger tank and then you can have the 20 gallon full of lush plants and the common pleco won't be stunted

I saw your pic of him on the pleco thread. He has already outgrown your 20 gallon in my opinion!

 

Is that a Crypt floating? You could try loosely tying the roots to a small rock, bury both the roots and the rock as if you were planting it. Might be just heavy enough to stop the pleco from uprooting it, but also loose enough not to damage the roots and give it time to get a stronger grip on the substrate.

I have no idea. when I got the tank I was given a bag of just random plants to stick in the tank. probably not the best choice

Put him in a larger tank and then you can have the 20 gallon full of lush plants and the common pleco won't be stunted

I saw your pic of him on the pleco thread. He has already outgrown your 20 gallon in my opinion!

yeah, I had no idea about the common pleco problem until a few days ago when I started on here. breaks my heart that I was causing problems I didn't know about. Working on getting him into something bigger ASAP

(oh, darn, have to buy a bigger tank...)

 

Bigger tanks aren't a bad thing

 

yeah, I had no idea about the common pleco problem until a few days ago when I started on here. breaks my heart that I was causing problems I didn't know about. Working on getting him into something bigger ASAP

(oh, darn, have to buy a bigger tank...)

Oh really?? You said Tuesday on your other thread about your plants and your pleco, that you "have another tank ready for him when he needs to be moved".
So, Sorry I assumed you could get him moved immediately.

 

I have no idea. when I got the tank I was given a bag of just random plants to stick in the tank. probably not the best choice

Crypts are fine, easy plant to grow Looks like you also have Java Ferns, but I am not sure what the moss is. Both Crypts and Java Fern are easy to grow, tie the Java to the driftwood and it will eventually grab hold and grow, eventually you will see small baby plants growing on the leaves that you can remove and do the same with. Crypts need to be planted, but don't bury the rhizome, as long as it grows well you will start to see smaller plants growing around it that you can then replant in different areas.

Is the algae on the leaves easy to rub off? Looks like it will, if so get as much of that off as you can to help the plants out.

 

Oh really?? You said Tuesday on your other thread about your plants and your pleco, that you "have another tank ready for him when he needs to be moved".
So, Sorry I assumed you could get him moved immediately.

I thought I did too until I realized that one I had was only 30 gallons and also cracked while being deep in storage * facepalm*

 

Crypts are fine, easy plant to grow Looks like you also have Java Ferns, but I am not sure what the moss is. Both Crypts and Java Fern are easy to grow, tie the Java to the driftwood and it will eventually grab hold and grow, eventually you will see small baby plants growing on the leaves that you can remove and do the same with. Crypts need to be planted, but don't bury the rhizome, as long as it grows well you will start to see smaller plants growing around it that you can then replant in different areas.

Is the algae on the leaves easy to rub off? Looks like it will, if so get as much of that off as you can to help the plants out.

Thanks for the help with the plant ID, I will have to try tying it to the drift wood. As for the algae on the plants I was thinking of asking what it could be, its almost like the leaves are burnt, they are kinda "crispy" and even a very very light touch with my hands or I tried using an old clean make up brush makes them break apart and I end up netting up the pieces to help clear up the water and avoid getting stuck in the filter.

I am not sure if the light I have is too strong..I wouldn't think it would be for coming in a ready to go kit but maybe it is? I know with coral you can burn them and over cook I am guessing you could do the same with fresh plants too?

 

I thought I did too until I realized that one I had was only 30 gallons and also cracked while being deep in storage * facepalm*

Aww that stinks.

I know you love this guy....but would you consider getting a bristlenose pleco instead? They look very similar to commons, but are much smaller and won't damage plants and all that jazz.

Sometimes for the sake of those that we love, we have to be selfless....and the selfless thing to do would be to find a home for him where he can live in a pond or a very large tank.

How big of a tank can you afford/fit in your home?

 

As for the algae on the plants I was thinking of asking what it could be, its almost like the leaves are burnt, they are kinda "crispy" and even a very very light touch with my hands or I tried using an old clean make up brush makes them break apart and I end up netting up the pieces to help clear up the water and avoid getting stuck in the filter.

I am not sure if the light I have is too strong..I wouldn't think it would be for coming in a ready to go kit but maybe it is? I know with coral you can burn them and over cook I am guessing you could do the same with fresh plants too?

How long do you have the light on for? I don't believe you can burn the plants, but if you have the light on for too long then it can cause issues. Most likely what is on your plant is cyanobacteria, take a look here for info on what causes it and how to get rid of it.

I know you love this guy....but would you consider getting a bristlenose pleco instead? They look very similar to commons, but are much smaller and won't damage plants and all that jazz.

Sometimes for the sake of those that we love, we have to be selfless....and the selfless thing to do would be to find a home for him where he can live in a pond or a very large tank.

Looking into rehoming the pleco is good advice, I have a 125G and would not even put a common pleco in there due to how big they get. BN pleco's are a great option and come in a variety of colors as well, typically you will find either the regular brown or albino, they are also cheap and if you get a male with a full set of bristles they are really cool looking. If you somehow get a male and female, they will breed like rabbits though.

 

Looking into rehoming the pleco is good advice, I have a 125G and would not even put a common pleco in there due to how big they get. BN pleco's are a great option and come in a variety of colors as well, typically you will find either the regular brown or albino, they are also cheap and if you get a male with a full set of bristles they are really cool looking. If you somehow get a male and female, they will breed like rabbits though.

Not just how big they get, but the mess they produce!! It isn't fair to the pleco OR the fish that have to live with him!!!
I wouldn't even keep an adult BN pleco in a 20 gallon to be honest. But it would be much better than a common in this scenario!

 

True, they all make a heck of a mess. I have only ever owned BN plecos and Rubbernose plecos, both would leave a heck of a mess.

OP just curious, did you get the pleco as someone told you that you need an "algae eater" in your tank? I find that a lot of people end up with a pleco because someone told them they need an algae eater. Not saying that is the case with you, but just curious.

 

True, they all make a heck of a mess. I have only ever owned BN plecos and Rubbernose plecos, both would leave a heck of a mess.

OP just curious, did you get the pleco as someone told you that you need an "algae eater" in your tank? I find that a lot of people end up with a pleco because someone told them they need an algae eater. Not saying that is the case with you, but just curious.

No, my 6 year old daughter just loved him.

 

How long do you have the light on for? I don't believe you can burn the plants, but if you have the light on for too long then it can cause issues. Most likely what is on your plant is cyanobacteria, take a look here for info on what causes it and how to get rid of it.

Light is usually on for 10 hours or less during the day.

 

No, my 6 year old daughter just loved him.

Swap him for a BN while he is still small and hope she won't notice

I have an almost 4 year old who wants his own tank...... his stocking list is ummmmm challenging... he wants:

An angler fish
A baby dolphin (I told him a dolphin needed to live in the ocean, hence his suggestion of a baby dolphin)
A sting ray
A puffer fish

He might end up with a Figure 8 puffer. Hopefully, the lack of the rest of his stocking request is not that much of a disappointment!!

 

I just looked at two photos of when I got him and this morning and I really need to rehome him.. think I was in denial these past few days trying to see him as a clown pleco but his gorgeous sail of fin is screaming i'm much bigger and more regal then a clown. It honestly breaks my heart to know I messed up with him and hurts to try and rehome home him but I know what I need to do..

 

I just looked at two photos of when I got him and this morning and I really need to rehome him.. think I was in denial these past few days trying to see him as a clown pleco but his gorgeous sail of fin is screaming i'm much bigger and more regal then a clown. It honestly breaks my heart to know I messed up with him and hurts to try and rehome home him but I know what I need to do.. View attachment 481196
View attachment 481195

Don't beat yourself up or think that you messed up in any way. You didn't know. And now that you do, you are willing to do something about it. That says a lot about you as a person.

I have SO much respect for you for coming to that conclusion, as heartbreaking as it is. Hopefully you are able to figure something out. He is a beautiful fish!

 

I know how heartbreaking it is to have to re-home one of your fish. When I got Jethro, my common Pleco as a tiny baby I knew I would have to re-home sooner rather than later. I knew when I got him that once he was less than 1/4 grown he would have to go so already had made arrangements to let him live out his life in a huge above ground pond. I got to enjoy him for almost a year before I had to give him up. I thought about just getting another baby and enjoy him for another year but it is just too hard to get so attached and then have to re-home.

I do have a bristle nose now (in fact that is him over there in my avatar) but if I could I would still have Jethro or at least another common. I really love those guys. Jethro would actually let me pet him. He was one really laid back fish Elbert, my BN runs and hides whenever I am around unless he is attached to his zucchini. Nothing affects him when he is chowing down on his favorite food.

 

I know how heartbreaking it is to have to re-home one of your fish. When I got Jethro, my common Pleco as a tiny baby I knew I would have to re-home sooner rather than later. I knew when I got him that once he was less than 1/4 grown he would have to go so already had made arrangements to let him live out his life in a huge above ground pond. I got to enjoy him for almost a year before I had to give him up. I thought about just getting another baby and enjoy him for another year but it is just too hard to get so attached and then have to re-home.

I do have a bristle nose now (in fact that is him over there in my avatar) but if I could I would still have Jethro or at least another common. I really love those guys. Jethro would actually let me pet him. He was one really laid back fish Elbert, my BN runs and hides whenever I am around unless he is attached to his zucchini. Nothing affects him when he is chowing down on his favorite food.

Ours...or for right now....wouldn't let me pet him but I could bump his little nose and sometimes he would softly bump into me like giving little kisses. Going to really miss that silly fish