# Common Plecos and Driftwood



## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

Do common plecos really need driftwood that bad?
I have this fairly large piece in my tank and thats all it does is sit there.
It takes up a lot of space so I can't really add anymore decorations.

I'm thinking of taking it out and putting in a bunch of small-medium sized caves and stuff. 

But i'm worried about the Sailfin Pleco. Who has made his home on the underside of the driftwood.


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

I mean there are some plecos that would die without driftwood. right? is this one of them


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## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

Driftwood is important to all plecos definately. It is the most important thing you could have in the tank where plecos are concerned. They actually eat them for the bulk fiber which makes up part of their diet.
Lots of driftwoods release benficial tannins into the water also which is the natural habitiat of most plecos.
Driftwood is the only ornament I use in my tanks, if its too large, cut it up or simply tear it along the grain of the wood to make it smaller.


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

I havn't actually seen the pleco eat driftwood. If anything my crays are carving it up. 

No bowsaws or bandsaws to cut it up


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

Has anyone kept a pleco Without driftwood...

What are your experiences with that


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## mikechelsie (Nov 19, 2010)

yah ive had lots of common plecos in tanks without driftwood and they seem to be doing great


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## The Guy (Nov 26, 2010)

I have 2 large pieces of driftwood in one of my tanks with my plecos and they keep it nice and buffed, I agree with Gimlid it's important when it comes to their diet, as well as the tannins released into the water. If it takes up too much room break it down to a smaller size.


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## Niall (Jun 30, 2010)

They might be able to live without it, but they'd prefer to live with it. I've actually had a common pleco live with my African's for the last 2.5 years. There is no driftwood, as well as a high ph level and he is very much alive. Is he liking his habitat  maybe not. 

My other tanks all have plecos and driftwood and they are all very lively too, and spend tons of time around the driftwood. There happiness = driftwood  ...but they can live without


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

Any correlation as to size of driftwood. I have a massive piece that covers like almost the whole tank. and when you look in That's all you can see. I wonder if I can acheive the same happiness with a smaller piece


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## hi-revs (Nov 3, 2010)

my pleco seems to be doing fine in my tank without any driftwood. but again, ive only had him for about 8 months.
But i am looking around for a piece of driftwood though.
anyone have any extra smaller pieces that theyd like to sell? pm me


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

i wants some too!


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## EDGE (Aug 24, 2010)

gimlid is correct. Driftwood helps with pleco digestive tract. Kind of like how we human are. We can probably get away without fiber for a short time, but fiber helps our intestine move and keep us from being constipated.

Without fiber, there is a chance the fish might get constipated/bloated if they are eating a lot.

Size is not an issue so long as they have a piece of wood to eat on.

That being said, if your pleco has made a home out of the driftwood, he will most likely get stressed out until he established a new place to hide.


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## logan22 (Sep 6, 2010)

Iam getting a 7inch common pleco today i have one medium size piece of drift wood in my tank..but the other fish have claimed it..they might be territorial over it.. any body have any they would like to give or sell? it would be greatly apprieciated...Also this is my first pleco..and i need some more info on them.. like what to feed, water temp, ph, Is it really true that plecos have been known to suck on fish and kill them? All the info would be greatly apprieciated

cheers Sarah


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## Shell Dweller (Jul 11, 2010)

I have plecos in just about all my tanks. 3 are in with my guppies, platies and mollies. they are about 2 1/2 inches big. I have another 3 inch in with my baby holding tank. 3 more 3 inchers in my tetra tank. 6-1 inch plecos in my 160 gal angel tank along with my butterfly pleco, and a 24 year old banjo catfish. the largest is a 6 inch pleco with my africans in their 120 gal tank. They all have driftwood ranging from 1 ft pieces to a large 5ft trunk in my 120 chiclid tank. The temps and ph range in the tanks but they all seem to be active and healthy. I feed them wafers and zuchinni which they all love.


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## logan22 (Sep 6, 2010)

HOW OFTEN do you feed zuchinni? what else do you ffeed them besides waffers..do they eat any prrotein? like bloodworm or shrimp apparently they only eat at night right? so how do you know if there even eatting at all? sorry dumb questions from a newbie pleco keeper


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## hi-revs (Nov 3, 2010)

^^ I don't know if they ONLY eat at night or not, but my 3inch pleco eats at the same time as everybody else in the tank.


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## Shell Dweller (Jul 11, 2010)

My 6 inch pleco will devour 1/2 a zucinni peeled and sliced length ways overnight. I am pretty sure he eats any left overs that I feed my cichlids, not to mention I also feed my fish my own beefheart mix. I'm sure he gets some of that also. I'm not sure what others feed theirs. 

I feed them zucinni twice a week.


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## Sliver (Apr 19, 2011)

well.... i just added one of the driftwood pieces i collected over the weekend to the tank i have my 8" pleco in.....it took him about 20 mins to find it and he has barely strayed from it since..... that was about 5 hours ago.


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

Funny it must be a certain kind of driftwood. My pleco just hid underneath it and then didn't do too much afterwards... I took it out now cause it was taking up all the space


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## Luke78 (Apr 24, 2010)

Wouldnt consider this a wise decision.Plecos need a spot to claim their own,feel secure, and hidden from everything else in their environment.Not all plecos are active during the day(nocturnal) and active during later hours.Try to find one or two smaller pieces and use those instead.Leaving them out into the open will stress them out.



Edarion said:


> Funny it must be a certain kind of driftwood. My pleco just hid underneath it and then didn't do too much afterwards... I took it out now cause it was taking up all the space


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

Take heed Edarion - expert advice


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

My tank is really too small for a Pleco. I'm trying to get rid of it....


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