No Growth!

[the caretaker]

I have a 5ft x 2ft x 2ft tank with 4 severum 3 pleco's and large silver barbs. they all get along quite nicley but one thing i have noticed is that my pleco's don't grow! a friend who has a similar setup has a pleco that within a2 years is about 14" long my 3 the longest is 5" and i've had them for 4 years.
any ideas whats going on?
cheers

 

[Fishkeeper2004]

Same problem with me, I have had my common plec for 2 years now, and it has hardly grown at all, it remains around 4 inches, highly annoying..

 

[BigC]

Livefoods with regular waterchanges and you will soon notice the difference.

 

[morgan]

I have only had my Common Pleco since early this year and it is about 8 inches. It was 3 inches when I bought it, a juvenile.They have stunted growth if they are in too small a tank which is certainly not the case if yours is in a 5ft tank. Sometimes Plecos are missold, mine was supposed to be a Bristlenose which it most definitely isn't. The term Common Pleco seems to cover a few different species. I have seen pictures of Gibbies, Sailfins and Leopard Sailfins and each time I think, mine looks like that! Maybe yours aren't supposed to get very big?

 

[Fishkeeper2004]

I have only had my Common Pleco since early this year and it is about 8 inches. It was 3 inches when I bought it, a juvenile.They have stunted growth if they are in too small a tank which is certainly not the case if yours is in a 5ft tank. Sometimes Plecos are missold, mine was supposed to be a Bristlenose which it most definitely isn't. The term Common Pleco seems to cover a few different species. I have seen pictures of Gibbies, Sailfins and Leopard Sailfins and each time I think, mine looks like that! Maybe yours aren't supposed to get very big?

Our LFS only sells the one species, and they had fully grown ones for triple the price, so I got a younger and smaller one assured it would grow in the right conditions..

 

[modernhamlet]

I have a 5ft x 2ft x 2ft tank with 4 severum 3 pleco's and large silver barbs. they all get along quite nicley but one thing i have noticed is that my pleco's don't grow! a friend who has a similar setup has a pleco that within a2 years is about 14" long my 3 the longest is 5" and i've had them for 4 years.
any ideas whats going on?
cheers

Are you sure they're common plecos? Could be one of the smaller plecs like bristlenose, clown, etc. Doesn't make much sense that a common wouldn't grow past 5" in 4 years. You have plenty of space.

 

[Fishkeeper2004]

I have a 5ft x 2ft x 2ft tank with 4 severum 3 pleco's and large silver barbs. they all get along quite nicley but one thing i have noticed is that my pleco's don't grow! a friend who has a similar setup has a pleco that within a2 years is about 14" long my 3 the longest is 5" and i've had them for 4 years.
any ideas whats going on?
cheers

Are you sure they're common plecos? Could be one of the smaller plecs like bristlenose, clown, etc. Doesn't make much sense that a common wouldn't grow past 5" in 4 years. You have plenty of space.

Would it grow past 4 Inches in a 3ft tank within 2 years?

 

[Fish_Mike]

How often do you change the water?

 

[morgan]

My Common was £3.95. Cheap, but working out expensive as I have to get a bigger tank just because of him! That's going to cost about £500 - £600 for the set-up plus gravel, plants etc. Could we see a picture of your Common? I will post one of mine tomorrow. I haven't got a clue how to do it so my son will post it for me. Not arguing with the advice to give it live food but I don't and it grew like mad! I put bloodworms, daphnia, brine shrimp etc ( in sachets) as an occasional treat for my other fish and the pleco could eat it but he isn't interested. He does love an alage wafer and there is one particular plant which he loves to eat.

 

[modernhamlet]

Would it grow past 4 Inches in a 3ft tank within 2 years?

Given they get over a foot pretty quickly, yes. If it's that small after that much time, it's not a common.

 

[Fishkeeper2004]

Ok thanks for your help, ill post up am piccie later tonight or tommorow when my brother sorts out the camera. I only feed the tank flake food, and occasionally frozen bloodworm. But I have some Algae Wafers which I am going to feed my plec from now on.

I change my water once every other week, and its a 50% change, and have been doing this for the whole two years.

 

[morgan]

I have got my son to help me so here are three pictures of my pleco. In 2 pictures he is eating his favourite plant. I was hoping to get a picture of him upside down eating this plant but he would not do it! Typical.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

ive heard about somebodys senegal bichir not growing past 4 inches even though it was in a big tank