Myth 1: Plecos eat fish waste and clean the glass
Plecos do not eat fish waste and they are not magic glass cleaners. Smaller plecos will eat some of the algae on the glass, but it will not help with regular maintenance on your aquarium. As plecos get larger they will depend less and less on algae in the tank and more on food you feed. Plecos are technically omnivores, they are opportunistic feeders. They will even eat some of the fish food that gets to the bottom of the aquarium. Most plecos will need either algae wafers or some type of sinking veggie wafer to be added to your feeding routine once a week. Plecos like slices of zucchini attached to a rock so they can eat it off of the bottom. Plecos also feed on drift wood. Drift wood is not a complete diet, but it is something that is a great addition to their diet. They will slowly eat away the drift wood so it is not something you always add to the tank. Drift wood is also a great decoration for your aquarium. Some plecos are even more carnivorous and can attack some large delicate fish like discus and suck on their slime coat.
Myth 2: Plecos are very hardy
Plecos are actually pretty sensitive. Plecos can not be used to start an aquarium. They are sensitive to ammonia and many die when a tank is cycling. Cycling is the process of beneficial bacteria build up in the aquarium which removes ammonia and nitrite from the tank naturally. This process takes about 1 to 2 months. Some of the fancy breeds of plecos are even more sensitive to water quality issues. There are hundreds of species of plecos and they all require special care.
Myth 3: Plecos can live in any size tank
Common plecos get huge! That really is an understatement, they can grow to 24 inches and sometimes more. Plecos absolutely do not get stunted from a small tank. They will keep growing until they reach their maximum size. Many people assume that plecos are all the same, but you need to be sure to choose the right pleco for your tank. You should be doing your research before adding any fish to your aquarium. For example, if you have a 10 gallon tank, you may want to consider a dwarf clown pleco. These fish max out at 4 inches, as opposed to a regular common pleco which can grow over 2 feet!
PlecostomusPlecostomus
