Rain Over, Found a Pleco?, Koi Update.

[Jason]

Hello all, we have had very heavy rain fall here in Florida the last week and got to the point where the Pond water level was the same as the yard around it :surfing: but no fish decided to venture off into the unknown thank god lol.

I also Found a Pleco that a friend forgot to tell me he put in my pond 5 months ago :toothy12: and that was the first I seen of him taking care of my algae.

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The Koi I put in are doing good, here is a short video of them for a second while the sun was out during this rainy week :sun_smiley: (excuse the leaves in the pond, a lot fell during the rain)

 

[Shdwdrgn]

I'm sorry to say, but your friend is not as much of a friend as they think. Plecos are marketed as these great fish to have in an aquarium, but realistically the common pleco (like it appears you have) are virtually worthless and cleaning up algae. To make things worse, I have heard a number of people say that when the plecos get larger, they will attach themselves to other fish, sucking the slim-coat off of them, and making your fish more susceptible to disease. All in all, I believe plecos are generally NOT recommended for ponds.

 

[Jason]

I'm sorry to say, but your friend is not as much of a friend as they think. Plecos are marketed as these great fish to have in an aquarium, but realistically the common pleco (like it appears you have) are virtually worthless and cleaning up algae. To make things worse, I have heard a number of people say that when the plecos get larger, they will attach themselves to other fish, sucking the slim-coat off of them, and making your fish more susceptible to disease. All in all, I believe plecos are generally NOT recommended for ponds.

Well I have read the same thing about them sucking on other fish... when they are starving in an aquarium. Not saying it could not happen, just been doing A LOT of research on them in being in ponds as they are "Pond Friendly" in my zone and actually my uncle has a few in his Massive pond as they can survive the winters here and he has no complaints. Im not worried about it at the moment, but if I do ever see it on another fish (which I watch them at least 2 hours a day :regular_waving_emot ) then it will be removed indefinitely, but I think for now it has PLENTY of rock to suck before it gets that hungry lol

How are they worthless? They clean algae off rocks and I don't have to feed it and I can watch it, The same as I do with my Goldies and Koi?They are there for entertainment as pets, Im not expecting it to keep my pond clean and not going to attempt to remove it if I have no means to. Thanks for the Concern though

 

[HTH]

I have had problems with them in goldfish aquariums.

You will not see the pleco on the goldfish. They attack the goldfish at night while they are resting. The pleco is nocturnal and goldfish are Diurnal. You would have to notice the damage or find a dead one.

 

[jhays79]

I have had problems with them in goldfish aquariums.

You will not see the pleco on the goldfish. They attack the goldfish at night while they are resting. The pleco is nocturnal and goldfish are Diurnal. You would have to notice the damage or find a dead one.

Why are you keeping a tropical fish like a Pleco in a cold water goldfish aquarium?

 

[Jason]

Why are you keeping a tropical fish like a Pleco in a cold water goldfish aquarium?

Goldfish have a larger temp span then pelco's they both like "Tropical Temps". Like I said, I have read the same for Aquariums and opposite for pond pleco's. Not bucking you HTH, but that's actually when I watch my fish the most is around 10PM-12AM before I go to bed and my goldfish only sit still it seems during the day if the sun is beating on the pond, but that could be because of my high flow rate that they stay moving and my lights in the pond are plenty bright for me to see something attached the same size as the goldfish it self

 

[HTH]

Why are you keeping a tropical fish like a Pleco in a cold water goldfish aquarium?

Depending on the sort of pleco you have the range can be quite compatible.

But that was back in pre net days and it was suggested by someone who should have known. Some people pull it off but if I were to try it I would make sure the pleco had plenty of algae wafers etc to eat. Once the develop the taste for goldfish slime they are hooked on it.

 

[Mmathis]

Back when I kept aquariums, I recall learning that Plecos start out life as herbivores, but as they mature, they convert to omni- or totally carnivores. I don't think they are actually "sucking the slime coat" off the fish, though.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

How are they worthless? They clean algae off rocks and I don't have to feed it and I can watch it, The same as I do with my Goldies and Koi?They are there for entertainment as pets, Im not expecting it to keep my pond clean and not going to attempt to remove it if I have no means to. Thanks for the Concern though

I've had a couple get fairly large in aquariums over the years, and although they do start out eating algae, they seem to outgrow it after awhile. After that, you have to feed them daily. Our last one was in a tank of S. American cichlids, and when we fed the cichlids feeder-fish, the pleco would also eat them. We eventually had to give away the pleco because he got too big for our 120 gallon tank.

 

[Jason]

I've had a couple get fairly large in aquariums over the years, and although they do start out eating algae, they seem to outgrow it after awhile. After that, you have to feed them daily. Our last one was in a tank of S. American cichlids, and when we fed the cichlids feeder-fish, the pleco would also eat them. We eventually had to give away the pleco because he got too big for our 120 gallon tank.

Hmmm I will have to test the waters on this one, Do they grow faster than Goldfish? If it gets too big or becomes a problem, my uncle said he would take him/her (Same If my Koi get too big before I can get a bigger pond) and Is there anyone here who has a Pleco in a pond or has had one? I only know of my Uncle having them with his koi, Would a goldfish or Koi let the Placo suck on them or would they swim around and knock them off since they are much faster then the Pleco? Thanks

 

[Shdwdrgn]

I believe they grow at about the same rate, however a pleco will get to be twice the size of a goldfish (up to 18-24 inches). It seems that our last pleco grew to about 8 inches in about 2 years? Also, I wouldn't count on the goldfish swimming faster... a pleco can move plenty fast when they want to.

 

[Jason]

I believe they grow at about the same rate, however a pleco will get to be twice the size of a goldfish (up to 18-24 inches). It seems that our last pleco grew to about 8 inches in about 2 years? Also, I wouldn't count on the goldfish swimming faster... a pleco can move plenty fast when they want to.

Oh ok, I always thought they were slow fish lol, you know whats fast? The giant Bull Frog in my pond I seen last night, A big black shadow made it from one in of the pond to the other in a split second! I will try to capture a pic of it along with the Toads and Tree frogs that think my pond is a hangout every night :banana: :bouncycig:

 

[HTH]

Goldfish have a larger temp span then pelco's they both like "Tropical Temps". Like I said, I have read the same for Aquariums and opposite for pond pleco's. Not bucking you HTH, but that's actually when I watch my fish the most is around 10PM-12AM before I go to bed and my goldfish only sit still it seems during the day if the sun is beating on the pond, but that could be because of my high flow rate that they stay moving and my lights in the pond are plenty bright for me to see something attached the same size as the goldfish it self

If you don't trust me look it up. Heck maybe you being there and the 'bright enough ' lights are keeping them up.

Jason it is way to easy to look at what you seen and make the wrong conclusion.

I don't know that I would go so far as to say goldfish like tropical temperatures. They tolerate them.but at lower stocking levels. If you have never done so look at a chart showing max dissolved oxygen plotted against temperature. Big fish seem to suffer more as the level drops (confirmation anyone?)

 

[Jason]

Never said I did not "trust you" and I already stated that I have looked it up and they do attach to goldfish in Aquariums "When they are depleted of food" is what I have been reading on other sites, I even found some pleco pond articles saying that in my region they are compatible in a pond and with other fish like Koi and Goldfish.

The Lights only come on when I am outside and off when I go in, they are not on a Night Sensor so they are not being "kept Up" and I read that it could slowly blind the fish if left on constantly for over a long period of time. As far as temperature goes I stated that goldfish have a Larger Temp span (From cold to hot) not that they like warm temps all the time but can tolerate it better than most fish like you said

My O2 levels are definitely dissolving here then due to the heat :FIREdevil: but I think my Fountain, Falls, and Spitter Oxygenate the small pond more than enough for my small fish load (For now) or should I throw a Air pump in to be safe? :fish2:
Im not going to worry about the Pleco for now if he is doing no wrong (that I can see) and been in there a few months with no dead fish and/or sores, fungal inf, or rotting as my fish's colors have been getting more vibrant every month and Kevin (the large 9" Goldfish and the only named one) has finally cleared up the fungal infection he had months back and his scales have filled in again and are a healthy orange

 

[Mmathis]

As for growth rate, can't say, but I know they do [seem to] get big pretty fast. I always had mine in a FW aquarium, and the little fish in there never grew -- only the Plecos grew -- so nothing to judge the rate against. Just woke up one morning, and WHOA, where did that monster come from?!?!