One of the most significant concerns for aquarium enthusiasts is whether the species in your tank will get along well together. No one wants to put incompatible species together, but sometimes it can be difficult to tell which tank mates are best.
Plecos and stingrays, while each are wonderful additions to any tank, are not recommended as tank mates. While both species are gentle, non-confrontational, and have peaceful dispositions, plecos are suckerfish and will often try to suck on the stingray’s discs, causing sores, irritation, and sometimes more serious injuries.
There has been reported success with plecos and stingrays sharing a tank, so if you choose to put rays and plecos in a shared tank, make sure the tank is large, with plenty of space for both species and that all the fish in the tank are well fed. To reduce stress in your tank, as with any species, make sure there are plenty of hiding spaces for your fish.
Read on to learn more about plecos, stingrays, and their ideal tank mates and tank conditions.
Can I keep plecos with stingrays?
While it isn’t recommended to keep stingrays in the same tank with plecos, given the risk of your pleco latching onto your ray’s disc and causing sores and irritation, there has been success in some cases with these two species sharing a tank.
You’ll just have to keep a close eye on your ray to make sure it doesn’t have any sores, which would be a sign of your pleco sucking on your ray’s disc.
If you do decide to have a stingray and plecos share a tank, it’s best to make sure your pleco and your ray are the same size. Rays will eat any smaller fish, including plecos, that they can fit into their mouths. On the same note, a large pleco will likely kill a smaller ray.
Make sure to keep your pleco well fed so it doesn’t latch onto your rays.
What is the rarest pleco fish?
While plecos compose a highly diverse group of fish, there are four pleco species that are considered the rarest:
- Zebra Pleco (Hypancistrus zebra)
- The beautiful and coveted zebra pleco was added to the Endangered Species list in 2016 due to the construction of the Belo Monte dam in its native Brazil. The construction is disrupting breeding patterns and harming existing zebra pleco populations, making it one of the rarest pleco species.
- Zebra plecos are a small species, the adults rarely exceeding 6 inches in length. They are difficult to breed in captivity, which drives up the prices of zebra plecos in the aquarium community.
- Sunshine Golden Pleco (Scobinancistrus aureatus)
- This striking polka dot pleco species with bright golden fins is a large pleco species that can grow up to 12 inches in length. Their size means that they do best in large aquariums that hold at least 100 gallons.
- Redtail Sternella Pleco (Pseudacanthicus cf. leopardus)
- This species is very similar in appearance to the Sunshine Golden Pleco, but instead of polka dots, has a more distinctive leopard print. They are a smaller pleco species, with adults generally not exceeding 6 inches in length.
- Alenquer Tiger Pleco (Panaqolus sp.)
- This beautiful pleco species is small, with adults measuring about 6 inches in length, and – like the other rare pleco varieties – are native to Brazil. They are named for their lovely orange stripes that stand out against their dark bodies.
What is the biggest pleco in the world?
Plecos come in a diverse range of sizes, patterns, and colors. The smallest pleco species grow only a couple inches as adults, while the largest pleco species can grow to nearly 30 inches in length.
The largest pleco varieties are listed as follows:
- Orinoco Sailfin Pleco – max length 28 inches
- Royal Pleco – max length 24 inches
- Snow King Trinidad Pleco – max length 20 inches
- Amazon Sailfish Pleco – max length 19 inches
- Common Pleco – max length 15 (in captivity)
- Rhino Pleco – max length 11 inches
Keep in mind that plecos can often grow larger than anticipated, and you might soon find that your pleco has outgrown its tank. Sizes can also widely vary depending on whether a pleco is raised in captivity or taken from its natural habitat.
How many plecos can I have in a tank?
While plecos can be good natured with other species with peaceful dispositions, they can often be territorial and aggressive with their own kind. One pleco per tank is usually best, though sometimes they do all right in pairs as long as the tank is big enough.
Any more than two plecos in a tank is asking for trouble.
What are good tank mates for stingrays?
Despite your ray’s peaceful and non-confrontational nature, they are still predators, and will attempt to eat any fish that they can easily fit in their mouths. Smaller tank mates will need plenty of hiding places in your tank to give them shelter during the nighttime, which is the ray’s natural hunting time.
Stingrays are gentle and non-confrontational by nature, preferring to keep to themselves. Because of this, avoid adding semi-aggressive or territorial species to your stingray’s tank.
As a general rule of thumb when considering tank mates for your stingrays, make sure whichever fish you choose is roughly the same size as your ray.
The best tank mates for stingrays as listed as follows:
- Other rays
- Stingrays do very well with their own kind
- Silver dollars
- These low-maintenance fish are an attractive addition to any tank. Native to South America, silver dollars get along well with most fish species and are great for community tanks.
- Geophagus
- These large, peaceful fish can grow up to 11 inches in length, which is roughly the size of many freshwater rays
- Bichirs
- These large, long fish don’t do well with smaller fish, but surprisingly do well with large species like stingrays.
- Giant gouramis
- These large, pale fish can grow up to 16 inches in length.
Can a Stingray and Pleco Share a Tank?
One of the most significant concerns for aquarium enthusiasts is whether the species in your tank will get along well together. No one wants to put incompatible species together, but sometimes it can be difficult to tell which tank mates are best.
Plecos and stingrays, while each are wonderful additions to any tank, are not recommended as tank mates. While both species are gentle, non-confrontational, and have peaceful dispositions, plecos are suckerfish and will often try to suck on the stingray’s discs, causing sores, irritation, and sometimes more serious injuries.
There has been reported success with plecos and stingrays sharing a tank, so if you choose to put rays and plecos in a shared tank, make sure the tank is large, with plenty of space for both species and that all the fish in the tank are well fed. To reduce stress in your tank, as with any species, make sure there are plenty of hiding spaces for your fish.
Read on to learn more about plecos, stingrays, and their ideal tank mates and tank conditions.
Can I keep plecos with stingrays?
While it isn’t recommended to keep stingrays in the same tank with plecos, given the risk of your pleco latching onto your ray’s disc and causing sores and irritation, there has been success in some cases with these two species sharing a tank.
You’ll just have to keep a close eye on your ray to make sure it doesn’t have any sores, which would be a sign of your pleco sucking on your ray’s disc.
If you do decide to have a stingray and plecos share a tank, it’s best to make sure your pleco and your ray are the same size. Rays will eat any smaller fish, including plecos, that they can fit into their mouths. On the same note, a large pleco will likely kill a smaller ray.
Make sure to keep your pleco well fed so it doesn’t latch onto your rays.
What is the rarest pleco fish?
While plecos compose a highly diverse group of fish, there are four pleco species that are considered the rarest:
- Zebra Pleco (Hypancistrus zebra)
- The beautiful and coveted zebra pleco was added to the Endangered Species list in 2016 due to the construction of the Belo Monte dam in its native Brazil. The construction is disrupting breeding patterns and harming existing zebra pleco populations, making it one of the rarest pleco species.
- Zebra plecos are a small species, the adults rarely exceeding 6 inches in length. They are difficult to breed in captivity, which drives up the prices of zebra plecos in the aquarium community.
- Sunshine Golden Pleco (Scobinancistrus aureatus)
- This striking polka dot pleco species with bright golden fins is a large pleco species that can grow up to 12 inches in length. Their size means that they do best in large aquariums that hold at least 100 gallons.
- Redtail Sternella Pleco (Pseudacanthicus cf. leopardus)
- This species is very similar in appearance to the Sunshine Golden Pleco, but instead of polka dots, has a more distinctive leopard print. They are a smaller pleco species, with adults generally not exceeding 6 inches in length.
- Alenquer Tiger Pleco (Panaqolus sp.)
- This beautiful pleco species is small, with adults measuring about 6 inches in length, and – like the other rare pleco varieties – are native to Brazil. They are named for their lovely orange stripes that stand out against their dark bodies.
What is the biggest pleco in the world?
Plecos come in a diverse range of sizes, patterns, and colors. The smallest pleco species grow only a couple inches as adults, while the largest pleco species can grow to nearly 30 inches in length.
The largest pleco varieties are listed as follows:
- Orinoco Sailfin Pleco – max length 28 inches
- Royal Pleco – max length 24 inches
- Snow King Trinidad Pleco – max length 20 inches
- Amazon Sailfish Pleco – max length 19 inches
- Common Pleco – max length 15 (in captivity)
- Rhino Pleco – max length 11 inches
Keep in mind that plecos can often grow larger than anticipated, and you might soon find that your pleco has outgrown its tank. Sizes can also widely vary depending on whether a pleco is raised in captivity or taken from its natural habitat.
How many plecos can I have in a tank?
While plecos can be good natured with other species with peaceful dispositions, they can often be territorial and aggressive with their own kind. One pleco per tank is usually best, though sometimes they do all right in pairs as long as the tank is big enough.
Any more than two plecos in a tank is asking for trouble.
What are good tank mates for stingrays?
Despite your ray’s peaceful and non-confrontational nature, they are still predators, and will attempt to eat any fish that they can easily fit in their mouths. Smaller tank mates will need plenty of hiding places in your tank to give them shelter during the nighttime, which is the ray’s natural hunting time.
Stingrays are gentle and non-confrontational by nature, preferring to keep to themselves. Because of this, avoid adding semi-aggressive or territorial species to your stingray’s tank.
As a general rule of thumb when considering tank mates for your stingrays, make sure whichever fish you choose is roughly the same size as your ray.
The best tank mates for stingrays as listed as follows:
- Other rays
- Stingrays do very well with their own kind
- Silver dollars
- These low-maintenance fish are an attractive addition to any tank. Native to South America, silver dollars get along well with most fish species and are great for community tanks.
- Geophagus
- These large, peaceful fish can grow up to 11 inches in length, which is roughly the size of many freshwater rays
- Bichirs
- These large, long fish don’t do well with smaller fish, but surprisingly do well with large species like stingrays.
- Giant gouramis
- These large, pale fish can grow up to 16 inches in length.
