Plecos in ponds?

[FishHead]

I have a hi finned pleco, I believe L200, which I may be giving to my GF's parents. They wanted to place him in a 1500 gal pond, which has koi, comets and various other goldies. I know plecos will not winter over. He would be removed when the temp got colder out and placed in a 55 gal. I wanted to gain any knowledge or any opinions about doing this.

I have looked online and haven't found much info about plecos in outdoor ponds. Would this be a concern? Thanks in advance.

[SueM]

They do great outside as long as the water temp stays above 70. The problem I find with using them for algae in a smaller pond, is that they are poop machines, they also stir up the bottom with their tails and antics causing the pond to be cloudy. So actually they cause more mess/muck then they are worth for eating algae.

[FishHead]

hey Sue! Thanks for the reply. My GF's parents wanted to get some type of algae eater. They were originally going to get normal AE's but I said that they would get pretty aggressive as they age. They started looking at plecos instead.

Yeah, i told her that they need a certain temp and she said she would wait for the pond water to hit around 72ish before deciding. Than when the temp outside drops, the pleco would go into my GFs 55 gal, which has 3 goldies in it.

I just don't want to try moving the pleco and end up killing him. Their pond is pretty large, about 4 and a half foot deep. It's estimated at a minimal 1500 gals. Would you think there would be a problem with koi and plecos?

[Obsidian]

I'm thinking that for a pond some snails would probably do a better job of control without adding to the problem too much. But I do not know this for certain, it is just what came to mind when considering this issue.

[FishHead]

Do koi normally eat snails? Her koi are pretty large and the snails could probably fit in their mouths.

[Obsidian]

Good Q! I had not thought of that possibility. However I think the Q to ask is: If Koi do eat snails, is that going to hurt them? I say that because snails tend to reproduce quickly and if the Koi will eat them it would keep the population in check.

[lohachata]

if you have an L-200 (green phantom) pleco,keep in mind that it is primarily a carnivore.so actually it is omnivorous.is it kind of green in color with yellow spots?that is the L-200.if not you may have a black sailfin.they get pretty big.cool fish.i have one that is about 15 inches or so.
i have found them to prefer water temps in the upper 70's-low 80's
none of the other fish would bother a pleco though;but they can and will make a mess in a pond that has soil in it.

[FishHead]

Originally Posted by lohachata

if you have an L-200 (green phantom) pleco,keep in mind that it is primarily a carnivore.so actually it is omnivorous.is it kind of green in color with yellow spots?that is the L-200.if not you may have a black sailfin.they get pretty big.cool fish.i have one that is about 15 inches or so.
i have found them to prefer water temps in the upper 70's-low 80's
none of the other fish would bother a pleco though;but they can and will make a mess in a pond that has soil in it.

It's more blackish with yellowish spots. He was labeled as a "hi finned pleco" and nothing more. I'll keep that in mind about his size. He will have to be moved when it gets colder as their pond does not have a heater or anything to maintain the water temp.

[chattafish]

If your parents do go with your pleco remember you have to go with the night time temps.of 70* or above, ponds cool quickly at night. I personly use brushy-nose in my tanks, they never stop eating algae. I've not thought about using them in a pond. If you consider them add only a mature one, I have heard the bristles keep other fish from disturbing them. Have they thought of adding pond plants? you could starve out the algae and add shading plant(s) around the outside of the pond to filter out some sunlight.

[FishHead]

Originally Posted by chattafish

If your parents do go with your pleco remember you have to go with the night time temps.of 70* or above, ponds cool quickly at night. I personly use brushy-nose in my tanks, they never stop eating algae. I've not thought about using them in a pond. If you consider them add only a mature one, I have heard the bristles keep other fish from disturbing them. Have they thought of adding pond plants? you could starve out the algae and add shading plant(s) around the outside of the pond to filter out some sunlight.

they have a few plants on the pond already. The Koi eat most of the plants that are placed in, so they have to keep it to a minimal.