I wish I listened when people told me to sell my Plecos because I have now paid the price. I removed 1 from my main tank when I bought my goldies and I was going to move the other but by the time I did (I think) he had already shredded my Blue orandas tail-fin and now my Oranda is in a bad way. It was either my pleco, a piece of bogwood I have in there or my common goldfish. Which is most likely to be?

Anyway as soon I as saw the damage I took the pleco out and put it into a fish with my 3, 2 week old mollies my bro wanted to house and 6 rosy red minnows.

At the weekend when I went to check on the mollies I could only find 2. The other 1 was no where at all so all I can think of is that a larger rosy red or my pleco eat it. Then today when I cleaning the tank I realised one of my 2" minnows had gone. I searched the tank, removed all ornaments, checked the floor to see if it had jumped out but it was no where to be seen. My plecos are still only small but theres nothing else that would of eaten it. I asked my mum if she knew anything and she assured me she didn't. So the mystery of my missing fish continues and the moral of the story is I would not recommend keeping them with any small-ish fish, tropical or coldwater. I really feel like flushing them but I probably give them away.

That would make sense because I think I've read that in the wild their first choice of prey is small fish. I've never personally had it happen though. Still, I quit keeping plecos even before I knew they sometimes attacked because as they got bigger they quit eating algea.

I'm very sorry about your troubles. Maybe a petstore will take your plecos.

Yah...those darn plecos. It was in the news here in the Philippines, that there was a pleco farm here then when it flooded, the plecos got out of the fish pen and destroyed all the other fish pens around it. They totally destroyed a lake here so now the local fishermen are catching them for dinner and they said that their skin might be used for leather.

My goodness what a nightmare for the ecosystem. The damage they did is mind blowing.

The pleco did not shred your fish's fins.
The pleco did not eat your other fish.

Not all baby fish live, it's common for many to die and only a few to reach maturity. How often do you see your pleco flying around the middle of the tank trying to suck up fish? I'll bet never. Maybe at night if a baby was on the ground the pleco could have hoovered over it by accident, because they are so small. Or maybe it was water paramaters. What are your test results?

Once a fish dies all other fish regardless of their predatory instincts will pick at the body until it's gone.

Please don't go blaming the pleco. There have been cases of them sucking the slime coat off large, slow moving fish during the night, such as discus and goldfish, but normally they are peaceful fish.


If I can remember correctly, you were advised to return them due to size restraints, not because they are ruthless killers

Lyndzi does make some valid points that you have to consider.I personally can say that I've owned 2 common plecos for at least5-6 years,they have been with newborn fry along with8-10 inch bala sharks,and I have never had a problem with them.I do make sure that they eat well,and I always keep a couple of fake plants in their tank for them to suck on if they need to . Of course ,this is just my personal experience with them. They are starting to get the reputation of the "pit bulls",and if things happen,its not their faul that they were put in a" situation" Of course,this is just my opinion.