Ancistrus with Oscars?

Well since I've taken the Pleco out I've been noticing a lot more "dirt" especially on the driftwood and such.

So was thinking maybe I can put one of those often highly recommended on TASA okes in my tank, but not sure if they would be happy?

I understand that they don't grow as large as the common Pleco's, but then I always don't know which is which.

Some of them look horrible (fokken Prawns) and other look quite pretty.


Thoughts?

 

I say go for it - just make sure they have somewhere to hide under during the day, as they are effectively nocturnal.

 

How large do they get?

And which ones are the pretty (and cheap lol) ones?

 

The clown pleco's are relatively pretty - not sure what your idea of cheap is though??? R50? R100? R200???

 

wow u lucky u even got to put a plec in with you oscars. i tried a half a meter plec with my 20cm oscars and the male draged the plec around the tank by its tail. the plec was litteraly in the tank for like 5 seconds.

good luck with the ancistrus you better have plenty of hiding spaces that the oscars cant reach

 

That's why I need to add it now, while the Oscars are small.

 

I wouldn't do it. Ancistrus don't get that big, and eventually you'll have a risk of keeping a relatively small fish with potentially large Oscars.

 

even if they grow with the oscars, there remains a risk that when all grown up, the oscars wont be as friendly...

 

I have major success with Synodontis species in the past, and they are pretty small.

Are the Ancistrus smaller?

 

Clown Peckoltia's? Not great for algae and they constantly need a supply of cellulose from plants or diftwood.

What about a talking catfish?

 

It all depends on the species you get - the ones that are most common around here grow to about 15cm max...

It all depends on Oscar temperament though. Just remember that oscars can get a little more... well, 'mean', as they grow.

 

Yeah, it will be a chance I have to take.

 

I don't think it's really fair on the fish - catfish, especially the pleco species, are largely viewed as cleaner fish and treated as such.

It's not worth the risk, as I said. You're putting the fish into a potentially dangerous situation that isn't even nessecary. You could easily clean the tank yourself with the right equipment.

 

Well it's not that the tank looks terrible, and the lazy bastard Synodontis is still in there.


It's just specifically on the driftwood a fine layer forms, which is difficult to clean (or keep clean) and the Pleco seems to have liked cleaning this up.