Placostamus

Question
We have a Placostamus that is 3 years old.  During the summer he lives im my moms pond.  We live in West Texas so our summers are warm and our winters get down in the 20 to 40 degree range.  Mr. P is about a foot long now and about 4 inches across.  We bring him in during the winter and put him in an aquarium but I am afraid he will out grow our 30 gallon by next winter.  We were told by several people in the tropical fish stores that he would be able to winter over in the pond.  I can't find any info on that and hate to leave him in the pond and he not make it.  Moms pond holds about 900 gallons of water and is about 30 inches deep in the deep end.  We place buckets for the goldfish and they all do just fine.  Please could you tell me if Mr. P can survive the winter.

Rene'

Answer
Hi Rene,

Armoured Plecs are widely considered to be one of the most hardy fish that are available on the market.

To be honest I wouldn't risk putting him in water that is likely to drop below 68F. Although Plecs rarely fall ill they are more susceptible to disease when they are put in temperatures that are not suitable. Goldfish on the other hand have the ability to shut down, preserve energy and stop feeding when the temperature drops below 55F.

Good luck!

Tom