Hmmmm.....

[Gankutsuou]

Is it common for a Common pleco to get a burnt orange colleration on its fins?

It looks really natural, and even beautiful..... so I don't think it's a problem....
And he's really active. Eats well.... So is anything wrong?

 

[Boxermom]

No, nor does it belong in a 10g tank.

 

[Gankutsuou]

I'm well aware. He's moving up to 40 within 2 weeks, when i'll attempt to clone my 10 g into the 40.

 

[Boxermom]

Unfortunately, even a 40 is going to be waaaay too small.

 

[Gankutsuou]

i know. when he get's way too big, he'll either go to the LFS, or i'll be out on my own so I can get him a bigger tank. Considering he's 2 1/2 inches right now, the size thing isn't that pressing

what is pressing is if the coloration is abnormal and harmful, and what i shoud do.

 

[Boxermom]

Fish become stunted long before they physically outgrow a tank. Their outside stops growing but their insides continue. Imagine if that happened to you. However, that's a choice you have to make, just as its your choice to risk all of your fish by overstocking the tank. *shrug*

 

[Gankutsuou]

We all make mistakes at the beggining, and like I said, I didn't ask about over stocking.

When he gets too big, he gets thrown in an ice chest (without ice, but with water),
taken to one of My LFS, and traded in.

What I really want to know about is the coloration happening with him.

 

[PlecMama]

My big guys have an orange tinge to their tails that I notice sometimes, but they appear perfectly healthy. I think it's just a plec thing. It's certainly not in infection or anything.

 

[Gankutsuou]

Thanks for actually adressing the question
and it's a reliefe. Thanks

 

[jayjay]

Their outside stops growing but their insides continue.

I've never seen any evidence of this or anyones experience etc.

Common plecs can grow 1" a month so yeah you will have a problem farily soon.

 

[Boxermom]

Then I suggest some research on stunting is in order.

 

[jayjay]

I understand stunting, just it's not proved that a fishes insides can grow when their outsides don't, from stunting.

 

[LisaLQ]

Yep, that 10g is probably too small for him already, considering the amount plecs poo, they actually make more waste than they consume. A 40g would be a minimum for a small specimen, but to keep a larger one you'd probably need at least a 100g. I kept mine in a 135g and had to rehome him at about 9 inches.

 

[Gankutsuou]

hmmmmm.... Indeed.... I'll be returning him today probably..... thank you all

 

[mikev]

Yep, that 10g is probably too small for him already, considering the amount plecs poo, they actually make more waste than they consume. A 40g would be a minimum for a small specimen, but to keep a larger one you'd probably need at least a 100g.

Exactly.

Mine is causing problems in a 65g already (not really by his size which is now 10", but his produce), soon enough we'll find out if 125g is sufficient.

Incidentally, mine went to 6.5" within about a year.---this is quite slow for the species.

As for the orange: mine has it too. It would be interesting to find out exactly what this is: a subspecies, a mutation, a reaction to some kind of food? -- but it is not a disease.