# Will plecos eat guppy fry? or any other small fish?



## Niki7

I just got a new pleco 2 weeks ago. The store never told me he would get big, I even asked! I was thinking like maybe 4 inches long but it looks like he might get 6 inches. He is abt 3 1/2" now. I have a 45 gl tank so I should be ok size-wise, but I have all small fish in the tank and now I am worried that he will eat them. I currently have him in a quarantine tank still but I can't keep him there much longer. Trying to decide whether to bring him back or not. I am also not exactly sure what type he is. I am going by the sizes on a pleco link someone posted. I believe he is either a Yellow Prince Tiger or a megaclown peckoltia. Both are 5-6" fully grown. I'll try and get a pic up.

My other fish are guppies and zebra danios, also have a big snail. When I cleaned the tank last week I found a single fry so somebody had babies and just one wasn't eaten. That little one is in a floating mesh nursery for the time being but I was thinking of moving him to the pleco tank so he could get out and explore, but I don't want him eaten!

Thanks for any help you can offer!
Niki


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## James0816

The pleco will not bother any of the fishies in there. You can safely add him to the bigger tank without worry.


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## jrman83

Now see, I would have thought that he would love some Guppy fry.


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## NursePlaty

*I think Plecos only pose a danger to stationary fry like Discus or Angelfish where they breed on slates and such.*


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## jrman83

Do plecos work at night (I consider them workers in the tank) or do they do their sleep thing like most fish?


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## James0816

Really would depend on the type of pleco I would say. Out of the various ones I keep or have kept, some stay dormant until the lights go out, others will be active at any time like the BNPs. I find them all over the place. My clowns stay pretty well hidden until the lights go down as a couple of examples.


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## Niki7

Thanks everyone. Ben my pleco goes crazy at night but all day he just hangs on the glass and "sleeps". I guess this was why I was most concerned, because my guppies are hard sleepers at night. Indeed, once I turned the light on a little earlier than usual and one actually floated down to the gravel and stayed there for a few minutes til she woke up. I thought she was dead! Clearly just a sleepy fishy. :Fish_bubble:

So I started thinking about my guppy fry sleeping and not being able to get away from a pleco vacuum cleaner. And in the past when I had guppies, they had a habit of sleeping on a flat rock. I guess I will just have to keep the fry separated for awhile then hope for the best.

BTW, after nearly a week of not seeming to eat anything (not algae wafers or algae in the tank or anything), the pleco cleaned an entire tank of algae in ONE NIGHT. And there was a lot of it in there. What a mess to vac up though. Had to do an extra water change. I was surprised!

Thanks again!
Niki


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## James0816

Niki7 said:


> I guess I will just have to keep the fry separated for awhile then hope for the best.


Again, you don't have to seperate the fry from the pleco if you don't want to. He isn't going to bother them one bit.


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## Niki7

Thanks James!


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## jrman83

I don't lock up any of my fry.... I've found recently that 6-7 shoots of wisteria in a sort of tight area is more than enough for my fry to hideout while growing a little. I also find that they really are only a threat to get eaten in the first 4-5 days....in my tank anyway.


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## snail

I only had guppies in the tank when I had them but I found most of the fry survived with lots of java moss in the tank and I think they grew better than when I seperated them.


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## Niki7

Thanks for the input! I agree that they seem to grow much better and quicker when they are not in isolation. I really think they are social creatures and with only one little fry, I'm afraid the stress of being alone will slow his growth and makes him more "jumpy". But I could be putting too much emotional attachment to my fish!? (Can you blame me? *r2 ) I really love my guppies!

Niki


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## Jaws

I think that a pleco would easily vacuum up some fry if they were in its way, but wouldnt go seeking them out in particular. My platys are breeding successfully in my tank that includes two plecos and two clown loaches, among other fish. It's all about having the right amount of cover. Of course not ALL of them make it.


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## Niki7

Thanks Jaws for the input!


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## Mustafa Kamal

jrman83 said:


> Do plecos work at night (I consider them workers in the tank) or do they do their sleep thing like most fish?


Yes they sleep but not like other fish that sleep during the night but instead they sleep during the day one can not make sure that if it is sleeping or just sucking on the corner or one of its favourite hidden spots. You can tell that if it is sleeping or not by looking at its tail (atleast I believe this) when it is sleeping it's tail will be relaxed both the upper fin and the tail will be down not raised.


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