Clown Pleco

[newfishaddict]

Hi, I purchased a fish called a clown pleco at the LFS. The salesperson said it would not exceed 3 inches, is this true? Are these fish the same as common plecos accept for their size? It does appear the same...Are these rare? I have asked about small algae eaters before and everyone said Bristle Nose Pleco and I have never heard anything about a "clown pleco"...If this fish does only get to 3inces max. then what a great option for 98% of us who do not have a huge tank......

 

[kittyfish]

clown plecos are a dwarf species, however they aren't like common plecos...clown plecos are Panaques/Panaqolus species...clowns stay small and belong to a group of wood eating plecos...however, not all Panaques are small...take for example the Titanic Panaque which reaches lengths past 24"...clown plecos are great for smaller tanks, but should have wood available and should be fed a variety of veggies such as courgette (zuchinni), cucumber, and squash...common plecos are either Hypostomus, or Pterygoplichthys species which reach 10" in length or more (Hypostomus exceed 10")...you can check out planetcatfish.com for more info on clown plecos...hope this helps

Kittyfish

 

[bunjiweb]

They are a nice smaller plec and yes they will eat algae. The downside is that they really nice bogwood in their diet, so make sure you have some of that. Also they are quite a social plec and like to be in groups (if you can house more!).

Ben