Rhino Plecos

Canadian Fish

Anyone here keep one of these? I have read they can live in a community, and won't necessarily destroy plants. But then I also hear the opposite. I haven't found a ton of into on this fish. Usually I find half a dozen profiles to compare but I haven't found that much on this guy.

I already keep bristlenose plecos and I want something different for the big tank.

They have a big Rhino Pleco at my LFS right now.

Byron

I've never had one, so I will give you a link to reliable data:
Pterygoplichthys scrophus • Loricariidae • Cat-eLog

They eat and tear up plants it says. Thinking of your beautiful 6-foot tank that will be beautiful no longer.

Canadian Fish

LAME! I was worried about that, lol. My planted tank is coming along nicely so I can't risk something eating and tearing up my plants. That's why I went with tetras instead of barbs.

I need an algae eater though. Any plecos besides bristlenose that won't destroy my plants, that you are familiar with?

I think I'll get some Siamese Algae Eaters (not Flying Foxes) but I would really like a pleco. Maybe I'll just have to get a handful of Bristlenoses. I will never see them in all that dark driftwood.

The girl at the LFS said the Rhino has been living with plants and Discus and hadn't disturbed either. The last time we were there the wife saw it move for the first time. It usually doesn't do much.
This is probably one of those instances where I want to believe my LFS simply because what they're telling me fits with what I want.

Freshcatch

This is usually the time to go with the gut feeling as well.

JDM

"This is probably one of those instances where I want to believe my LFS simply because what they're telling me fits with what I want."

I call that "curve fitting".

If the LFS will take the fish back if it doesn't perform as advertised and you really want it, it can't be that bad to see if it will be OK in your tank. The LFS I am now starting to frequent take fish back for a credit exchange (about 1/3rd depending upon a few factors) even if they just get too large for the tank. I was there the other day and some guy came in with a huge Goldfish in a pail that he was just going to flush and they took it without any problem... I don't think that he was even a previous customer let alone bought that fish there.

Personally I think that it is poor planning to own a fish that could outgrow a tank. Even though I briefly considered it for some small angels that I saw the other day... I came to my senses though.

Jeff.

Canadian Fish

Well, I don't think he'll outgrow the tank, but my store does buy back for a certain percentage of credit. I don't buy fish I don't have space to house (or try not to) so I haven't had to return a fish yet. I guess I could try him, but I do worry I'll go to bed one night and the next morning all my plants will all be uprooted or destroyed. I also wonder if I'm up to catching such a big fish and bringing him back to the store.

I read a bunch of pleco profiles last night and it's hard to find one bigger than a bristlenose that won't eat or uproot plants, or potentially become aggressive.

Though the LFS did say this one was in with plants and Discus and not disturbing either.... lol. If I do try him, and my plants get destroyed, I will have no one to blame but myself.

He's more expensive than I'm used to paying for a fish. I have never paid for than $20 for any single fish. He's closer to $50, but he is big.

Canadian Fish

I also worry about him becoming aggressive with my Ropefish. One profile I read this morning said they can become aggressive with bottom feeders. My tank has a fairly large footprint, 72"x24", and lots of hiding spots in caves and driftwood. Still, it could be an issue. The same profile also mentioned them destroying plants, and only robust and fast growing plants are recommended. Looks like it is back to the drawing board.

Byron

This is not sounding good.

First, fish in store tanks rarely if ever behave "normally." They are likely under stress from inappropriate water conditions, overcrowding, whatever. Bring a fish home and put it in a more suitable environment and it will behave as nature programmed it; sometimes quickly, sometimes over time. But thousands of years of selective evolution are part of the fish's physiology and it is not going to change.

Algae and algae eating fish. First, do you have algae? If yes, what type? Most of the problem algae in tanks will not be eaten by fish with a very few exceptions.

One should never buy any fish to solve a problem. Fix the problem. The possible detriment to the fish, or the other fish, or the aquarium is not worth the risk. I have fish that eat common green algae in three of my tanks, because I like them as fish. Rineloricaria parva, Farlowella vitatta and Otocinclus macrospilus. Considering how they all appear when the meal gong is sounded, there can't be much "algae" in the tanks or they wouldn't be hungry for sinking foods.

Byron.

Canadian Fish

I do have some brown algae on my glass and rocks, but the only reason I haven't scrubbed it is because I want some algae eaters (not because the algae is a problem, but because I think they are cool).

But everything I have heard and been told tells me not to get this guy.

So are their any plecos bigger than a bristlenose that might be a better fit?

I'm thinking of getting some siamese algae eaters too, but I'd still like a pleco.

If albino bristlenoses weren't so expensive here, I would get a few of those. They would stand out like crazy on my dark driftwood and black substrate. But the normal ones will be darn near invisible.

1077

I have an Adult Rhino pleco in 55 gal with Adult Mustard spot pleco,Adult Bristlenose Pleco,and one Clown Pleco.
I toss clipping's from my planted tank into this tank, and also have some Water Sprite growing from substrate along with lot's of driftwood with Anubias attached to same.(oh,and some leopard val's planted).
None of these fishes attack the plant's, but I keep them well fed with algae wafer's,New life Spectrum pellet's large size (rich in vegetable matter).
Have had the Rhino pleco for over a year now and it is quite active at night,along with the other's.