Leopard Plec...

[sparklefuzz]

Would a 7" leopard plec be happy with a 100l tank to himself? I know they can and do grow much bigger, but he has been in the family for 7 years now and he hasn't grown at all in the last 18 months or so. He is currently in a 180l tank with other fish, but he is so dirty!! lol. I really don't want to rehome him, and I thought 100l to himself would be great, but I have a feeling its just going to be too small. Would it be better for him to be in a smaller tank on his own rather than a larger tank with other fish?

 

[Bloo]

If he's so dirty in a 180 L tank, how would it be any better in a tank almost half the size ?
A leopard plec is a common name that usually refers to a (leopard) sailfin pleco ( Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps ) - and these fish actually grow up to around 18" large and require a larger tank even than the current 47 US gallons.

So definitely *not* an option for a 100L tank. Sorry....

 

[sparklefuzz]

If he's so dirty in a 180 L tank, how would it be any better in a tank almost half the size ?
A leopard plec is a common name that usually refers to a (leopard) sailfin pleco ( Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps ) - and these fish actually grow up to around 18" large and require a larger tank even than the current 47 US gallons.

So definitely *not* an option for a 100L tank. Sorry....

I'm grasping at straws I suppose, because rehoming him would break my heart, but it looks like it is going to be the only option. This is the part where I get really angry at my Dad for not researching and getting him in the first place.

 

[§tudz]

To be honest a leopard plec to be refers to an L001 which only grows to about 8"

See my sig' for a pic ok so its only a vector image I made, but that is a leopard plec, not a gibbi or sailfin

same family, but thir colour is the opposite to sailfins. They are brown.Black with gold marking, where as a gibby is gold/brown with black markings.


*edit: added about family and markings

 

[sparklefuzz]

To be honest a leopard plec to be refers to an L001 which only grows to about 8"

See my sig' for a pic ok so its only a vector image I made, but that is a leopard plec, not a gibbi or sailfin

same family, but thir colour is the opposite to sailfins. They are brown.Black with gold marking, where as a gibby is gold/brown with black markings.


*edit: added about family and markings

I'm quite confused. I have thought I had a L001 since, well, forever... but you look up info pictures of an sailfin leopard plec or gibbi, or L083 and that is him! lol. Theres a picture in the buy, sell, swap section anyway.

edit -Nope, double checked. He is definitely gold with black/brown markings. I found a picture of an L001 but its the reverse to what he is.

 

[§tudz]

I'm sad to hear that

that means you got a Possible 2' fish on your hands there...

and a note for you for future reference, ALL plecs produce a lot of waste, you should see how much my BN makes, its amazing, nearly as much as a human lol

 

[sparklefuzz]

I'm sad to hear that

that means you got a Possible 2' fish on your hands there...

and a note for you for future reference, ALL plecs produce a lot of waste, you should see how much my BN makes, its amazing, nearly as much as a human lol

LOL! Yeah, it is very sad... just hoping someone can give him a home, otherwise I don't know what I'll do. *sigh*.

I'm going to replace him with a couple otos I think... are they dirty too?

 

[§tudz]

hehehe! thats an amazing looking Sailfin

Oto's aren't messy and only grow small, I have a bulldog plec, and he is great, slow growing and grow only to about 5"
you could try one of those, as they are only about £6-8 depending where you go, unlike a lot of small plecs which are expensive.
you could even try a Bristlenose but they are VERY messy, when is comes to poop, but they do a very good job on algae unlike otos, unless you have a hoard of them, I currently have two, I did have two then bought two more and the older two vanished? they might still be in the tank, but where I have no idea,

hope you find a reputable home for your plec

 

[Bloo]

Yeah in my experience when people speak of Leopard plecs, they are generally the gibby's - and not L001's. But common names can indeed be very confusing and misleading!

sparklefuzz, hope you can find a nice home for yours it's must be difficult to rehome such a lovely fish that you've had for quite some time.

 

[§tudz]

yeah common name cause a lot of problems, the upsidedown catfish is always one that does this, as there are only a few true USDcats that grow small most grow large

Common plec is even worse, there must be about 7 species that come under that name nearly as bad as just calling them fish as my mate does

 

[LisaLQ]

L001s can reach much bigger than 8". My baby one was nearly that I've heard 12-16", sometimes bigger up to 20". One owner told me that they were basically the same as a gibby, just reverted colours, but how true that is I dont know.

But definitely 12" is more likely than 8".