Your Best Resource for Fish and Other Aquatic Pets
Aquatic pets make a fascinating and engaging hobby, and there’s no better place to learn more and expand your collection than Uncle Bill’s Pet Center. We carry the widest assortment of saltwater fish, corals and invertebrates, freshwater fish and plants, aquariums and accessories, and everything you need to build an exciting and sustainable habitat for all of your aquatic pets.
The benefits of aquariums—whether for saltwater fish or freshwater fish—are many and varied. We find that, once our customers get started with aquatic pets, they become more and more enthusiastic the more they learn. Some popular benefits of aquatic pets include:
Read more on our Aquatics blog!
Plecostomus Benefits!
| Nov 14, 2017
Benefits of the Plecostomus!
The common plecostomus is a part of the catfish family and is also called hypostomus plecostomus, but plecos come in many different varieties and colors! They are nocturnal and do require at least 1 or a few hiding spaces just for them: driftwood, for example, particularly works well. Sometimes called the "janitor fish" or "sucker fish" these helpful species can help keep tanks clean as they are natural scavengers. They are bottom-feeders and will eat uneaten food or other leftover matter that would otherwise cause harmful nitrates in the water. Not all are algae-eaters, though. Some are good cleaners, but others are simply neat to look at or can even be carnivorous!
If a plecostomus is indeed the algae-eating type, it can reduce and maintain algae growth in your tank, making it a great species for aiding in the removal of algae build-up. Here are a few other benefits for keeping a pleco in your fish community:
*Hardy & adaptable to many different tank environments & conditions
*Great for beginner aquarium hobbyists
*Fairly versatile when considering tank mates
*Friendly & good-natured, will only become territorial with similar species in the same tank or if pushed to defend their favorite hiding spaces
What's more, a plecostomus will stir up the substrate in your tank: loosening up and consuming the food that falls and gets lost in the substrate, which would rot and potentially release toxic materials or gas if left alone. Another benefit of the pleco stirring up the gravel or sand is that it mixes oxygen back into the substrate, which then fuels the beneficial bacteria within. This oxygenation of the substrate in turn promotes aerobic bacteria growth that helps stabilize the nitrogen cycle.
As some species of plecostomus get older, they may eat less algae than when they were young and may eventually produce more waste than some other fish species. However, since food or other matter that is consumed by the pleco gets slowly released as the pleco's waste, the amount of negative impact that the waste has is actually less than if the uneaten food and other leftover matter was not eaten by the pleco or removed by hand first.
Be sure to be careful in selecting the right species of plecostomus for your aquarium, too, as they can grow anywhere between only 4 inches to up to 2-3 feet in length. They can also live from 10 to 15 years with proper care. Now until January 8th you can get a common plecostomus for only $3.49 at Uncle Bill's Pet Centers!
Whether you’re an adult hobbyist or have kids interested in science, building and perfecting an aquarium habitat is a fun and exciting way to learn about nature and ecology.
Kids of all ages can participate in various tasks related to keeping their aquarium running, and often become deeply invested in the saltwater fish or freshwater fish they select. However, keeping an aquarium can also be a relatively low-maintenance hobby, making it perfect for busy pet owners.
Have you noticed how many doctors’ offices have aquariums? That is not a coincidence! Experts including the former Surgeon General of the United States advocate aquariums for their proven health benefits, including reducing blood pressure!
To learn more about how to get started with an aquarium, or to view our amazing selection of freshwater fish and saltwater fish, as well as other aquatic animals and accessories, visit Uncle Bill’s Pet Center today!
Uncle Bill’s Pet Center is the premier pet store in the Indianapolis area. With locations in Fishers, Greenwood, and Ft. Wayne, as well as on the East, Northeast, and West sides of Indianapolis, Uncle Bill’s Pet Center is an ethical, humane source for a wide variety of pets, including dogs, cats, fish, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, reptiles, amphibians, and other small and exotic animals. In addition to pets, we also carry a large inventory of pet supplies, and are committed to helping our customers understand and care for their animals throughout their lives.