Pleco in ponds

[Adsy1997]

Is there any form of pleco that will grow to a decent size for a pond in the uk and survive all year round?

if not does anyone have any other recommendations for something that will keep the bottom of the pond clean from waste and debris

 

[GBBUDD]

sorry no clue

 

[JRS]

Welcome to the forum Adsy.

Plecos are algae eaters, so are more adapted to scraping it off of surfaces. Lowest temps I have had them survive temporarily is into the 40s degrees Fahrenheit.

Large accumulations of detritus on the bottom can be removed via a pond vac or siphoning/pumping. I do not know of a fish that will actually eat it, usually they will pick through it, looking for the small organisms that live in/consume it.

 

[j.w]

@Adsy1997
Nothing will eat it....................well snails like to eat dead things but they won't eat dirt or mucky, muddy stuff. You'll have to scoop or suck it out yourself I'm afraid

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome!

As far as I am aware, no. In general, plecos are tropical fish, so don’t do well in ponds when the water temps drop. Also, they don’t actually eat “waste” as such, but keep in mind that any fish that eats……is going to poop. So, a Plecostomus is going to make its own contribution to the “waste” problem. A good, long handled net can do a pretty good job of removing bottom crud.

This CARE SHEET has a lot of good information: https://www.petco.com/content/petco...ce-center/caresheets/plecostomus.html#feeding