Pleco Power

Hello everyone!

Got a quick question. I have a pleco that I bought on advice from a fish store. Of course, they either misidentified the type of pleco I bought or just wanted to make the sale. (I am still wondering what type of pleco it is, which I will post in a seperate topic). Anywho, this pleco is growing WAY too fast for my 55 galllon tank even though the store employee swore it wouldnt get over 4 inches. So, the question is, I how many bristlecone plecos (or any other, small plecos; suggestions welcome) will be suitable for my tank. I already have a bristlecone pleco in a 10 gallon tank which cannot keep up with the alge growth on its own. My 55 gal tank with the one larger pleco is really clean though so I am wondering if I need more than one small pleco in the tank. In my 55 gal, I have a pretty large ship wreck peice (which is actually two decorations, the front and the back) and a small fake log. i have added a crappy picture so you can get an idea of my decoration size and what not if that is needed information on deciding the type and/or amount of pleco power I may need.

Thanks for any help you may have!

Plecs aren't really the best idea for keeping tanks clean - they're poo machines and you need super dooper filtration for the larger ones.

I suspect the one you were sold by the LFS may be a liposarcus pardalis ("common" plec) - which get very large and messy.

You have to seriously love plecs to put up with the poo they make *lol*.

Ah but they are so nice to hand feed....

if it is growing really fast it might be a sailfin pleco

i had a 5 inch common, later that year it grew to 7 inches

i got a sailfin pleco it was 3" not to long ago and it makes my common look like a bristle nose

Really? My chocolate albino common (liposarcus) went from 3 to 6 inches in 2 months.

ive just got a sailfin plec its 7" already ive herd they grow to 2 foot

SuzieQPlecMama said:

Ah but they are so nice to hand feed....

Click to expand...

abit off topic sorry but how to you hand feed a plec mine is so shy!

same thing i was thinking, how do you hand feed it and what?

tommy could you post some pics?


and for the hand feeding, ive only seen it once it was at a pet store and he was feeding them dead feeder fish, my common is way to shy to hanbd feed but im sure my sailfin would love some fish

Here are some pics of my pleco "The General". I was once in the army and have assembled quite a collection of Army collectables (long story short, I have TONS of black and yellow trinkets). When I went shopping for a pleco, my goal was to find one that my girlfriend didnt find disgusting and we saw the general. He is basically black with yellowing striped camoflage of yellow. So, hence the name "The General" (not to mention he is by far the largest fish in the tank!).

I realize these pics are poor quality, but the General doesnt show himself too often and when he does, I am lucky to get my camera phone out in time to snap some pics of him. I beleive that he is a sailfin pleco, but I bought him at a common pleco price (three dollars I think). He has at least doubled in size over the past two months. I am sad to say though that his time is pretty limited in my home since at the rate he is growing, he will be too big for my 55 gallon pretty soon. I have already made some arrangments through a couple of friends and my lfs to trade him to a home that will suit his needs. I am glad to see that many people have an interest in these fish. I think they get a bad rap because they are 'ugly' but they are awesome to me. I have another pleco in my 10 gallon tank which we named 'speedy'. He is really small, maybe an inch and a half, but man does that thing have energy. It is always out and about and swims like he was a dolfin in a previous life!

i was right a sailfin pleco

you can get nice store credit for bigger pleco's