plecos with cichlids

[ABwildrose]

My brother has a pleco that is getting too big for his tank. He wants me to take him because my tank is bigger. I actually think I am pushing the limit on what I already have in there. It is a 77 gal with

6 small elec blue

6 acei

2 msobo deep

1 saulosi

1 rock krib

4 yellow labs

4 syno petricola

I may be getting rid of the saulosi at some point and possibly the subdom msobo male...but would like to get 2 more f msobo or another m and f rock krib at some point.

Am I already too crowded? Can a pleco stand up for himself with these guys?

[Smokey]

AB> you are refeering to the common pleco [??], correct. What lenght is it ?

[Vallisneria]

If you are talking about a common pleco that may be pushing your stocking level. PLecos produce tons of crap :P and commons are pooping machines so that would increase bioload by more then say if you were to get a bristlenose pleco. If you decide to get the pleco you would have to significantly increase your water changes.

[ABwildrose]

I think he is a common, at a guess he is about 6-7". I have 4 bristlenose already (none in the cichlid tank). My brothers tank is 30 gal I think. He wants to trade me for a b-nose, which would be more appropriate for his tank. I have managed to put him off for a few month now, but at Christmas he asked again. He said "I have had him for almost 3 years now and I really like him. At some point you have to think about the fish and put him in an appropriate place. He is getting cramped." So, I am feeling a bit pressured to take him. I could up the water changes and possibly add another filter to the setup.

My other brother wanted me to take his koi that is overgrowing his 10 gal tank. I definitely said no to that! lol He said "yea, that koi is kinda mean, he has eaten any other fish we try to put in with him (tetras). He would probably kill your cichlids".