# Will my RBP's eat a Pleco or Raphael Catfish?



## gabor (Mar 28, 2005)

Hi, i'am about to add 3 RBP's to a 55g (approx.) tank, it is just finishing cycling with a few guppies which will wind up as food here shortly...my question is can i add a pleco or raphael catfish to the tank without it being turned into supper?? it would sure be nice to have something in the tank to help with the clean up up these messy bastards but at the same token i don't want it to turn into supper, obviously the possibility exsists but how likely is it?? am i better off adding it to the tank before i introduce the RBP's?? thanks guys, look forward to everyones response.


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## ESPMike (Mar 23, 2005)

Anything you put in with ps could eventually become a meal. I have had some luck with a Raphael Catfish. I have 3-4" ps, and they like to chase him, but hes got a cave which keeps him protected from the ps. Im sure one day theyll catch up to him.

Id say if you have the money give it a try. Just make sure you have so good hiding places they can get to. The Raphael cats are nocturnal, so they hide all day which helps prolong their survival.

Ive also had luck with 2 small crabs I have in my tank. They're two small red crabs, probably an inch or two across. The ps will go at them eventually but theyre quick and they run into the cave with the catfish. At this point the ps dont even bother anymore. And they are great cleaners! they walk around eating all day, and do alot of extra cleanup for me. Plus they can be really fun to watch. I got them at my lfs for $2 each, so if your ps eat them, it wasnt an overly expensive meal.

-Mike


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## MR HARLEY (Aug 12, 2003)

:nod:


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## BigChuckP (Feb 9, 2004)

Quoted from Judazz in this thread, http://www.piranha-fury.com/pfury/index.php?showtopic=77964

It says it all



> I've never really had trouble keeping pleco's with piranha's. Yes, I lost a few (some killed, some poor sobs starved to death as the piranha's ate all their algae pellets), but if you decorate your tank the right way, you might be succesful: a properly decorated tank contains lots of hiding places and has a good amount of currents and aeration, as pleco's prefer such conditions (and the healthier the pleco's are, the less reason for the piranha's to attack, as they prefer to weed out the weak, stressed and injured). A steady supply of food for your pleco's assures they stay in good shape.
> There are no guarantees however, as piranha's will always remain opportunistic predators at heart, no matter how well you keep them fed, but if you put a bit of thought into it, and not only learn about what piranha's need, but also about the requirements of pleco's, you might be able to pull it off.
> 
> What's important is that you should acclimatize any potential tank mates before releasing them into a piranha tank: although relocation will always be accompanied with a certain amount of stress, if the pleco's have been kept in quarantaine first (for at least a few weeks), to assure they're in good condition, healthy and act naturally, you increase their changes of survival quite substantially. Stress is a trigger for attack, but if your fish have been acclimatized first, you can reduce that quite a bit: a properly aquascaped piranha tank should take care of the rest...
> ...


With regards to raphs they are awesome with ps, *IF* you have adequate hiding spaces, and you will never see him after the day that you buy them because they are nocturnal.


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## taylorhedrich (Mar 2, 2005)

Good work BigChuckP,
This comes up all the time. It kinda drives me nutty. I hate answering the same questions, but it's not that big of a deal. At least we have his question answered.
~Taylor~


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## ESPMike (Mar 23, 2005)

BigChuckP said:


> Quoted from Judazz in this thread, http://www.piranha-fury.com/pfury/index.php?showtopic=77964
> 
> It says it all
> 
> ...


Very true about the raphs. Since I bought mine I've literally never see him. If the light is on in my tank, and hes in the right part of his cave laying the right way I might see his tail or a whisker, but I havent seen the entire fish since the day i got him, which is kind of a shame since they are so cool looking, but oh well.

Im unsure about how much he actually does regarding helping cleanup after the messy ps, the crabs definately do that more. however theyre escape artists, ive found them standing on top of my tank or even inside my powe filter, they crawl up plants or up the intake tube of the filter. Id love to know how the one actually got himself on top of the tank though!

-Mike


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## Dawgnutz (Mar 2, 2005)

For the past 3 months I have had a pleco and 2 rafael catfish with my 6 reds. They don't bother each other YET.


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## corbypete (Jan 24, 2005)

i had a pleco. he lasted 3 days. as soon as he hit the water my rbp was hanging off its ass.

mines only little, and hes a lone ranger, id expect carnage in a multi-prianha tank, especially if one of them nipped him just a little.

he'd either have to be very big or very quick and small.


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## BigChuckP (Feb 9, 2004)

corbypete said:


> i had a pleco. he lasted 3 days. as soon as he hit the water my rbp was hanging off its ass.
> 
> mines only little, and hes a lone ranger, id expect carnage in a multi-prianha tank, especially if one of them nipped him just a little.
> 
> ...


Make sure he has some where to hide!


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## freebird21 (Dec 3, 2004)

i have 3 rbp about2-2/1/2 inches put a 4inch pictus catfish in with them last night he is no longer alive they chewed him all to hell ate the stomach rihgt out of him....so needles to say ill leave them alone with each other


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## corbypete (Jan 24, 2005)

BigChuckP said:


> corbypete said:
> 
> 
> > i had a pleco. he lasted 3 days. as soon as he hit the water my rbp was hanging off its ass.
> ...


well heres my tank, theres lots of places i can think of where he could hide


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

Anything living with Ps can become food at anytime.


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## BigChuckP (Feb 9, 2004)

corbypete said:


> BigChuckP said:
> 
> 
> > corbypete said:
> ...


Actually I only see one place where he can hide, under that flower pot. Behind plants wont do much.


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

BigChuckP said:


> Actually I only see one place where he can hide, under that flower pot. Behind plants wont do much.
> [snapback]956317[/snapback]​


Trust me, for a Raphael that tank offers plenty of hiding places (not just the flower pot). They often dig a hide-out under decor.
For pleco's it might not be sufficient - imo. it should at least have a large piece of driftwood to hide under (out of the piranha's reach, obviously).

In the attached picture you see the main hide-out for my pleco's in my Natt's aquarium. It uses no more than 15% of the tank's length, and runs from front to back, but it's enough to house the 6 pleco's in that tank safely, because the reds can't get there (and even if they could, it would take a lot time to sqeeze through the decor, giving the pleco's enough time to go somewhere else...)


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## corbypete (Jan 24, 2005)

the upright pot on the right also is empty behind that, you could sit there all day and no fish would bother you, the crabs use to 

that and the overturned pot on the right is also a space.

i noticed he hid aswell behind the filter, just stuck himself there.

i reckon he ventured out at the wrong time of day when jack was hungry, i was gonna feed him then aswell but waited til after work... too late!


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