# Rubber Lip Pleco-Rest In Peace



## taylorhedrich (Mar 2, 2005)

Okay, so I got back from the local PetsMart (which is an hour drive) and I picked up a small 2-3" Rubber Lip Plecostomus, another breeding pair of Convict Cichlids, and 3 $0.99 platys. I got the platys for dither fish to hold off my shoal of reds while we are gone tomorrow, and I got the pleco to house with the reds.

I though it was a pretty good deal, I payed $3.99 for the pleco, and he would only grow to 5" according to the store, which is much more ideal than a common pleco that would get huge. I put him in the tank and he automatically hides. I go back 15 minutes later, and turn the lights on in the 130 gallon tank, and what do I see? The pleco upside down on the gravel with all of his innards eaten out and a bunch of little red bellys looking up at me innocently.

I'm not at all upset, I just wanted to show to the people that keep starting the threads "Will This Cohab Work" how a pleco that is known for having the best chances of surviving with a shoal of piranhas can be had by a bunch of little 2 inchers.

I think it's needless to say that they also already ate the 3 platys as well. I will just have to feed them really good tomorrow, and they should be fine until I return later tomorrow evening/night.

Look what I discovered:









Close-up:









A full tank shot to show that the pleco even had many hiding places for safety:


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## Dezboy (Apr 2, 2006)

seems like they know the plecs weak spot, sory for the loss bro........


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

Sorry for your loss taylor-And I dont see how everyone has these probs-i have never had a p kill a pleco


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## rocker (Aug 12, 2005)

ahahahahahahhaa pwned

this will show the new members

o ya srry for the loss if u feel bad or anyhitng


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## MONGO  (Feb 7, 2006)

sorry for the loss bro i had a pleco with my p's but he dropped dead b4 they got a chance to eat him


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## alan (Mar 11, 2004)

sorry for your loss? what did you expect?


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## taylorhedrich (Mar 2, 2005)

It's not that big of a deal, I mean it's not like I got attatched to him in that WHOLE 15 MINUTES!!









I figured this would happen sooner or later, but I guess I was thinking a lot later than 15 minutes. I had a 7" sailfin pleco last with my cariba all the while they were growing up. Then she got a nasty bite from them, so I moved her to the 10 gallon hospital tank where she commited suicide in the middle of the night.









Anyway, I will probably try it again when they get older and lazier.








~Taylor~



alan said:


> sorry for your loss? what did you expect?


Him to last longer than 15 minutes, that's what!









Like I said, I just posted this for the newbies who think they can house tropical fish with their piranhas.


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## alan (Mar 11, 2004)

ok mate..i was just being funny.i realise you know better.


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## the_w8 (Jul 28, 2003)

its all trial and error.


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## bobz (Mar 9, 2006)

Thats a shame.... I have a Bristlenose pleco and he is doing fine with my little guys, they seem to be scared of him becasue he has given them a good chasing a few times. I hope the same doesn't happen to mine
 








Bobz


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## jobeak (Jun 3, 2006)

Sorry for your loss Taylor.







I have two 4" common plecos in with my two 4" red belly's and they only problems I have had so far is when the two pleco's come accross each other. They chase the crap out each other. The P's don't bother either of them. The smaller of the two even hides under the same piece of driftwood as my larger P. But as I have often read here, Its probably only a matter of time.


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## Mr. Hannibal (Feb 21, 2003)

Sorry for your loss man... anyway IMO a huge common Pleco is a better option (they "tend" to last longer)... great looking 130g tank BTW...







!


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## taylorhedrich (Mar 2, 2005)

Mr. Hannibal said:


> Sorry for your loss man... anyway IMO a huge common Pleco is a better option (they "tend" to last longer)... great looking 130g tank BTW...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks. There is still some things I'd like to do to it, like get more driftwood and especially a background. Also, I ran short on a few plants on the left end and never got around to getting replacements.









So the bigger plecos may have a better chance, because they are older, and their hard armor casing is more developed to protect them?
~Taylor~


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## Dezboy (Apr 2, 2006)

i had a 13in sail fin plec in with my rhom when i had him, and the plec seemed to do fine, every now and then he would ave a nip out of his tail but he survuved and is now in my comunity tank and doing great


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## Jose (Jul 11, 2006)

I agree, the bigger the pleco, the better chance of it surviving longer.


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## Mr. Hannibal (Feb 21, 2003)

taylorhedrich said:


> Sorry for your loss man... anyway IMO a huge common Pleco is a better option (they "tend" to last longer)... great looking 130g tank BTW...:nod: !


Thanks. There is still some things I'd like to do to it, like get more driftwood and especially a background. Also, I ran short on a few plants on the left end and never got around to getting replacements.









So *the bigger plecos may have a better chance, because they are older, and their hard armor casing is more developed to protect them?*~Taylor~
[/quote]

Pretty much... the bigger the better. Usually they fight back (scaring the Ps) and their armor resist some attacks... anyway it should last longer (months, years is some cases) than a little Pleco but eventually he will get eaten...







!


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## Malok (Mar 26, 2006)

sorry but that is pretty funny

i hate plecos they sh*t more than they clean


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## Hater (Apr 21, 2006)

taylorhedrich said:


> Okay, so I got back from the local PetsMart (which is an hour drive) and I picked up a small 2-3" Rubber Lip Plecostomus, another breeding pair of Convict Cichlids, and 3 $0.99 platys. I got the platys for dither fish to hold off my shoal of reds while we are gone tomorrow, and I got the pleco to house with the reds.
> 
> I though it was a pretty good deal, I payed $3.99 for the pleco, and he would only grow to 5" according to the store, which is much more ideal than a common pleco that would get huge. I put him in the tank and he automatically hides. I go back 15 minutes later, and turn the lights on in the 130 gallon tank, and what do I see? The pleco upside down on the gravel with all of his innards eaten out and a bunch of little red bellys looking up at me innocently.
> 
> ...


Come on Taylor, I expect more from you.

You put a 3" pleco with a bunch of hungry piranhas with the lights off and you expect it to live? Even if you introduced another rbl into that scenario, it would have problably met the same faith. Then you go on to say it can't work?

Plecos just like any other fish can and do fall prey to piranhas I don't debate that but I do beleive they can be cohabed with pygos safely and it has been done.

I have had my pygos for over 5 months now and have kept a 6"pleco with them since the first day. The pleco doesn't even have a scratch on it. Their are certain ways to introduce a fish(including a piranha) into a piranha tank.

Fisrt feed your piranhas, turn lights on, change decoration and if I was introducing a pleco to a piranha tank, I would do a water change and have them well fed before I put the pleco in. I'm not guaranteing that this method will work but it gives the pleco a fighting chance.

Cohabing pygos with pleco is not 100% guarantee but it can be done. It all depends on your pygos, scenario and individual fish.

Good luck to everyone who attempts to cohab a pleco with pygos and beleive me when I tell you, it can be done.

Hater


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## taylorhedrich (Mar 2, 2005)

Hater,
I'm sorry to disappoint you.

Just so you know I did have the lights on when I added him so all of the red bellies were huddled under the bridged rock for shade. I watched the pleco for a few minutes and he hid right under a tiny slit under the big black rock. Knowing how plecos rarely move and how I didn't want my red bellies huddled so close together, I turned the lights off. That's when I came back and made the discovery.

What makes you think I said that "can't" be housed with piranhas. I just got done saying that I gew out a pleco with my cariba shoal from a small size. I was just merely pointing out that piranhas are unpredictable fish.

Maybe this whole thread was a mistake if people are going to insult me...








~Taylor~


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## Hater (Apr 21, 2006)

taylorhedrich said:


> Hater,
> I'm sorry to disappoint you.
> 
> Just so you know I did have the lights on when I added him so all of the red bellies were huddled under the bridged rock for shade. I watched the pleco for a few minutes and he hid right under a tiny slit under the big black rock. Knowing how plecos rarely move and how I didn't want my red bellies huddled so close together, I turned the lights off. That's when I came back and made the discovery.
> ...


Insult never,(shocked) You are my hero and you know it. Just pointing out that the conditions that the pleco were introduced in were really bad.

I beleive that you have to get a bigger pleco two. If your pygos are 2", try a 6-7" pleco.

Hater


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## Trystan (Jan 2, 2006)

Sorry for your loss Taylor. I to have had a problem with my pleco the day after we talked about my water quality theory my P's decided to prove me wrong and killed my pleco. I think that they theory may still hold as it was not a P that was killed but it still damages the credibility of it a little. Good luck with your future endevours to house a pleco with them. I may try again but probably not they just add too much to my bioload right now.

Trystan


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