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Hi all. I'm considering (research stage) adding '1' Pleco to my Discus tank. Problem is it's quite a sparce tank for ease of maintenance. I've previously kept an L007 with Discus, which on paper isn't ideal, but it thrived due to the meaty diet, so I wouldn't mind something similar (temperament/size etc). L114, L160 are a couple I've also been looking at.

My question is this, other than for hiding, how essential is wood with regards to the diet of these species (Lepracanthicus and Pseudocanthicus)?

My previous L7 never bothered, but that may have been a one off.

Many thanks.

Wood is not a dietary item for these

Wood isn't absolutely necessary, but hiding spots are. In my experience, people have very little hiding spots in discus tanks for plecos and it can be stressful for them. My wild discus tank is full of wood and rocks for the plecos to hide so they are very comfortable in there. If you have sufficient hiding spots, then I would say no, you don't need the wood.

I have L204 with my discus. You'll want wood for L204. And they stay small.
Another option is L134 (be sure not to feed beef heart too often; not good for L134).

Thanks for the replies guys. I think it boils down to this... No hiding place, no Plec! So I'll have to explore some decor options first.

I've now purchased a large piece of wood that will be a nice central feature, and more importantly provides a nice hiding spot.

Re which Plec, Ive narrowed it down to an L14 or L114. Environment wise I think it would suit the Goldie better, but the L114's really pull my heart strings. Whichever I choose, it wont have any competition from other plecs (just Clown Loach). I dont want it to be too shy, but I dont want a complete tank wrecker either, like the Goldie I had some years ago who ate everything in sight including the false background!

So, in your humble opinions, which one should I go for?

Many thanks,
Jay.

If you're worried about pleco aggressiveness towards discus, I'd go with L14.
L114/600 are cheaper if that's a consideration.

Linus_Cello wrote:If you're worried about pleco aggressiveness towards discus, I'd go with L14.
L114/600 are cheaper if that's a consideration.

I wasn't too worried about aggression, as I thought they would both be okay towards the Discus, but I'm all ears if you think I may have trouble with aggression? In which case Goldie all the way.

Went for an L14 Goldie in the end. Thanks guys.