:D my new gold nugget pleco :D - pics

[fishdude07]

i just bought this little guy at aquatic imports in downtown st. joseph . i just had to get him . ive had my eye on him for a few weeks. anyways, he was $40 and hes 2" long. that was my most expensive purchase ever for just one fish . i decided to take c-man's advice and put him in the 10 gallon tank. he'll be in there until he gets a few inches longer, then he'll probably move into the 29 gallon. heres a pic of him in the bag floating in the 10 gallon tank. i love this little guy!!

 

[fishdude07]

another pic

 

[fishdude07]

one more

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Very good looking pleco. Looks like a good buy.....healthy looking to me

I wish i had one

 

[Bruckm]

Love it . Nice 'catch.'

 

[Balloon Fish]

yikes :/ 40 dollars thats a whole lot of money, but games are that much too so i guess its a good buy

 

[fishdude07]

heres another pic. this little guy was worth every dollar i paid to buy him

 

[Darkside]

Nice catch FD he's so cute. I reciantly bought a yellow pleco because my common passed not to long ago.

 

[catfishmike]

what a beauty!thats a nice plec.i have been wanting one like that for a while but it's hard to get the goldspots with the tail stripe.
all we get is the w/out tailstripe.
with a fish that nice i'd loki into displacing one of the plecs in the 55,it would be a shame to keep a guy like that in a 29

 

[ecotank]

Nice catch, yes they are great fish, one of my favorites. Ours is very friendly but a little shy with sudden movements, but if your patient he'll come right up to you.

p.s. CFM, I could swear I saw one with the tail stripe at Green Valley Aquarium...didn't look too close as we already have one though.

 

[catfishmike]

eh,i don't get out much so i get the slim pickens.
ya gotta get up on shipment day if ya want the good ones.

 

[fishguy07]

Hmm... spendin 40 dollars on that pleco isnt gettin you any closer to buying that 75 gallon DREAM tank. But oh well, if i bought a fish like that ild be worried about keepin it alive, because if it dies... your down 40 dollars and that Aquatic Imports doesnt have a good guaruntee... But anyway... that crappy light on the 10 gallon doesnt do that dude justice, if he was under a flouresant light... he'ld be lookin a lot better

 

[fishdude07]

the guy at aquatic imports was pretty nice. since it was an expensive fish he gave me a guarantee on it and told me if i have any problems to just let him know. that guy might be my future boss...

 

[Lotus]

Be really careful for the first few weeks with making sure your water parameters are good, and making sure the water temp is the same when doing a water change. They can be pretty sensitive to water conditions.

Gold nuggets like a more meaty diet. Bloodworms, shrimp pellets and sinking wafers should be OK. Don't expect him to clean your tank for you, and you should get him some driftwood. Make sure if you add driftwood that it has soaked for a few weeks in water, as it may alter your pH, and stress the pleco.

 

[fishdude07]

i actually bought some driftwood today for him ive been letting it soak and the guy at the lfs said to soak it overnight and it should be fine. but i thought it would take more than a night. does it really need to be soaked for a few WEEKS?

 

[Lotus]

I would normally say no, but as gold nuggets are sensitive when you first get them, I think it would be better to be cautious.

Here's a plan for you: Put the wood in a pail with water, and test the pH. Wait a few days, then test pH again to see if it has dropped. While the driftwood can cause a gradual pH drop, when you do a water change, you are causing a big swing. New or sensitive fish can't always handle those kinds of swings.

 

[fishdude07]

i see. so should i replace the water in the bucket that has the driftood in it ever or just keep the same water in there?

edit: i just checked the pH of the water in the bucket with the driftwood. its at 7.2 at the moment.

 

[Lotus]

It depends on if you want to see how it's affecting the pH or not. I am guessing you go at least a few days between water changes, so I would say not to change the water, just to see how much that piece is leaching. The effects of that driftwood could go on for months, so you may as well find out first how much of an effect it will have.

 

[fishdude07]

thanks, lotus. you have been very helpful . i just checked the pH of the water in the bucket with the driftwood. its at 7.2 at the moment.