Other Turtle Discussion :: plecos and snails

[kneecole]

So dispite what I had read about some peoples opinions on having a pleco with their RES (aka the RES will eat it) I got one last week. He's about 3.5 inches and my turtles are 2 inches. So they've been more or less scared big time of it. They try to stay as far away from him as possible. And when the pleco sneaks up on them they spaz out majorly. Kinda funny.

But my questsion is if anyone else owns a pleco, what do you feed it in addition to the mold and such that it eats off the side and bottom? I read that you can feed them store bought algea waffers. Not sure how many to feed it though. It says on the package "feed as many as it will consume in 12 hours". haha yeah that seems like a lot. Kinda like the directions on my bottle of turlte food.

Also I ordered "6 small snails" on ebay and got them today. I was expecting them to be about the size of a dime or so. Ends up they are about the size of a little snail that you would find on the sidewalk. Yeah pretty dissapointing. And as soon as I put the first two in my pig of a turlte came up and ate one shell and all in one bite. Lovely. So the other 4 are going in my beta tank. haha.

Wow that was a long post.... I'm bored....

[sonyj]

I've had my pleco for two months and haven't feed it yet. He eats off the bottom from the debris of Koopa's food and then cleans the tank.

[kneecole]

Oh really? Hm alright. Yeah I just read somewhere on a pleco site that that wasn't enough and that you needed to feed it algea disks and leafy veggies. But I guess considering that turtles are a lot messier than fish I can understand why you wouldn't need to feed it.

Thanks!

[way2fst4u]

I have read, not seen with my own eyes, that Plecos are prone to attaching to turtle shells and possibly their faces and causing harm...especially if they're bigger than the turts. Be careful...I heard they can bore a hole in them...

[TexasJagsFan]

I have two plecos in my fish tank, but I toss him some pellets that sink, but I several bottom feeders.

[sonyj]

I have read, not seen with my own eyes, that Plecos are prone to attaching to turtle shells and possibly their faces and causing harm...especially if they're bigger than the turts. Be careful...I heard they can bore a hole in them...

My pleco has actually cleaned Koopa's shell with no damage done to either (it's a rare occasion though)... I believe that's more urban legend than truth but either way just keep a check out on how they get along.

[TexasJagsFan]

I have a 10 inch pleco in my aquarium, and he has never done anything to harm another fish in there.

[way2fst4u]

Maybe like Sonja said...just another Urban Legend...

[kneecole]

Yikes that's kinda scary. Sounds kinda far fetch and deffenitly like an urban legend but scary none the less.

[leereyn]

Nicole, I have 2 pleco's and one thing mine love is cucumbers. I bought a plastic clip from my pet store and I cut about a 1/4" slice, hang it on the clip and they absolutly eat a hole in the center of it. Kind of neat to watch actually. They also clean up the tropical flakes I feed the rest of my fish. If your snails are like mine they'll grow fairly fast also.

[BigCT]

Also I ordered "6 small snails" on ebay and got them today. I was expecting them to be about the size of a dime or so. Ends up they are about the size of a little snail that you would find on the sidewalk. Yeah pretty dissapointing. And as soon as I put the first two in my pig of a turlte came up and ate one shell and all in one bite. Lovely. So the other 4 are going in my beta tank.

When i first read that I was confused about the size of you turtles. Where i live the snails we have on our side walks are about the size of silver dollar. I was trying to envision a 2.5 inch trurt eating a 1in snail. LOL

[turtlerugby]

I have a 5 inch pleco and he just attaches himself to my turt and sucks n his shell for a while. then just swims away. I have also heard about the boaring a hole thing and if t was a ltttle turtle and a big pleco maybe but if the turt feels anything they shuld be able to get the pleco off. I feed mine cucumber nd algae disc plus all the ther items that hit the bottom

[kneecole]

When i first read that I was confused about the size of you turtles. Where i live the snails we have on our side walks are about the size of silver dollar. I was trying to envision a 2.5 inch trurt eating a 1in snail. LOL

haha wow. I was talking about like little tiny snails. they are like half the size of your pinky nail.

[rucku3226]

as far as ive known, if you get a freshwater snail, they will breed and your tank will be overrun within a month? correct me if i am wrong.. yes i was also wondering about putting a pleco in with my res, maybe keep the tank a little cleaner, my turts are about 4 inches, what size should i get, i dont think theyll bother it.. they didnt eat the feeder fish i bought em for about a week

[way2fst4u]

I had a bunch of snails (I assume they came in on my Water Lettuce & Hyacinth...). They were gone in a few days. I'm assuming they were eaten. The little painteds really eat anything. My regular RES are a lot more picky...although they love wax/mealworms as a treat. And crickets.