# Most active pleco?



## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

try a group (6-10) of otos.


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## mgamer20o0 (Mar 8, 2007)

most plecos are not very active. the more you pay for them the more they hide it seems.


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## ZLewis (Jul 20, 2006)

mgamer20o0 said:


> most plecos are not very active. the more you pay for them the more they hide it seems.


That seems to be just about right. I have four different types of plecos and the only one I really ever see during the day is my female bristlenose. The key to seeing them during the day is to set up their hiding places so that you can see them too. A branchy piece of driftwood works well because they will usually hang upside down on it close to the substrate. You will be able to see them like that but they still won't be active.


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

The only ones you will see are the ones that cant hide. There isnt a pleco in existence that wont hide if given the opportunity... :redface: 

I have a wood pile in my 75G and the only time I see him is when I sit by the tank in the dark with a "dim" background light in the room. Once a week or so before bed I try to make sure he is still kickin' in the tank and not dead. 

Last week I still had a bristlenose... roud:

EDIT:
Its sad too because they are very fun and interesting fish to sit and watch work.


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## MOsborne05 (Jan 7, 2007)

I agree. I had a flash plec (L204) that I eventually sold because it was always hiding and always pooping!

I think you would be much happier with a school of cories in your tank


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## newshound (May 9, 2005)

although a group of SAE are too large for your tank I love the way they school as they eat. Kinda like a herd of cows actually.
but ya plecos just aren't into being seen.


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## nonamesleft47 (Feb 2, 2008)

a female bristlenose or bulldog would probably be your best bet. If you arrange their caves where they are visible then you'll be able to see them. After they take care of the algae in your tank though they will come out and eat shrimp pellets or algae wafers. In one 75 gallon I have a trio of bristlenose and the male has set up shop in a hole in a log. The two females are constantly hanging around the log but it is a pretty low light tank. In my planted tanks I almost never see them.


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## jphan (Mar 2, 2008)

my rubberlip pleco barely moves and its been 2 months and my dad was like u just got a new fish huh? i was like hes been in there for 2 freaking months...


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## sebtoche (Mar 12, 2008)

I don't know if my sailfin pleco is an exception, but I can easily see him for 3-4 hours before the lights go out. He is definitely more active during the night, but I am surprise how often I can see him during the day. Sometimes, he even goes to the surface to eat flakes.


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## black_envy (Aug 17, 2006)

Thanks guys and I actually have a female bristlenose in my 20 gallon she is about an inch and a half long, but I was wondering if there were any more active plecos since I love their shape and how they stick to the glass lol and I see her often enough, I put the two driftwood pieces in the front of the tank so I can see her pretty often. 

I guess a better question to ask would have been what is the most active between these species:
bulldog pleco
queen arabesque pleco
bristlenose pleco
clown pleco

I think those are all the dwarf varieties that I could afford...I saw a zebra pleco at my local fish store, it was only $199 because it had a damaged tail but that would grow back...


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## Riley (Jan 24, 2006)

Queens are definately a little to shy. I would go with a bristlenose pleco. I had a pair in my 29 gallon and there were always running around the tank.


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## aznkonner (Oct 18, 2007)

only the bristlenose is active. queens hide, bulldog i'm not too sure, and my clown hides REALLY well. i only see my clown when i move to a new tank  u may think the bristlenose isn't active enough but out of all the plecos they're about as active as they get. a goldy pleco is pretty active as well but no way they'll work in a 29 gallon. if u want some variety get some albinos, longfins, males, and females. the longfins are awesome looking. and i have a few in my own tanks.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

x2 or 3 or whatever I never see my clown pleco at all, and it's only in a 10gal. Spends all day hiding under the driftwood, and only comes out at night to scrounge around the tank.

Clowns especially need a lot of driftwood in their diet; recent research is showing that most pleco species actually need wood to chew on!


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## aznkonner (Oct 18, 2007)

yea if you own plecos wood is a must. let them decide when they need to eat it and when they don't need to. my tank is full of wood and full of larger plecos. i never see anything but wood so don't be surprised if u never see them again. what i've noticed helps sometimes is don't turn on the lights and put some food in there. my plecos get real hungry and come out whenever i throw food in. there's always a fight during feeding times but it's not too bad.


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## susankat (Oct 14, 2007)

I see my bristlenose all the time, but I have several in my tank. If you really want to watch them, stick a piece of zuchinni in there.


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

Yup my albino bristlenose pleco is fearless. He doesn't really care about things going on around him and goes about his own business munching on driftwood and the glass. The best is when I leave some new driftwood that floats, he loves to cling on to those pieces. However, I have noticed he only hangs out in certain parts of the tank where the hiding spots are close by.

He is also the only fish that isn't skittish even with loud sudden vibrations. I can walk up to the tank and he will keep going about his business, while other fish will swim away.

Zuchinni works really well too, but only if it's wedged close to a hiding spot.


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