I have a 16 inch pleco in a 125 gallon with some cichlids and other fish and since he has been moved in there I can here him sliding across the gravel actually like bulldozing it with his head, my tank looks like crap and everytime he does this crap that is in the gravel goes everywhere.
Is this common for bigger plecos to do this?
He was in a 55 gallon with large gravel and he never did this before this tank has small gravel.
He doesnt have his own cave as he is huge but he has huge pieces of driftwood and other things.
He has been in there for about 3 months and almost seems like he was happier in the cramped 55 gallon.
Connie
Ive experienced digging with all plecos i own. The fish are creating a surrounding to their liking. What looks crap to you must be an appealing interiour to the pleco.
There was a discussion about the cichlid thing in some thread allready...
intresting because I have 14 plecos I have never noticed any digging.
I do know they are strong though as I have a 6 inch vampire in a quarentine tank and he pushed off a large piece of shale from a couple rocks.
Connie
Hmm might be depending on the species. I have Hypostomus, Peckoltia, Pseudancistrus, Ancistrus with Peckoltia and Hypostomus digging the most. I have fine sand in all my tanks.
I think your pleco is making his home how he wants it. My L091 constantly digs! He was not satisfied with any of the caves I built so he dug between two rocks and moved all of the gravel out behind him. There is a big pile of gravel outside his "home" and if I level it out, he puts it back, so I think it is just how they like it? My other plecos just chose a home I created, but it was not the same for the L091.
