Raphael catfish vs common pleco

A 3 inch common pleco is a 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 14 inch one in process. If it isn't your absolute favourite fish you must have, never ever get one.
Likewise for a close to 10 inch Raphael.
If you get your big tank, those fish ARE your stocking. One of the most harmful mistakes a new aquarist makes is to look at a fish as being its current size. Always look at its maximum. If you are a good enough aquarist that you join a forum to learn more, you'll be good enough not to kill your fish before it grows to its max.
What you see now is very temporary for a lot of fish. That's a lesson clown loach, common pleco, striped Raphael and many other fish sold when small and cute will teach you over the longterm.
 
Ok… I’ll 2nd, or 3rd the don’t get a common pleco, for lots of reasons… but a common pleco will continue to eat algae as they mature… however they are an opportunistic feeder, and once that big, often intimidate other fish away from their food, which they will often eat instead of algae…
there is literally no algae in this tank, and 1 - 10 inch Pleco… the silver dollars are aggressive enough, that the Pleco can’t steal their food, and it so far, it has not eaten any of the rosy minnows the bichir eats, so even the radius corners are spotless… but if you haven’t seen any of the invasive species videos out of Florida… just ask, and I’ll post… they destroy the native habitat, breed like rabbits, and even harass manatees
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A 3 inch common pleco is a 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 14 inch one in process. If it isn't your absolute favourite fish you must have, never ever get one.
Likewise for a close to 10 inch Raphael.
If you get your big tank, those fish ARE your stocking. One of the most harmful mistakes a new aquarist makes is to look at a fish as being its current size. Always look at its maximum. If you are a good enough aquarist that you join a forum to learn more, you'll be good enough not to kill your fish before it grows to its max.
What you see now is very temporary for a lot of fish. That's a lesson clown loach, common pleco, striped Raphael and many other fish sold when small and cute will teach you over the longterm.
Well I understand but the pleco was bought I met u guys I've seen em in many tanks n I thought it was cute. Big mistake for newbies " don't buy a fish just bcause u like how it looks " and of course without doing a research first but mistake was done already.
And the Raphael catfish was given to me for free when I bought a used tank.
They lady didn't have another tank n probably would have flash it into the toilet. She didn't look or sound she wanted to keep the fish.
 
I'd rehome them both 🧐 nasty, filthy and ugly!

If you insist on having something like those, perhaps opt for the even uglier Ancistrus (bristlenose). They stay around 4-5 inches 👍🏻

P.s 🤢
 
I doubt you'll find many fish given away as often as common plecos. It's a shame. We have mostly been there and done that. The poor fish die young as we run out of space, and no one wants them. Common plecos are one of the unluckiest products sold. They are treated as products, not animals, or they wouldn't be sold.
It never turns out well.
 

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