[Ponds-Koi] Other pond fish compatible with Koi?

May 3, 2008 @ 11:19 pm · Filed under Philippines Internet Koi Society

Pleco’s will eat algae but they will not keep a pond clean. In fact, Pleco’s are pooping machines and will constantly eat and poop and eat and poop… it’s what they do!
Most Pleco’s are tropical fish so they might do OK during times when the water temps are in the mid-70’s to low-80’s but they may not be able to handle the cooler/colder times of most winters or the higher temps of tropical summers.
Common Pleco’s (the ones that get big enough to handle living with Koi), while being called algae eaters are actually omnivores so they need a mixed diet so special care must be taken to make sure they are getting sufficient amounts of proteins in their diets. You may have to put an inverted milk crate or some other type of cage with an opening only large enough for the pleco to get in so it can get some food since the Koi are much faster fish and will gobble up most foods. Pleco’s are mostly nocturnal so feeding them after the rest of the fish is sleeping will give them a better chance of finding the food.
Pleco’s also need wood fiber in their diet so you would need to sink a piece of driftwood into the pond and the pleco will call it home and gnaw at the driftwood most times when it’s not out looking for other food.
Lenny Vasbinder Fish Blog - http://GoldLenny.blogspot.com