{"id":6119,"date":"2022-06-25T19:00:28","date_gmt":"2022-06-25T19:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/?p=6119"},"modified":"2023-05-09T17:08:00","modified_gmt":"2023-05-09T17:08:00","slug":"raising-pleco-fry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/raising-pleco-fry\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Raise Pleco Babies (Full Guide With Pictures)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"6119\" class=\"elementor elementor-6119\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-a86012b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"a86012b\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4bf41e6\" data-id=\"4bf41e6\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c3203f4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c3203f4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.17.0 - 01-11-2023 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Pleco spawning<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9ac0c61 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9ac0c61\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.17.0 - 01-11-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>Plecos are cave-breeders, and they spawn exclusively in small closed spaces. The spawning process will go something like this:<\/p><ol><li>The male will invite the female and the female enters the cave.<\/li><li>The male will enter the cave and trap the female, closing off the entrance.<\/li><li>This spawning process can take anywhere from a couple of minutes to a couple of days. Eventually, the female lays her eggs and the male fertilizes them.<\/li><li>The female leaves the cave and the male takes over full care of the offspring.<\/li><\/ol><div>If you haven&#8217;t already, I highly suggest you read our <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/breeding-pleco-catfish\/\">guide on breeding plecos<\/a>, from A-Z. It cover the full spawning process.<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ba005d0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ba005d0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Hatching the eggs<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ea38fa elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3ea38fa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Unlike some species like cory catfish, <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/cory-catfish-eggs\/\">which eat their own eggs<\/a> if not taken out, pleco males have a strong parenting sense. In most circumstances, you will not need to do any special things for the eggs to hatch. Since the male will guard the eggs and provide the eggs with the needed care.<\/p><p>However, if you notice the pleco male keeps eating his eggs or the eggs are kicked out, you should hatch the eggs yourself<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-25e63bf elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"25e63bf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Setting up an egg tumbler<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-682ede7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"682ede7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>It&#8217;s very important to put the eggs in a monitored environment away from possible predators. In essence, you will need to take over the care the father would normally give.<\/p><p>Egg tumblers are a tool made just for this. You hang the egg tumbler in your aquarium, against the glass, connect air tubing and that&#8217;s it! This will make sure the eggs are tumbled around and get the necessary oxygen.<\/p><p>If you want to get your own pleco egg tumbler, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/PETGROUP-Aquarium-Cichlids-Incubator-Mouth-Brooding\/dp\/B089MDJB8D?crid=QQXHQRZRA97H&amp;keywords=ziss+egg+tumbler&amp;qid=1656416274&amp;sprefix=%2Caps%2C151&amp;sr=8-4&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=keepingcatfish-20&amp;linkId=52a71bd0df0cf05163476356feb8eaaa&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">get one here on Amazon<\/a>. There are some cheap variants, but I&#8217;ve found them to be far less good resulting in loss of eggs.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-01e70d1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"01e70d1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CFblEENp9Jy\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CFblEENp9Jy\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">Dit bericht op Instagram bekijken<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CFblEENp9Jy\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">Een bericht gedeeld door Dean Tweeddale (@deansfishroom)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f64929d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f64929d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Setting up a tub<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d34c54a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d34c54a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Alternatively, you can set up your own tub to hatch the eggs. This will be a cheaper option than the egg tumbler, but is somewhat less convenient.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-e82ce5d elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"e82ce5d\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;184762c&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image_tablet&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image_mobile&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_speed&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;%&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:50,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_type&quot;:&quot;scroll&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_direction&quot;:null,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_fx_direction&quot;:null,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_z_index&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x&quot;:50,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y&quot;:50,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_animation_prop&quot;:&quot;transform&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_on&quot;:[&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;]}]}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-90968e8\" data-id=\"90968e8\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cf1ecf6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"cf1ecf6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.17.0 - 01-11-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/elementor\/thumbs\/pleco-eggs-e1641143306513-q1a9lo9v78wxckb9idr21z8my2ajssa6ra3z31wsws.jpg\" title=\"pleco eggs\" alt=\"pleco eggs\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-9a12598\" data-id=\"9a12598\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-915d898 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"915d898\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/cory-catfish-eggs\/\" target=\"_blank\">Read the full guide<\/a><\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7ed606e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7ed606e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Read everything about hatching pleco eggs<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b55830b elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"b55830b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-eggs\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Pleco Eggs Guide<\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c54a6d1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c54a6d1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Pleco species and their fry<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-534c91b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"534c91b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Did you know there are over 150 different pleco species? They grow from a couple of centimeters to sometimes half a meter in length! Of course, this makes the fry look quite different.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7433fdb elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7433fdb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Bristlenose plecos<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ea8a0f3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ea8a0f3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The bristlenose pleco is one of the most popular aquarium catfishes. It&#8217;s also known to be <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/breeding-bristlenose-plecos\/\">easy to breed<\/a> and it lays a lot of eggs.<\/p><p>The fry is also quite hardy. Their yolk sack is quite dark, if compared to the yolk sack of f.e. zebra plecos. The fry is around 7mm in size. Bristlenose pleco grows quite fast, and can grow sexually mature in a year. After 2-3 years it will have most likely reached its full size. Read our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/bristlenose-pleco-size\/\">bristlenose pleco size.<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-51fa50f elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"51fa50f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;youtube_url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/youtu.be\\\/e1feRJC1nzw&quot;,&quot;modestbranding&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;yt_privacy&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;lazy_load&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;youtube&quot;,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.17.0 - 01-11-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-video .elementor-widget-container{overflow:hidden;transform:translateZ(0)}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper{aspect-ratio:var(--video-aspect-ratio)}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper iframe,.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper video{height:100%;width:100%;display:flex;border:none;background-color:#000}@supports not (aspect-ratio:1\/1){.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper{position:relative;overflow:hidden;height:0;padding-bottom:calc(100% \/ var(--video-aspect-ratio))}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper iframe,.elementor-widget-video .elementor-wrapper video{position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0}}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-open-inline .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay{position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;background-size:cover;background-position:50%}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay{cursor:pointer;text-align:center}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay:hover .elementor-custom-embed-play i{opacity:1}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay img{display:block;width:100%;aspect-ratio:var(--video-aspect-ratio);-o-object-fit:cover;object-fit:cover;-o-object-position:center center;object-position:center center}@supports not (aspect-ratio:1\/1){.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay{position:relative;overflow:hidden;height:0;padding-bottom:calc(100% \/ var(--video-aspect-ratio))}.elementor-widget-video .elementor-custom-embed-image-overlay img{position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0}}.elementor-widget-video .e-hosted-video .elementor-video{-o-object-fit:cover;object-fit:cover}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-video,.e-con>.elementor-widget-video{width:var(--container-widget-width);--flex-grow:var(--container-widget-flex-grow)}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-video\"><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8e7601f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8e7601f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Zebra pleco<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d22ab05 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d22ab05\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Zebra plecos are by many considered the holy grail of aquarium catfishes, and it&#8217;s easy to see why.\u00a0<\/p><p>The fry is very similar to older specimens and develops adult coloration after a couple weeks of age. In contrast to bristlenose plecos, this is a species that grows at a very slow pace. It gets sexually mature at 2-3 years of age.<\/p><p>Just hatched fry is lighter in color than bristlenose pleco fry, with a more pale-yellow yolk sack. Batches consist of 5-20 youngsters.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-78ec377 elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"78ec377\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;youtube_url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/youtu.be\\\/l2i9cVUCwms&quot;,&quot;modestbranding&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;yt_privacy&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;youtube&quot;,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-video\"><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-88f5788 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"88f5788\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Clown pleco<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1fc1d43 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1fc1d43\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Clown plecos are one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/\">wood-eating pleco species<\/a> that lay around 10-30 eggs. As you can see in the video, the fry has a beautiful striped pattern.<\/p><p>If you plan to raise the newly hatched fry, it&#8217;s recommended to put a small piece of driftwood or catappa leaves in the tank, which is beneficial for their digestive system.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-14e6db6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"14e6db6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;youtube_url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/youtu.be\\\/nNCRKlwHNBE&quot;,&quot;modestbranding&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;yt_privacy&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;youtube&quot;,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-video\"><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-013add8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"013add8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What do pleco babies look like?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6a37a30 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6a37a30\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Pleco babies are mostly pretty distinguishable, but can be hard to spot.\u00a0<\/p><p><strong>Young pleco babies are usuallay around 5-10mm in size with a clearly visible yolk sack off which they feed. Their body looks transparant without much coloration. After 5-10 days, the will have consumed their yolck sack and will start to color darker. After 2-3 weeks of age they\u00a0 start to look small like adult specimens.<\/strong><\/p><p>As we&#8217;ve discussed above, the first days of their life, the pleco fry will sit in the cave where the pleco male will protect them. Only after they have consumed their yolk sack and they can live on their own, they will leave the cave. In this stage they will have already developed adult coloration.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b587c79 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"b587c79\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">How much fry do plecos have?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0d0aea6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0d0aea6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>How much fry plecos have depends on the species: bristlenose plecos have an average batch size of 50-100 youngsters, but most other species like clown plecos have 20-30 babies and some species like zebra plecos only have 5-20 babies.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2c40547 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2c40547\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Do plecos eat their babies?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d6da5f6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d6da5f6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/do-plecos-eat-fish\/\">Plecos are known to eat dead or sick fish<\/a> laying in the aquarium. They also love other protein rich foods such as egg or worms (Although this depends on whether your pleco is a herbivore or carnivore).<\/p><p><strong>Plecos rarely eat their babies. In fact, the father is very protective and will guard the eggs and fry for days to weeks, until the fry is ready to live by themselves. Only if the male is exposed to extreme stress it might eat its babies. <\/strong>If you do notice this behavior, you might want to pull the eggs and put them in an egg tumbler.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2705442 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2705442\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Caring for pleco babies (pleco fry)<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9d2b4f0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"9d2b4f0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Tank setup<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bb093c6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bb093c6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>During the time that the pleco babies live off their yolk sack, you can leave them in their hatching container. At this moment they&#8217;re still very fragile so it&#8217;s best to not put them in a big tank.\u00a0<\/p><p>After the fry starts eating by themselves, you can either decide to det up a separate breeding tank or to put them in the parent&#8217;s tank. Pleco babies are overall quite good at finding food, so that should&#8217;t be a problem.\u00a0<\/p><p>If you have big predatory fish in your tank that could eat the fry, it&#8217;s best to make them grow to a decent size at which they are safe.<\/p><p>Another advantage of setting up a dedicated grow-out tank is that you can monitor the fry far more easily. In a community tank, you will inevitably lose a part of the fry and it will be impossible to keep track of all the fry.<\/p><p>In a grow-out tank however, you can\u00a0 monitor the growth of the fry easily and feed much more precisely to the fry.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-787bd2a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"787bd2a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Tank size<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-220bf49 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"220bf49\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>For most pleco species, a 20 gallon grow out tank is the minimum. For smaller fish, this size is perfect because it&#8217;s easy for the fry to find food.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f8a792b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f8a792b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Filtration<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a5e1ae3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a5e1ae3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Plecos are big polluters. Especially pleco babies, because they eat a lot! This means that a strong filter is necessary to keep the water as clean as possible for the fry to grow fast.<\/p><p>I recommend to pick an external filter for this that does 4-8x the volume per hour. You can also pick an internal filter, but those are overall less powerful. Just remind that a little overkill isn&#8217;t that bad :).<\/p><p>I&#8217;ve always used\u00a0Eheim cannister filters for this. These external filters are surely an investment, but I&#8217;ve always been very happy of Eheim filters. And when your fry has grown up, you can always use it for another tank! Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/EHEIM-Classic-Canister-Filter-2211\/dp\/B002DZNM4G?keywords=Eheim%2B2211&amp;qid=1656428870&amp;s=pet-supplies&amp;sr=1-1-catcorr&amp;th=1&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=keepingcatfish-20&amp;linkId=2127075285f5bce268887e3cdd4fe1fe&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the filter I use on Amazon<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0a49923 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0a49923\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Substrate<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aff3b11 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"aff3b11\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Plecos do well on many kinds of substrate (except for flashy colored substrates), but I always recommend to set up a bare bottom tank. It&#8217;s not as beautiful but it&#8217;s way easier to keep clean and the dirt gets sucked up more easily.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c4ab8f3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c4ab8f3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Live plants<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-10b7b93 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"10b7b93\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Putting live plants in your tank is optional. They are a great way to provide extra shelter and improve water quality. <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/7-best-plants-for-plecos\/\">Great plants for pleco babies<\/a> are java moss, Anubias and Java fern.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-72f2429 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"72f2429\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Food<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-61af7f6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"61af7f6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>After the eggs have hatched, it&#8217;s time for the fry to grow! the pleco fry usually doesn&#8217;t need food the first 5-10 days of their lives, because of the yolk sack. When the yolk sack has disappeared, you can start feeding the pleco babies.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ba89195 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ba89195\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Yolk sack<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1058c94 elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"1058c94\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;youtube_url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/youtu.be\\\/n9SZtT3r9yw&quot;,&quot;modestbranding&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;yt_privacy&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;lazy_load&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;youtube&quot;,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-video\"><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a4d3911 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a4d3911\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The first five to ten days of their lives, the pleco fry will live off their yolk sack. This means that they will not need any food. The yolk sack will shrink visibly and at the end of this period, it&#8217;s recommended to put in small amount of food so that the fry can eat whenever ready.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b682e2f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"b682e2f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Catappa leaves<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-63777fd elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"63777fd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/A3050050-4012496210500-AMTRA-CATAPPA-LEAVES-30PZ.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-6216\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/A3050050-4012496210500-AMTRA-CATAPPA-LEAVES-30PZ.jpeg 1000w, https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/A3050050-4012496210500-AMTRA-CATAPPA-LEAVES-30PZ-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/A3050050-4012496210500-AMTRA-CATAPPA-LEAVES-30PZ-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/A3050050-4012496210500-AMTRA-CATAPPA-LEAVES-30PZ-768x768.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b4f11ca elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b4f11ca\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Awesome-Aquatics-Producing-Improves-Bacterial\/dp\/B07FZDL35J?crid=4DAKLWB24DO8&amp;keywords=catappa+leaves&amp;qid=1649168206&amp;sprefix=catappa+leaves%2Caps%2C136&amp;sr=8-8&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=keepingcatfish-20&amp;linkId=783ce1349e5703b114fd42fa7f4ade34&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Catappa or Indian almond leaves<\/a> are a great first food source for pleco fry. These leaves provide a lot of useful nutrients and even has antibacterial workings. These leaves have a lot of positive effects for the digestive system of newly hatched fry.<\/p><p>Apart from this, the leaves also attract small infusoria which are also a food source for very small fry. So, if you don&#8217;t already have catappa leaves, I&#8217;d certainly recommend to get them!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2b2d046 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2b2d046\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Dried foods<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-98bd2f9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"98bd2f9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Dried foods provide a great food for pleco babies, although there are big differences in quality between food brands. The advantage dried foods have over live or frozen foods is that they&#8217;re more balanced in terms of nutrients and they&#8217;re<\/p><p>It&#8217;s important to vary in the different types of dried foods you feed the fry, so that they get the necessary nutrients to grow. Even fully carnivorous fry can benefit from f.e. spirulina tablets. The same goes for mostly herbivore species such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.planetcatfish.com\/panaqolus_maccus\">clown pleco<\/a>.<\/p><p>For tiny pleco fry, small sized pellets are ideal. You can also feed powder foods but I&#8217;ve found those to pollute the water too much. However, pleco fry can also eat bigger food since they can perfectly scrape off pieces using <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-mouth\/\">their mouth<\/a>.<\/p><p>If you want your pleco babies to grow super fast, it&#8217;s important to stay away from cheap options. These contain a lot of fillers (which are low in vitamins and nutrients) and can cause constipation.<\/p><p>I prefer to use a mix of the following foods:<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Hikari-Sinking-Carnivore-Pellets-2-61-Ounce\/dp\/B007QH89AI?th=1&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=keepingcatfish-20&amp;linkId=f4531faf9e2273d0b86f1b38a80fc1d9&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hikari carnivore pellets<\/a> &#8211; Best for carnivore species such as Hypancistrus sp.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Hikari-Usa-AHK21328-tropical-8-8-Ounce\/dp\/B00025Z6K2?&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=keepingcatfish-20&amp;linkId=9b8764e33351beb926ad748e2dbfe77a&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl\">Hikari algae wafers<\/a> &#8211; Best for herbivore and omnivore pleco species.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Hikari-Tropical-Sinking-Catfish-Loaches\/dp\/B00025JZAY?th=1&amp;psc=1&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=keepingcatfish-20&amp;linkId=9155f46a9eda55adea6beb49767b3950&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl\">Hikari sinking wafers <\/a>&#8211; An all-round food for plecos.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Fluval-Spirulina-Flakes-Medium-A7354\/dp\/B0874WTBKJ?crid=3U4VSTMIAC40F&amp;keywords=spirulina+fish+food&amp;qid=1656695059&amp;s=pet-supplies&amp;sprefix=%2Cpets%2C139&amp;sr=1-6&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=keepingcatfish-20&amp;linkId=684cc464876b2ea8fa432fa10fe97556&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Spirulina tab<\/a>s &#8211; Beneficial for the digestive system of pleco babies.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-be66d8b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"be66d8b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Vegetables<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0e67197 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0e67197\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Vegetables are a very popular food to feed to plecos. Pleco fry also loves eating different types of vegetables, and they contain a lot of nutrients.\u00a0<\/p><p>If you can feed vegetables, it&#8217;s certainly a good idea. You can choose to blanch it or feed it raw.<\/p><p>There are many types of vegetables you can feed to pleco catfish, some of my favorites are zucchini, pumpkin and beans. I don&#8217;t like vegetables like salad or cucumber, because they tend to fall apart really quickly causing a big mess in the tank.<\/p><p>If you want to know more about feeding plecos vegetables you can read <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/feeding-plecos-vegetables\/\">the full guide on it<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-30acb30 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"30acb30\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Repashy<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b29cbd3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"b29cbd3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;youtube_url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/youtu.be\\\/Z107s34aqws&quot;,&quot;start&quot;:170,&quot;modestbranding&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;yt_privacy&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;lazy_load&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;youtube&quot;,&quot;controls&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-video\"><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cc027c9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cc027c9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Repashy has established itself as a renown and high-quality food in the aquarium world. It&#8217;s a perfect food for plecos, because it&#8217;s basically a gel that sinks to the bottom, making it ideal for the pleco to scrape off.<\/p><p>I&#8217;ve used a couple different types of Repashy, but Repashy has designed a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Repashy-Spawn-Grow-Freshwater-Sizes\/dp\/B00GM1R6PI?th=1&amp;psc=1&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=keepingcatfish-20&amp;linkId=f29857e385d8532fe0c887c651c1d325&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">special food for fry<\/a>, too.\u00a0<\/p><p>You can either choose to prepare the gel and cut it into pieces, or you can make it harden out on a hard structure. One of the benefits of Repashy is that it stays intact for up to 24h, causing the pleco fry to eat whenever they want (= faster growth).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-82ab192 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"82ab192\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Chopped up frozen\/live foods<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6bcbc3c elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"6bcbc3c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"591\" src=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/frozen-foods-.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-3830\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/frozen-foods-.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/frozen-foods--300x173.jpg 300w, https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/frozen-foods--768x443.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a9c2467 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a9c2467\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Live foods and frozen foods can be a great food source, primarily for carnivorous species. If your pleco fry is still relatively small, it&#8217;s useful to cut it into smaller pieces.<\/p><p>If you plan on feeding frozen foods to pleco fry, it&#8217;s important to vary a lot between different types and other foods. Otherwise the pleco fry will not have enough nutrients which causes malnutrition and constipation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-99c32c5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"99c32c5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Pro tip: use an automatic feeder<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-feb637d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"feb637d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The trick with raising pleco fry fast is feeding as often as possible, without the water quality dropping. This is beneficial because this way the pleco fry will actually take on much more of the nutrients. For example, feeding 4 small portions 4 times a day is much more beneficial than feeding one big portion once a day. The latter will also cause more waste.<\/p><p>If you really want to go the extra mile about raising your cory catfish fry, you can install an automatic feeder. Such feeder can feed up to four times a day, f.e. when you&#8217;re at work, so that your plecos always have something to eat.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-43ec62e elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"43ec62e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\namzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"keepingcatfish-20\";\namzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"manual\";\namzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\";\namzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\";\namzn_assoc_region = \"US\";\namzn_assoc_design = \"enhanced_links\";\namzn_assoc_asins = \"B0002AQY8A\";\namzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit\";\namzn_assoc_linkid = \"bfbe3aca4ea09d724289945cf5a6972e\";\n<\/script>\n<script src=\"\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"><\/script>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-beec572 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"beec572\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Attention: feeding too much protein?<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fcd6659 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fcd6659\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In the case of herbivore and omnivore species such as the bristlenose pleco, feeding too much meaty high-protein foods to fry is a problem. Fry of bristlenose plecos do best on aplant-based diet, with around 90% of their diet being plant-based foods.\u00a0<span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;\">If this isn&#8217;t the case, the pleco fry will have trouble digesting the food. It will also cause constipation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a3b48e5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a3b48e5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Water changes<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cfa8de9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cfa8de9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Doing water changes is a crucial part of raising pleco fry fast and successfully, even if you have a filter<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-658193d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"658193d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Stage 1: hatching the eggs and newborn fry<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-752c6bf elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"752c6bf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>(0-2 weeks of age) In this stage, water changes should be done with a lot of caution. When the fry is this small, you should do small, 20% water changes hovering over the bottom of the tank to remove as much waste as possible.<\/p><p>If you hatch the eggs in an egg tumbler or in the main tank, water changes of course can&#8217;t be done. If you keep the eggs and fry in a separated tank, it&#8217;s recommended to do this daily.<\/p><p>Apart from changing the water daily you should pick out the bad unfertilized eggs. These eggs will be noticeable by there white color and if not removed, they will infect the other eggs. You can do this using tweezers.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cd32c0a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cd32c0a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Stage 2: raising the fry in the growout tank<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-072e93c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"072e93c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>At this stage, the recommended water change frequency depends on how much you feed, the size of your tank and how strong the filter is.<\/p><p>I do recommend to change 50% weekly, but a higher frequency is most likely better! Make sure to suck out as much waste as possible during the water changes!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c7be206 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c7be206\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Conclusion: how to raise pleco babies<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e91d45b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e91d45b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In comparison to many other fish species, raising pleco babies is quite easy. The fry doesn&#8217;t need that much of a different treatment from adult fish and are quite hardy.<\/p><p>However, it is recommended to provide them with some extra care to make them grow fast.<\/p><p>After hatching the fry will live for around a week off of their yolk sack. After this, they can start eating normal foods. This can be dried foods, pellets or even vegetables. A variety of foods is always the best choice, to make sure the fry gets all the nutrients they need.<\/p><p>If you want to have the highest success rate, setting up a dedicated grow-out tank is the way to go. This will make sure the pleco fry has enough food and you can perform more water changes this way. Overall, it&#8217;s easier to monitor the pleco offspring.<\/p><p>With this dedicated grow-out (ideally 20-30 gallons in size) comes the necessary filtration, which should be strong (&gt;5x tank volume\/hour).<\/p><p>Lastly, changing water on a regular basis is very important in order to keep the water clean. Do this at least once a week (50% of the water). You will need to do more if you feed heavily or if your filter is not that strong.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pleco spawning Plecos are cave-breeders, and they spawn exclusively in small closed spaces. The spawning process will go something like this: The male will invite the female and the female enters the cave. The male will enter the cave and trap the female, closing off the entrance. This spawning process can take anywhere from a &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/raising-pleco-fry\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">How To Raise Pleco Babies (Full Guide With Pictures)<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6121,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"","site-content-layout":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How To Raise Pleco Babies (Full Guide With Pictures) | Keeping Catfish<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The full guide to raising pleco babies. 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