Loading ...
What is a pleco?
L-46 Zebra Pleco
The world of 'Plecs' has expanded enormously in the last 20 years or so, so many people, and older books, are unaware of the many species and variety of Plecs -thinking there is just one Plec – The Common Plecostomus rather than the hundreds known today, from which the nickname 'Plec' or 'pleco' has come.
Plecs are a type of Catfish, often called Sucker mouth Catfish, they all belong to the family known as Loricariidae. Some of the Plecs do seem to 'suck' on the glass of the tank, or rocks etc, and have large sucker -like mouths which has given rise to this nickname.
There is a common misconception that all plecs eat algae and rubbish in the tank and are bought as tank cleaners and do not need feeding. This is simply NOT true. Some include algae and wood in their diet, but not all , some are herbivores, some omnivores and some are carnivore!, and they all do need food which is appropriate for them. So it is important if you own a plec , or are planning to get one, to know which type it is so it can be fed appropriately. Many are nocturnal and do a lot of their feeding at night and hide in dark places during the day, so they need hiding places in the tank such as bogwood/driftwood pieces or rock caves.
L027c Xingu
Ancistrus cf cirrhosus
The various plecs differ in size and colour, from mottled brown to black and white stripes and spots as well as yellow, green, orange and red or even blue patterns. Some stay quite small (eg 1 inch long otos or 3-4 inch peckoltias) whilst others (including the common Plec) can grow to over a foot and need big aquariums to accommodate them. They have been grouped into families and given Latin names, and some have wonderful sounding common names, such as the zebra pleco, Golden nugget, blue phantom, royal whiptail, orange spotted Bristle nose, and so on. As there are too many to name the experts have tried to classify each species by giving them a unique number, the numbers start with a prefix of L or LDA and are known as the L-number. Just to be confusing some types that can vary in appearance ( perhaps from young to adult) have been accidentally given more than one L-number.
For more information about L-Numbers, check out the links below
Confused about L-numbers
L-numbers List
In the Spotlight
Aqua Essentials is an online retailer that sells tropical, marine, reptile and pond goods and have been providing quality goods to the public since 2003. In the year 2002, the concept of offering a shop which provided goods for only the planted aquarium was born. Fed up by the poor standards of local fish shops and other major brands, it seemed that no one was focusing on this wonderful side of the hobby in the UK. It was popular in other countries like Japan and America but not over here. With the world wide web being used more and more and with the option of eCommerce, Aqua Essentials launched it's first online shop in 2003 and we were proudly the first Planted Aquarium outlet in the UK.
Five years on and they continue to grow with popularity have maintained their beliefs as to the future of this hobby and how popular it has become. Aqua Essentials has been a market leader for many reasons, partly because of their forward thinking nature and their determination to bring 'other' products to the UK not previously seen before. They were the first to import CO2 glassware, CO2 diffusers, tweesers and scissors specifically designed to planted aquarium maintenance. They then brought ADA to the shores of the UK, long before most people had ever heard of it, let along knew what the brand was all about. They are also the only outlet that breeds their own freshwater shrimp, and whilst they still rely on importing some occasionally, in the future they will be self sufficient. In 2005 they launched a planted tank only forum which gave hobbyists the opportunity to discuss ideas and share their aquascapes. In fact this is where they first became friends with George Farmer who now writes for Practical Fish Keeping magazine.
In 2008 they launched their latest site which is more interactive with a survey, featured products and generally more exciting to use. The new site also gave them the opportunity for an About Us page which they felt their customers would enjoy, particularly as few shops actually write about how they started.
In 2009 Aqua Essentials changed once again and began catering for hobbyists who had interests in marine tanks. Along with that they began stocking pond equipment and in spring 2010 they will be stocking koi and welcome their customers to come and visit the premises. They also stock reptile products which has really been a huge hit and are able to source virtually any piece of equipment on the market.
It's been a very exciting six years for them and they look forward to the next six. Who knows where the hobby will be then!
Testimonials
Plecoplanet are proud to have Aqua Essentials as one of their sponsors.
Latest POTM Winner
The February 2010 Picture of the Month winner
Congratulations to FF MKII
Thank you to our Plecoplanet Sponsors who supplied the prize of a Screwcumber
Check out in the forum for the latest Plecoplanet competitions
