A few weeks ago I purchased an aquarium plant and when I lifted it from the bag of water to place it in the aquarium I found an itty bitty little pleco in the bottom. He obviously hitched a ride so I added him to my aquarium as well. I didn't know how I felt about him, but I have to say that now I think he is the coolest fish in the aquarium. He has grown so much in the past few weeks. He has big fat lips and his tail and fins are spotted like a leapard. He's just beautiful. I would hate to lose him most of all. Do you have any idea what kind of pleco I have? How do you feel about your plecos? Do you love them like I do?
2007-08-16 09:17:06 · 8 answers · asked by Sptfyr 7 in Pets ➔ Fish
I want to put your minds at ease by telling you that he will be heading for a 55 gallon way before he needs one. I know he needs a big tank. I just wanted to know what type he is and if y'all love plecos too. This was supposed to be a fun question, but I do appreciate every comment and opinion.
2007-08-16 11:23:06 · update #1
What a great find! Wish that would happen to me lol. It sounds like you have a Common Pleco, which is what I have as well. I keep only large tanks and I have one in each except my planted tank. They are one of the cutest species of fish in my opinion. They may not have flashy colors but they more than make up for it with their cute faces and unique habits.
Mine are all shy so it is pretty much a treat when they come out and NOTHING takes care of algae like a Pleco. I battled algae forever (in a tank with over 100 apple snails!) until I got my first Pleco and he cleaned up the tank overnight and I have never had problems since.
2007-08-16 18:05:20 · answer #1 · answered by natural.flirt 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would have to disagree with scruplegnome about the tank size requirements for a Plecostomus. I have seen and read about them growing so large that they would need at least a 40 gallon tank minimum. This is why I would rather settle for a Mystery Snail for smaller aquariums, despite the fact that I like Plecos too.
2007-08-16 22:21:39 · answer #2 · answered by NCConfederate13 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I love plecos. I have a common plec in my 65 gallon tank. I do agree that they should only be sold to people who understand that their plec will get huge and are willing to put it in a tank large enough. Plecos can get over a foot long and are massive poop machines. They need, at the very least, a 50 gallon tank to live in, and yet you see them so often in this itty bitty ten gallons, It's just sickening. There are some plecs that only grow about 5 inches or so, and are nice for smaller set-ups, but they are rarely sold in pet stores and can get expensive to have them shipped to you. Good luck with your little guy.
2007-08-16 17:28:07 · answer #3 · answered by Donna 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Many plecos have spots, but yours is most likely a common pleco. It could also be a leopard pleco. Both species grow large, (more than a foot) so you'll need at least a 20 gallon tank when he grows up. I have two plecos, and believe me, they do a really good job cleaning the tank, but crap A LOT.
2007-08-16 16:38:01 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yeah sounds like a common pleco. I bought one a few years ago and It has got huge! maybe 15 inchs or a lil more But he is a pig and allways greets me when I come home from work. Great fish.
2007-08-16 21:14:11 · answer #5 · answered by Racer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
plecos are hard to name thats why we use L numbers
ex.
l-18 is a golden nugget. As their are so many plecos their names can easily get mixed up.
Anyway, it sounds like a rubber lip pleco, very common at petsmart. They have the large lips and they are spotted.
I never had one, but i believe they are smaller spieces.
I like plecos, but i believe they should be sold. Alot of people believe that they need a pleco. Alot of new fishkeepers believe that plecos will eat fish poo.
This is all false. Their are plenty of smaller algae eatters like dwarf oto catfish and CAEs(which arent my favorite either)
The problem is most people dont understand that a common pleco yea, can be bought at 3 inches, they will reach over 24 inches, so you cant possibly have it in a 10 gallon etc..
Dont get me wrong, they are gret fish, but they have a bad mark in my book as they are sold to often to people who cant properly care for it.
2007-08-16 16:59:57 · answer #6 · answered by Coral Reef Forum 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
I love plecos too, however, i feel sad for plecos. All they do is face the wall and suck on it. They just eat and sleep all day. They cant have any friends and yeah. Just on the wall...
2007-08-16 16:22:13 · answer #7 · answered by Curious-about-Everything Jeremy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've had mine four years in a 30 gal. Only 5" with very dark body and tiny black eyes. A few years ago I had a three year old like yours I think, got to be about 10". RScott
2007-08-17 01:20:34 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋