How Will L201 Plecos Do Here?

[ClayT101]

Having just seen Barbie's pleco talk at FOTAS, I am tempted to keep some fancier plecos again with the hopes of breeding. In the past, I have set up species tanks for various plecos without success, and on top of that, I have a short attention span, so without results, I tire easily.

Anyhow, completely unrelated to Barbie's talk, I have the opportunity to pick up a group of L201's for at or below wholesale (one of my friends plans to go exclusively saltwater).

I was thinking that I could keep them in a 220 gallon discus tank. The water at the bottom has very little movement.

The general parameters of the aquarium are:
84 degrees F
1 degree General Hardness
4 degrees Carbonate Hardness
pH of 7.8
Ammonia and Nitrites are 0
Nitrates will be at 40 ppm (I have to add nitrates for the plants or I get green slime algae)

If some water movement is necessary, I suppose I could add 2 Emperor 400's. There are plenty of slate caves and driftwood.

I would have to move out my L144 plecos, but that is ok as another friend has cornered the market locally on those anyway.

Other pleco inhabitants in the tank would be an albino gibbiceps, a royal, a goldy and a gold nugget. Each of which has its own home, except the gold nugget. The gold nugget likes to bother the goldy.

[pleconut]

Done a very quick research i say quick as you may have lots more info on these guys than me its hypansistrus so its same group as zebras and carnivorous plecos L201 are possibly also with similar requirements to zebras needing a fair amount of flow/ high disolved oxygen levels in water. As carnivorous they have small teeth would they attempt to fight/Injure the gibbiceps/ goldy/ gold nugget plecos?Although these can probably fend for themselves would any tensions interrupt the breeding im asking as breeding groups of plecos can become super territorial. I have group of L397s setting up territories just now although these known to not tolerate other plecos at all i even had cories in there but had to remove them as they were in and out of the caves constantly and didn't want other bottom dwellers to disrupt them although I have tetras too small to harm fry as it encourages them to be more active probably a dedicated setup to the L201 would be good if intending to breed

[ClayT101]

Well the royal, gibbiceps, and goldy are all at least 6 inches long, much larger than the L201s. The gold nugget is only 3 inches. Honestly, I think that they will do fine in there, I am just not sure if they would breed. I suppose I would need to stimulate them somehow...and in a way that will not kill the discus lol (ie drastic temp change).

[Barbie]

I was honestly totally on board with adding the fish to the tank, right until I read your current stocking. With those bigger plecos, they probably won't compete terribly well. Fish that aren't competing, don't condition, therefor don't spawn, usually.

Might I also ask, have you tried backing off the nitrate now that the tank is established? While it usually helps in the beginning with blue green algae, many times the tank matures past needing them, depending on your local water supply. Discus really can't possibly see the humor in that level, can they?

Barbie

[ClayT101]

Thanks for the info. I can lower the nitrates. I just have to decide if I want to sell the large plecos. I probably will as that will help the discus as well.