Mike’s Fish Tank – Pleco

Plecos are algae-eaters, but your home aquarium won’t provide enough algae to keep your pleco full. You’ll need to feed plecos algae wafers too. Plecos will sometimes eat vegetables including zucchini, spinach and kale.

Since algae is the favorite food, I tell people to wait until you have algae, then add a pleco to your tank.

Life Expectancy: Plecos who live in captivity tend to have slightly briefer lifespans than those out in the wild.

Pet plecos often survive from 10 to 15 years, Those that live on their own in natural settings, however, often exceed 15 years in age. Plecos can grow big. I have seen them up to 2 feet long and sometimes even larger the that.

There are a lot of different plecos, all with a variety of prices. The black and white pleco can sell for as much as $100.

Plecos prefer temperatures between about 75 and 82°F. With that being said, there are some pleco species that are hardier than others, and may be able to withstand some cooler waters.

I do have people ask me if a pleco eats the waste of other fish,they do not. To get rid of excess food and waste, you will need to do a water change using a siphon.Plecos are quite a hardy fish as long as they have algae to eat. Do they overeat?

I have had people say they put a pleco in a very algaed tank and in 2 days the tank is clean and the pleco dies.

So it could be that plecos can eat themselves to death. I think it’s rare but possible.

Pets A Plenty is located on Rte 281 Cortland, across from Tops Market in the TJ Nails Plaza. 753-9213. Open 7 days a week. We now have a website. www.petsaplety.biz. check it out. I post care sheets, coupons, new animal arrivals, contests and more. Any questions, email me at friskyy@hotmail.com

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