Recently joined

KRAMER · Post by **KRAMER** » 03 Oct 2006, 04:34

Hi everybody...names Wayne,I just found this site. I used to keep oscars, i had a beautiful long fin albino that i raised to adult size years ago. Unfortunately i had to sell him when i moved into my new smaller home. Just didnt have room for the 185. Anyway....a year ago my son Brandon and i decided to get into tanks again (he was too young to really remember our oscar), but we decided on a marine coral tank, and eventually we set up 2 coral tanks.

Unfortunately the 46 bow blew a seam while we were out of town, we lost everything in it, including the equipment. Since then i have resealed it, did a 2 month fill test and am now ready to restock. Wich is why i am here. At first we were thinking a baby flathead cat caught from the local river, i figure we could always release him when it was time. So while searching the www for pics of others wildcaught cat tanks i found this site. But now i think i may have taken a liking to these terestrial looking pleco creatures, and am in search for info on them.

I never jump in to a hobby like this with my eyes closed (example..12 inch pleco in a 10 gallon tank) i like my tanks slightly understocked, keeping water perameters in check is so much easier that way. Anywhooo..I hope ya'll dont mind me dropping in now and then to pick at your brains a little. Im sure i will have many questions along the way, some of them will probabally be stupid ones, but bare with me, i do learn fast...i'll stop babbling now and go read more bout pleco's. See ya'll around.

-Wayne

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 03 Oct 2006, 09:12

Hi Kramer.

Welcome to the site.

The options open to you are enormous with regard to how you set your tank up again.

You should find plenty of info on this site.

For your 46g tank, I wouldn't recommend a pleco that gets larger than about 6".

This leaves you with loads of choice still though. The most popular plecos of this size are Ancistrus, Hypancistrus, Peckoltia and dwarf Panaque.

More ususual looking species like Farlowella, Sturistoma and Rineloricaria are also pretty cool.

Check them all out here

Don't forget other catfish though. An African tangled root river tank with a small group of , some congo tetras and a leopard bush fish would be nice too.

I would go for a theme with tank. Tanks that follow a theme of a habitat always look nicer and are better for the fish than loads of stuff thrown together.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 03 Oct 2006, 15:18

Welcome to Planet Catfish.

I can't really add much to what racoll said - there are roughly 700 species of Loricariidae ("plecos"), which makes for quite some choice in just them - add then the other 1500 or so catfish, and you've got almost endless combinations [although some work better than others!]

--
Mats

KRAMER · Post by **KRAMER** » 03 Oct 2006, 23:45

So who are some of the better online vendors for pleco's?

How bout suppliers of driftwoods? My lfs carries some of course, but i dont know what type it is. Or even what type i should use yet. Any good articles here online i should read concerning this? Im sure there is...i just havnt found it yet. Thanks for the help guys.....Wayne

KRAMER · Post by **KRAMER** » 04 Oct 2006, 02:42

Nevermind about the wood , found articles here on this site.

Would still like some references on pleco vendors, just incase my local lfs cannot help out. Thanks....

bronzefry · Post by **bronzefry** » 04 Oct 2006, 19:13

Welcome to Planet Catfish, Kramer!

The options open to you are almost endless, since there are so many catfish species of all sizes and temperments. When you go to your LFS, ask if there's a local fish club in the area. This is often a great way to meet fish folk. Fish clubs sometimes have auctions, too.

Amanda

KRAMER · Post by **KRAMER** » 05 Oct 2006, 01:43

bronzefry wrote:Welcome to Planet Catfish, Kramer! The options open to you are almost endless, since there are so many catfish species of all sizes and temperments. When you go to your LFS, ask if there's a local fish club in the area. This is often a great way to meet fish folk. Fish clubs sometimes have auctions, too.
Amanda

Thanks....

Ive been looking into local fish clubs. Most are marine clubs. Catfish dont seem to be all that popular around here yet. But acording to the lfs peaple are starting to pay more attention to them. We seem to be a few years behind the bigger cities.

BTW...the pleco in your image links...do you have any specific information on it? Max. size, prefered diet etc.

I think my lfs has one of them, cant remember what common name they called it, and i couldnt see its entire body, but i liked it.

Shaun · Post by **Shaun** » 05 Oct 2006, 02:10

Welcome

Shaun