Grotto Background & Pleco Compatibility?

[MsGardeness]

I'm sure everyone has seen this before:
[/URL][url]www.duboisi.com/diy/BNdiygrotto/bndiygrotto.htm (http://www.duboisi.com/diy/BNdiygrotto/bndiygrotto.htm)

I'd like to create this for about 1/3 of the inside of the back wall. The other 2/3 of the back wall will have a plastic coloured background applied to the outside.

My question is will the 'grotto caves' be okay with Plecos in the tank? I wouldn't want them to get stuck in there but I sure like this for my other fish - Guppies, Angels (might leave them in the 20g), RW Platies, Peacock Gudgeon and Neon Tetra. Hoping to obtain: LF ABN Pleco, Albino Ruby Shark, Pearl Gourami, Reedfish, Boesemani Rainbow and maybe 1 male Betta to go in the 77g after it's set up and cycled.

[2wheelsx2]

I'm sure everyone has seen this before:
[/URL][url]www.duboisi.com/diy/BNdiygrotto/bndiygrotto.htm (http://www.duboisi.com/diy/BNdiygrotto/bndiygrotto.htm)

I'd like to create this for about 1/3 of the inside of the back wall. The other 2/3 of the back wall will have a plastic coloured background applied to the outside.

My question is will the 'grotto caves' be okay with Plecos in the tank? I wouldn't want them to get stuck in there but I sure like this for my other fish - Guppies, Angels (might leave them in the 20g), RW Platies, Peacock Gudgeon and Neon Tetra. Hoping to obtain: LF ABN Pleco, Albino Ruby Shark, Pearl Gourami, Reedfish, Boesemani Rainbow and maybe 1 male Betta to go in the 77g after it's set up and cycled.

I think the only concern I would have is the sharp edges and plecos' tendency to want to squeeze into smaller spaces. Other than that, I don't think they would get stuck.

[Jkhuu]

Not sure if you've already seen this project by Zoban..Another variation of what you have in mind to do. http://www.canadapleco.com/showthread.php?t=172&page=1

[Hitch]

judging from the behaviour of most of the loricaridae, if you make a grotto like that.....only the caves on the bottom roll...and possibly the second roll would be used. They are not cliff dwellers, so they wont go to the higher caves. If you want to get a cave on cave on cave kinda look, you need to make a low incline slope, so that the plecos would just think its a slight elevation of the river bank and not a cliff.

[MsGardeness]

Hmmm I really wasn't considering these for Pleco use when I saw it - I was thinking the other fish would like it. So maybe I'll just use the upper most level for the fish and create some kind of caves on the lower level (ground level) for the plecos. I don't think I'll be using slate as I have no idea how to work with it and I don't want anything 'permanent' in the tank. I'll have to see what other materials can be used for the plecos. I'll only have one pair in the tank... someday. :)

Thanks for that link!