Do rubber lip plecos like the company of other rubber lip plecos?

Question

i have a rubber lip pleco and it is so shy. would it be better off to have another one with it. also it is in a 16 gallon tank with a balloon molly( plan on getting more fish). it only hides and comes out when the lights are off and i am not in the room. i feed it blanched cukes. it is also called a bulldog pleco or rubber mouth pleco.

Answer 1

You generally can keep them together, but males may fight for territory if their isn't enough space. They are not really a social fish like Loachs or Cory cats.

You will probably just end up with two shy fish in your tank,

One suggestion though, get a couple of small 'hollow log' type ornaments, and set them up so you can see into them from the front of the tank. The pleco is likely to use them, they like a shelter where they can hide, but see out (watch for food).

At least that way you can see them. Also having more cover generally makes them less shy.

Ian

Answer 2

You can keep more than one of them together, but I would not suggest it in a 16 gallon tank. Rubber lip plecos can grow to 10 cm, and basically outgrow that size of tank. A 20 gallon would be much better to house a single one.

Plecos are all nocturnal, so they mostly hide and rest when the lights are on, and come out to do their business when the lights are off. That is completely normal behavior for any pleco to seem shy.  

Answer 3

My rubberlip is also shy. Thats normal for them. Mine lives in a very large tank with many other plecos, and he is the only one that seems territorial. He chases the others away, and seems pretty grumpy by pleco standards. I would not, especially not in a small tank.