Plecostomus ( Aka ) Plecos are popular fish in the aquarium hobby. They are scavengers known for their ability to eat algae and other waste. Pleco breeding is not as difficult as it seems. If you follow these steps, you can breed most types of plecos in your aquarium. plecos need a spacious tank with strong filtration. The reasons for this are simple – they need space, and they tend to be prolific poopers. Much of their life seems to consist of searching for food, eating the food, and then searching for more. Because of this, they are prodigious poop producers, and if the water isn’t well filtered, the water quality will quickly plummet.
All you need is a pair of adult plecos interested in mating and a tank large enough for them. When the temperature gets cooler, somewhat close to the average temperature of Amazon in the rainy season, the mating will start. You can also consider adding some cool water to replicate the mating season.
Step 1: You need to make sure that the tank is set up well with plants, driftwood, and rocks. The tank should be at least 20 gallons for one pleco or 10 gallons for two. The water should be filtered and cycled with live plants, which will also help to remove nitrates from the water column.
You will probably want to add a variety of different size caves, rocks and driftwood to your Plecos’ habitat. Once males mature, they will claim a territory that is most suitable for spawning.
Breeding conditions are fairly simple in fact, the normal aquarium habitat with frequent water changes and Water Temperature: Between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. is nearly ideal. To encourage spawning behaviour. Once the male has chosen a “cave” to breed in, it will meticulously clean the sides and attempt to attract the female into the cave. If the female is enticed in by the male, it will deposit eggs on the side of the cave, and the male will then set about guarding the eggs until they hatch.
Step 2: Don’t forget to feed your pleco a bit more than usual at this time because the male is going to soon be in and out of the selected breeding cave. You should feed your plecos a varied diet of vegetables like lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, spinach, peas and carrots every day or every other day. when ready he will protect his eggs for over a week. By Feeding more and Doing Daily Water Changes helps to encourage spawning behaviour within the tank. It is also recommended to have a pH: Somewhere in the 6.5 – 7.5 range.
Things You Can Feed Your Pleco.
One of my biggest and most favourite things to Feed my plecos to encourage spawning behaviour is Live Baby Brine Shrimp… You’ll be surprised how much they love it, especially my Hypancistrus. The nutrition in the egg sacks is great for your plecos to Feed on. That being said if you would prefer something else I’d suggest trying Repashy Fish Food this is amazing for all types of plecos and my Ancistrus devour this.. I’ve yet to see any plecos turn away from it when feeding time they absolutely love it. But here is a list of things to Feed your pleco
Cucumber
Peas
Courgette
Lettuce
Zucchini
Carrots
Baby Brine Shrimp
Repashy
Sinking Pellets
Alge / veggie wafers
But you can always experiment and try different fruits and vegetables, and they will also greedily accept broccoli, lima beans and a wide array of other vegetables. With that being said, they should never be fed any acidic fruits or vegetables (oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, etc.)
You may want to keep a count of your male to female radio within the aquarium 1 male to 2 females is best to start with and then build up a group that is happy to breed together.. I would suggest 2 males to 5 females this would be my most recommended way to group your plecos for breeding.. you can always add additional and see how it goes but may encourage fighting between males in the aquarium.
How long does it take for pleco eggs to hatch?
More than one female can lay eggs in a male’s cave. The male will clean the eggs and the nest, and aerate them with his fins during the 4-10 days that they take to hatch.
If you are trying to save the fry and grow them out, I would pull them to their own tank. It is easier to observe them and make sure they are getting fed. I would think a 10 gallon is fine until they reach a certain size. I used a 10 gallon for my BN. If you just want to see if you can breed them, you can leave the fry with the parents. Eventually, the tank may become overstocked, but I don’t think that would be immediate. Growth rates on most fry, in my opinion, are dependent on 2 main variables – how much they eat and how clean is the environment. If you want to grow fry fast, change the water every day. I’m not a proponent of overfeeding. Just feed normally and change lots of water.
If you want to learn more about plecos then follow the links below.
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