To Pleco or not to Pleco,that is the question!

Over the years I have seen numerous questions, on the boards and in the chats, about the dilemma of putting a Plecostomus (pronounced: ple-kos' tow-muss) or Pleco, for short, into the pond.

Before attempting to answer that question, let's discuss this funny little fish.

The Plecostomus is in the catfish family. They are a tropical fish whose temperature requirement is in the range of 65 to 85 degrees.

There are many different types of Plecos.  Some of my favorites are the Blue-eyed Pleco, Zebra Pleco, and the Gold-dust Pleco.  All of these will cost anywhere from five to twelve times the price of the commonly available Pleco down at the pet store.  Therefore, I wouldn't ever put one of these fancy guys in my pond.  All Plecos average about 12 to 15 inches when full grown except for the Zebra and the Gold-dust which remain small in comparison.

They have peculiar, prehistoric-looking bodies with sort of a bony plate for protection and little spine ridges that run the length of the sides of their bodies.  Their mouth is underneath the body and is made like a sucking disk.  Compared to other fish, they really feel strange when you pick one up.

They feed off algae but will eat flaked food and algae wafers. They are a nocturnal fish for the most part. They will, however, move around the aquarium in the daytime and even feed then, but after the lights go out, they come alive!

These tropical fish are wonderful algae-eaters in the ponds, but they aren't for everybody:

• Unless they are removed from the pond for the winter months they will die. I live in zone 8 and they will not survive our winters. Bring them inside to an aquarium or container pond or take them to a fish store and trade them in.

• It is very difficult to get them out of the pond.  They love to hide in the gunk at the bottom so you either have to drain the pond or use the bright light trick.  Locate them at night with a very bright light. Have your net ready, shine the light in their eyes, blinding them for a few seconds, and scoop them up.

• Goldfish and Koi have a slimecoat that the Plecos will be attracted to if they don't have enough to eat. This is not usually a problem in a pond unless it is overcrowded, then the Pleco may damage their slimecoats.

• Some species of Plecos are highly sensitive to salt and will suffer from as little as 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of water.

On the other hand:

• They do an excellent job of eating algae in a pond.

• They are amazing to observe, are much more beautiful in a pond setting, and you will be astounded at their growth rate; I put a three inch Pleco in my 1200 gallon pond in late June and by the end of August, just two months later, it was seven to eight inches long.

• I had a pair that spawned in the 1997 season and it was very exciting to have about 200 to 300 baby Plecos feasting on algae.

• They don't damage the plants like a lot of the snails do. You may see your lily pads moving around in a peculiar way, as if the center of the pad is being sucked below the water surface.  It is just your Pleco doing his magic by cleaning the underside of the lily pad.  They do like a tidy pond you know.

So, if you are bothered by the naturally occurring growth on the sides of your pond and on some of you pots and plants, try a Pleco and watch them perform miracles.  I will always have a Pleco or two in my ponds in the summer.  IMHO, it is well worth the trouble of catching them in the fall.

This article was written originally by Rhonda Barron in 1999 for Daydreamers Aquatic & Perineal Gardens.

To WPS October 2001 Newsletter!

11/14/01