Clown Plecos

[peggysmum]

hi all. i went to maidenhead aquatics yesterday to get some new fish, i brought 3 bronze corys and a clown pleco. the guy in the shop advised me this would be fine with my 60 ltr tank. i now have 4 corys and the pleco and in a couple of weeks will be getting some neon tetras. this is a new tank been going about 3 mths now. my friend told me that a clown pleco will get really big , i looked on here and it said the clown wont eat algae which is what i got it for, so ive just rung the shop and the guy tells me this is a different type of clown that wont get very big and will eat the algae. so im a bit confused, he says there are about 10 types of clown pleco and i have a small one. so can anyone advise is he right. i dont really want to have to but a new big tank in a few years to accomadate a huge pleco just cause someone advised me wrongly. can anyone help. thanks tracey

 

[rdp50734]

can you put up a picture? It would help us ID it correctly!

 

[phil140701]

hi all. i went to maidenhead aquatics yesterday to get some new fish, i brought 3 bronze corys and a clown pleco. the guy in the shop advised me this would be fine with my 60 ltr tank. i now have 4 corys and the pleco and in a couple of weeks will be getting some neon tetras. this is a new tank been going about 3 mths now. my friend told me that a clown pleco will get really big , i looked on here and it said the clown wont eat algae which is what i got it for, so ive just rung the shop and the guy tells me this is a different type of clown that wont get very big and will eat the algae. so im a bit confused, he says there are about 10 types of clown pleco and i have a small one. so can anyone advise is he right. i dont really want to have to but a new big tank in a few years to accomadate a huge pleco just cause someone advised me wrongly. can anyone help. thanks tracey

http/www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=clownpleco does it look the same as this one

 

[peggysmum]

not the best pics i am afraid, i dont have a good camera but here he is.

 

[JenCliBee]

Looks like your run of the mill clown (L104, panaque maccus) usually max's out at around 5 inch. The plec needs wood in the tank being that's it primary food.

IME they aren't great algae eaters but will eat on occasions but prefer algae wafers and varying veg alot more.

The shop that told you there are around 10 species of clown really don't have a clue what there selling, off the top of my head there are only 2 species with clown in the names.

Either way the plec will be fine as long as it's requirements are met and having a wood source in the tank is probably the most important

 

[peggysmum]

oh dear. i specifically went there as i understood maidenhead aquatics to be good. it is the one in nr dartford. cant say as i will go there again. i have got wood in there, and he does seem to have been nibbling away at the algae on the back of my tank. why do people do that, i even rang back yesterday and he assured me he was telling the truth, people dont they drive yer nuts.
thanks for your help, i do hope he wont outgrow the tank or eat me out of wood, he has a job to do.
thanks tracey

 

[fuzzynicki]

Your baby looks just like my clown plecs and they don't grow very big so don't worry there! I bought mine as algae eaters and was later told that that they're not that good for this job! I was advised to get bristlenose plecos as they are apparantly the most prolific algae eaters. They grow larger than clowns,- but only to about 5' or so. I bought some longfin bristlenoses and they are superb algae eaters. I kept a couple of my clowns and gave the others to a friend.

I hardly ever see my two clowns, whereas my bn's are always out and about. I have an algae free 260litre aquarium since getting them too!

Maidenhead Aquatics are a good supplier. I use the Polhill branch, or have been to the one near East Grinstead in Surrey. Both of these have very knowledgeable staff. Sorry you didn't have so much luck.


p.s. there is also the orange and black striped clown loach which does grow to a large size so I don't know if someone has been confusing you there? I don't know of any other tropical clowns