How to Care for a Gold Nugget Pleco
A member of the Loricariidae family, the gold nugget pleco (plecostomus) is actually a small, sucker-mouth catfish. This egg-layer, considered a peaceful scavenger, grows up to 6 inches in length at maturity. If you are looking for a gold nugget pleco for your tank, ask for an L-18 at the pet shop. L-18 is the name given to this bottom feeder by fish enthusiasts. Keep in mind that the gold nugget pleco does have special needs and will require a moderate level of care.
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Things You'll Need
- 50-gallon freshwater tank
- Aerator
- Driftwood
- Plant
- Stones
- Fish tank heater
- Water pH testing kit
- Aquarium vacuum
- Freeze-dried bloodworms
- High quality flakes
- Sinkable carnivore pellets
Instructions
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Provide the gold nugget pleco with at least a 50-gallon, freshwater tank. A strong current provided by an aerator is also a must for the gold nugget pleco, which loves well-oxygenated water.
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Include two or three pieces of driftwood in the tank setup along with a few plants and a layer of stones. The driftwood, plants and stone substrate will give the pleco plenty of places to hide.
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Maintain an overall water temperature between 73 and 79 degrees F. A fish tank heater can help with water temperature control. The pH of the water should also stay within a range of 6.5 to 7.0 in order for the pleco to remain healthy. A water pH testing kit can help keep the tank water in check.
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Vacuum the stone substrate regularly with an aquarium vacuum. A buildup of food and debris at the bottom of the tank can cause the gold nugget pleco to acquire fungal and bacterial infections.
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Feed the gold nugget pleco a supplemental diet of freeze-dried bloodworms, high quality flakes or sinkable carnivore pellets. Although the gold nugget pleco will naturally gravitate to algae, he will eat the supplemental diet when algae are scarce.
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Tips & Warnings
The gold nugget pleco is a good companion fish for other plecos, loaches, swordtails, angelfish, tetras, discus, rasboras, barbs, danios and gouramis. It also lives in harmony with mollies, platies, rainbowfish and guppies.
The gold nugget pleco has a low light requirement and will often gravitate to darker areas of the tank.
Do not skimp on driftwood, plants and stones for the gold nugget pleco. Without enough hiding places, the gold nugget pleco may become aggressive.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit aquarium fish 9 image by cherie from Fotolia.com
