Plec Ident & Advice Please !

Hello all,
 
I'm a novice who bought a second hand tank and contents only to find out that it included the fish too !
 
Therefore, after a bit of a fraught few hours in which we had to do the best we could to get tank filled, treated and then reinsert filter / decorations and heat as quickly as possible - having done enough to understand basics of cycling I was aware we might be missing quite a few fish over the next week.
 
Well....I'm 5 days in now and we've still got them all, they're all feeding and playing nicely with each other.
 
But the reason for my post here is that this tank came with two pleco's that I think from my research are Common Plecs, but being shy and retiring its been hard to get a good photo of them and their stomachs.
 
Would some of you kind members be able to tell me what you think they are ?
 
Now, I think I know the answer to this but I want to be sure before I act - its a Fluval 125litre tank (approx. 33 US gallons) and I think that this tank is too small for these two to live in happily - as if they are common they'll get too big, before there are two of them !
 
In terms of current size, one is around 20cm / 8 inches and the other is clearly smaller, 4/5 inches circa 13cm. I've been told they were bought at the same time around 2.5years ago.
 
Thanks so much - I'm keen to make sure we're managing them correctly and if they need to get rehomed we do it promptly without stressing them out.
 
Matt
 
{edited to add my name lol}

It's hard to be 100% certain with those pics,but I'd say the first one is a sailfin plec/gibbiceps, and the second is a common.

Thanks for your advice. I've looked at the Sailfin, still looks a big fish for the space to me !
 
I did just get the larger one swimming around the dank in a darkened room, but he wouldn't settle in one place long enough to get a decent photo ! I'll keep trying and do my best to add enough different foods for now to keep them fed properly.

I'm 99.9% certain of my IDs; these are both very commonly seen fish. My 16 year old son can spot a gibby on this forum from the other side of the room now!
 
Neither can stay in a 125l tank, I'm afraid. The common will get to a foot or so, and the gibby to about 18".

Thanks - 99.9% is trumps my position by a long way!
 
Do you know if they're capable of recognition ? I ask, as they'll come out in a dimly lit room with the tank lights off - but if I go towards the tank they leg it ! My other half can go near them without the drama.
 
Any advice on rehoming them ? I'll check my local fish stores for clubs / socs in our area for collectors or some people with seriously bigger tanks - but any other advice is welcomed.

I personally believe that plecs are among the more intelligent of fish families. I have never seen or heard of any research done on it, but anecdotally (sorry to any scientists reading!) they do seem to recognise certain people.
 
My ex had a common plec that was so fond of him, that he just had to hold his hands in the tank and the plec would swim into them. Never any trouble catching him! That was the biggest common I've ever seen too; it lived in a tank 18" in width, and couldn't fit along that side without bending the end of his body, not just his tail, round the corner; he must have been 20/22".
 
As to rehoming, it's always a problem, I'm afraid. Not many people have large enough tanks for them, and they're very common and cheap in the shops I've currently got a gibby in one of my 200l tanks that my ex rescued from a 60l tank.
 
You could try an ad on Aquarist Classified or Preloved, if you're in the UK.

Thanks - Preloved is where we re-homed our labbie from, so I'll give it a go. I'm also going to enquire at local shops.
 
In simple / worse case terms - what size tanks should they be in, do they need one each / can they share a certain sized tank etc ?

The bare, absolute minimum, IMO, would be 'large' four foot; one that's 4'x18"x18", but a 5'x2'x2' would be better. In an ideal world, you'd have them in something like a 6'x3'x'3', but that's beyond most people; and most people's floors!
 
They could share; plecs can be a bit pushy with each other, but shouldn't do each other any damage.

When you go to look to place an ad for a rehome of the plecos (especially the common) it would be a good idea to advertise for a home with a pond.  These guys(the common) in truth get too big for most tanks.  400 gallons(1500+ liters) or more might work for a 2+ft full grown common pleco but not many people have that size tank.  The sailfin should get between 12in -18in full grown and can live in something around 75 gallons(284 liters) but only with one of them.  I believe it is better to have something around 100 gallon(380 liters) tank for even the sailfin.  
 
I personally wish that pet stores would not sell common plecos because they never get sold to people who have tanks or a pond to support them when they reach full grown size and they try to sell them to everyone even if they have a tiny tank.

Yes. I have to confess my first intro to them was in my partners parents tank - that was a 2 inch long fish in a 55L tank ! He died recently at about 3 inches and they were just about to replace him, but we quickly put a stop to that !
 
We're now using the net to find them a more suitable breed variant. They fascinating fish to watch go about their lives ! They've got such effortless power as they move around the tank. And I said above, I'm convinced the larger one remembers me from moving them because if I sit in front of the tank it'll move so we're not in eye contact, or if I go towards it whilst its out feeding / glass sucking it will drop off and go back to its fave hide. Even after the cucumber I've offered up in apologies !
 
We're quite upset on a few fronts at home with these two - firstly I have to look at myself for not checking there weren't fish any hiding out in the photos, secondly at the last owner for not acting sooner, thirdly at the stores that sell these fish to novices / beginners and lastly because the only outside option for us would be to put a massive tank in our garage for them to live in, but that's not practical for us or a good life for them.

Wildbetta said:

When you go to look to place an ad for a rehome of the plecos (especially the common) it would be a good idea to advertise for a home with a pond.  These guys(the common) in truth get too big for most tanks.  400 gallons(1500+ liters) or more might work for a 2+ft full grown common pleco but not many people have that size tank.  The sailfin should get between 12in -18in full grown and can live in something around 75 gallons(284 liters) but only with one of them.  I believe it is better to have something around 100 gallon(380 liters) tank for even the sailfin.  
 
I personally wish that pet stores would not sell common plecos because they never get sold to people who have tanks or a pond to support them when they reach full grown size and they try to sell them to everyone even if they have a tiny tank.

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I do agree, I'd lie to shops stopping stocking these sorts of fish.
 
One point; I know it's ok in most of the US to keep these fish in outside ponds, but it's not a viable option in most of the rest of the world; certainly not in the UK!

A possible solution has presented. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed. A lunchtime hunt on preloved turned up a man who provides rehoming of Plecs and has twin 5x2x2 ft tanks and potential of a 4x2x2 as well to hold them in and is interested in taking them on.

One point; I know it's ok in most of the US to keep these fish in outside ponds, but it's not a viable option in most of the rest of the world; certainly not in the UK!

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Oh man, definitely did not know that.  Sorry OP, wasn't aware of the regulations in your area when I advised.     That makes me really feel bad for those big plecos in the trade because a pond is really the best place for them.   

Its okay - my guess was looking at your location, you've got a different climate to us !

Wildbetta said:

One point; I know it's ok in most of the US to keep these fish in outside ponds, but it's not a viable option in most of the rest of the world; certainly not in the UK!

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Oh man, definitely did not know that.  Sorry OP, wasn't aware of the regulations in your area when I advised.  

  That makes me really feel bad for those big plecos in the trade because a pond is really the best place for them.   

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Yeah, it would be legal to keep them in a pond (although it would be illegal to release them into open water, of course!); it's just our weather. My pond spends up to a week frozen, to a depth of two or three inches some winters.
 
I know plecs are tough, but I don't think they're that tough!
 
It's a shame, as I do agree; a pond really would be the best home for these fish. When I've won the lottery and I'm a millionaire, I'll build huge, heated ponds for rescued gibbis!