# Making natural hiding places for large pleco without plastic decor?



## Bunny (Oct 13, 2013)

Hi everyone, I have big plans to overhaul and rescape/start co2/root tabs, etc in my 33 gallon tank.

My biggest problem is that we have a 5" pleco who adores hiding in his "rock". The rock is so dang ugly. It came second hand with the tank and during boiling to sterilize it, a lot of the color came off so it's way too pale in color for my tastes now - especially if I add driftwood and change to dark sand I feel it'll stick out like a sore thumb. It's also huge - taking up easily a third of the tank's footprint as it needs space on the sides for Mr. Fatso Pleco Face to get in and out.

I want to get the tank planted as heavily as I can... love the lush looks of tanks I see. Just worried that if I take his rock out the pleco would have no where to hide.. going to get some driftwood also, but don't know if the holes that creates would be big enough for him.

So. What small - footprint cave can I give my pleco? Would he hide happily in driftwood crevices and plants? He is a bit of a big guy and won't fit in the nice hiding places (like plants!!) I see for cories and the like. (going to upgrade the tank in the next year or two for him).

I would LOVE to see pictures of pleco - holes for big-boys if anyone know of anyone who did them from plants/driftwood.

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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

Check out my 160 gallon. I have over 20 busheynose plecos in there. I use rocks and branching wood.

http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/tank-journals-16/160-gallon-mixed-community-69105/

For larger plecos, any driftwood will work great!

You may run into problems depending on your pleco species however, as plecos have an act of ripping up plants while they swim. Any idea what species?


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## DBam (Aug 9, 2010)

Species is important, or more specifically the genus. Your panaquolus, hypancistrus, leporacanthicus, pseudancistrus, and to a lesser extent ancistrus, hemi/bary-ancistrus have strong dispositions for cave-dwelling. If that's what you have, maybe you can hide a functional cave under the driftwood or rocks that you want to be able to see.

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## TomC (Apr 21, 2010)

I glued two pieces of PVC pipe to the under side of a large slate. Mine is always there. It has a large footprint, but I anchor Java Moss on top of it.


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## Bunny (Oct 13, 2013)

Pretty sure it's a common plecostomous - bought it from petsmart a couple years ago... 
Maybe I'll post a few pics of it on a pleco/catfish forum (or here?) to get it identified.
I wouldn't mind leaving it it's rock if it didn't take up so much space in the 33 gal tank... The 120-220 we are thinking about would more than include it...
*sigh* rescuing my husband's cousin's goldfish (the original fish we had) has really cost us a lot of money 

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## Rockman (May 19, 2013)

Bunny said:


> Pretty sure it's a common plecostomous - bought it from petsmart a couple years ago...
> Maybe I'll post a few pics of it on a pleco/catfish forum (or here?) to get it identified.
> I wouldn't mind leaving it it's rock if it didn't take up so much space in the 33 gal tank... The 120-220 we are thinking about would more than include it...
> *sigh* rescuing my husband's cousin's goldfish (the original fish we had) has really cost us a lot of money
> ...


Yeah... with a 'common plec' (go ahead and post a picture... we'll see what we can do) you're kinda hooped if you want to go planted. I've got a Pterygoplichthys joselimaianus (one the smaller species sold as a 'common pleco'); he's a bulldozer. They like to dig; so they'll either uproot your plants or bury them. The best you can do is to go with lots of wood with Java fern, anubias, etc anchored to them.

My guy lives under a 3' piece of bogwood. Not exactly space efficient; but it looks decent and has the option of attaching plants to it.


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## Bunny (Oct 13, 2013)

Best couple of pics I could get of the pleco. He's a shy little dude (or gal... but strikes me as a dude.) and goes to hide as soon as he sees people come near.




























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## Rockman (May 19, 2013)

Hmmm... Since nobody else has said anything I'll have a go. Hard to tell from those photos but it's probably a Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps or possibly P. Pardalis. I'm not really a catfish expert though so maybe try planet catfish as well. Either way though that's one of the big guys. A planted tank is unlikely to work well... You'll be wanting decor that can't be dug up (I see a lot of bogwood in your future)


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

It's a common pleco which will grow too large for any place you can create for it. For a 33 gallon I would consider rehoming him now before he gets too big and destroys your planting and hardscape. Perhaps consider a bristlenose?

If you really want to hang on to him he'll be fine without a cave. Just put a big piece of wood in there where he can hang upside out of the light and he'll be happy as a clam. Or upgrade to a bigger tank. Stacked rockwork or wood is the best for creating hiding places, but you don't have a lot of space to create much in a 33 gallon unfortunately.


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## Bunny (Oct 13, 2013)

*sigh*
I know he's one of the big guys... damn petsmart. But I cant stand to see him go - just these last few days he's stared coming to hand-feed from me 
We are planning to upgrade to a bigger tank in about a year or so, I think he'll be fine until then. I ended up moving his rock as the goldfish decided to get stuck in it a few days ago, and he hasnt been hiding in it as much. The driftwood I picked up to rescape with will hopefully provide him with a couple places to hide... although they are more like sticks than logs... I'm hoping that I can get some plants growing with him for now and that he will be happy using them to hide in. I just do not like the look of bare rock/wood tanks. 

I want a bristle nose too  actually, I want a bunch more plecos, but they are so expensive... Saw the ones at Fantasy Aquatics the other day - oh my GOODNESS they are stunning. I prefer the smaller ones (longfin especially), but they truly were gorgeous.

Thank you guys for your help!!


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## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

Looks like a male gibbiceps from here. You can try leaning a flat piece of slate against a piece of wood to create a pleco lean-to? Might look better than the goldfish trap rock, and take up less space.


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