Plecostomus Questions

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Seiryu

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I was wondering about the Pleco. I have heard and read that the room they are given in an aquarium will limit their growth. Is this true most of the time? It would be a 75gallon tank. I know they can get to be 2 feet long, and the 75gallon would be too small for that. But would the 75g tank be small enough to limit his growth to a size that will be ok in the 75gallon tank?
 

Tom

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This is a total myth. The size of the box we put them in has nothing to do with how big they are genetically programmed to get. If they are stunted in a small tank it is usually because of very poor water quality.

There are lots of species of plecos. Do a google search and you'll see a whole bunch. Pick out a smaller one that you like. If you get one, make sure you get some good aged driftwood and give them a pleco wafer or two every night when you go to bed. Most of them starve to death as you'd need a 1000 gallon nutrient rich tank in full sun to grow enough algae to sustain one small one.

I keep Pterygoplichtys gibbiceps, the sailfin pleco. They get big, but mine is little and in a 135. He'll be good for a while. I love this species. Very Pretty. There are a lot of very attractive smaller species though. I've been seeing a lot of bristlenose variations lately.
 

Seiryu

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Tom said:
This is a total myth. The size of the box we put them in has nothing to do with how big they are genetically programmed to get. If they are stunted in a small tank it is usually because of very poor water quality.

There are lots of species of plecos. Do a google search and you'll see a whole bunch. Pick out a smaller one that you like. If you get one, make sure you get some good aged driftwood and give them a pleco wafer or two every night when you go to bed. Most of them starve to death as you'd need a 1000 gallon nutrient rich tank in full sun to grow enough algae to sustain one small one.

I keep Pterygoplichtys gibbiceps, the sailfin pleco. They get big, but mine is little and in a 135. He'll be good for a while. I love this species. Very Pretty. There are a lot of very attractive smaller species though. I've been seeing a lot of bristlenose variations lately.

Thanks. I actually had just read what you said in another article, saying that a smaller tank may slow down their growth, but won't stop them.

I'm really looking for a 10-12" Pleco, maybe up to 14". I'm currently looking at this website.

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/cat/infoL3/23712/size/24/off/24/sortby/1/category.web

But it doesn't list all the sizes sadly.
 

dmmj

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When I kept them when I was younger they rarely got bigger than 8 inches or so, but that was my personal experience.
 

Kristina

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(Pssst, I have baby calico Bristlenose plecos, ready to ship ;) $5 each, $7 shipping)

Bristlenose only reach 4-5 inches, and in a 75 I think that might be the better option. I feed mine slices of zucchini and summer squash, I just stick a stainless steel fork in the slice so it sinks and they gobble it right up. Most plecos are actually omnivorous, but BN are true vegetarians. For commons and panaques, etc, I give them algae wafers, zuc. and squash, and shrimp pellets. I also make my own gel foods and they really love that.

Oh, and look here to look up the different species, and their sizes, needs, ect.

http://www.planetcatfish.com/

Another really cool fish are farlowella, who don't get large, and the aforementioned panaque, especially the blues.

farlowella2.jpg


L239.jpg
 
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