Do fish need a place to hide?

[SkyesRingo]

My mom and I have a 20gal tank with guppies, 3 goldfish, and one of those plecostimus (? Cleaner fish). She recently just took out the large hollow log decoration that has been in there for a year, and says they don't need it. All that's in there now is a fake plant and a bubbler. I say they need it so the guppies can escape the big goldfish, and so Mr. P has a place to hide as Well. She says she's going to get some smaller decorations but until then won't put the log back in. So is it okay for the log to be out? And not have a place to hide?

[Bloutitt]

I personally believe fish need hides, dont know if it is actually proven but like you said if they are threatened in any way, shape or form they have somewhere to hunker down for a bit.

Just curious how big is your pleco!

[smy_749]

I think it depends on the species and their natural habitat. Lake Malawi cichlids need caves for example, Can't think of a species that doesn't need hides because I don't know enough, But I'm sure their are some open water species that do fine without them as well.

[Amadeus]

I doubt great whites need hides.

[RyanReptile]

Although they don't "need" the hide I think they would benefit from having especially the Pleco (with are known to grow up to two feet long) so I would start investing in a much larger tank :)

[SkyesRingo]

Mr P is maybe 4-5 inches long, he's sort of new to the tank (4 months or so)
So you guys think the log should be put back until we get the new decorations?

And great whites are too badass for a hide xD

[Bloutitt]

yeah my buddy has a pleco that is about 5 years old and 3' long. haha

[smy_749]

Not all pleco's get to large sizes. There are hundreds and hundreds of species of pleco, they just use numbers to classify them because there are so many. Some of them only reach a few inches, and since we don't know what she has, we can't say its going to get huge.

[Bloutitt]

Not all pleco's get to large sizes. There are hundreds and hundreds of species of pleco, they just use numbers to classify them because there are so many. Some of them only reach a few inches, and since we don't know what she has, we can't say its going to get huge.
Oh okay didnt know that! Thank you ill have to research!

[SkyesRingo]

I could post a pic of Mr P. I've seen one pleco at a restaurant, easily a foot long, and it looked exactly like mine.
My mom wants to buy this pagoda thing, and maybe something fancy for the bubbler. We plan on getting a bunch of plants, too (live and fake). So does the forum think that's all okay? Or is a larger hide necessary?

[smy_749]

I could post a pic of Mr P. I've seen one pleco at a restaurant, easily a foot long, and it looked exactly like mine.
My mom wants to buy this pagoda thing, and maybe something fancy for the bubbler. We plan on getting a bunch of plants, too (live and fake). So does the forum think that's all okay? Or is a larger hide necessary?

I think you need to find out what kind of pleco you have first. Because if its a larger species, he will end up running the length of your tank and then you won't have to worry about how big the hide is anymore.

If hes not a huge species, or you plan on upgrading soon, plecos enjoy drift wood more than rock / plastic hides as far as I know. If your getting live plants, you need to make sure your species of fish won't eat them as well.

[SkyesRingo]

How fast would he be growing?

[smy_749]

If kept properly he might be 12 inch plus in a year... never kept the common plecos though. Have a high finned spotted whose about 1 foot in 1 year in the 120 g at my moms and the commons get larger

[guyabano]

Depends on the type of fish. Ones lower on the food pyramid would certainly appreciate it. Personally, I love densely planted tanks. The fish seem to enjoy it too. :)

[TheZoo]

plecs and golds should NEVER be together there known to suck the slim coating off the fish and kill them also golds should be in much larger then a 20 its 30 for the first fish 10-20 for every gold after