Plecs And Catfish

[Bex]

I have 2 high fin catfish (synodontis alberti) and want to get a pleco for my 30 gallon tank but don't know what one is the best to get (or do I have to get 2?)

I don't think the catfish are particularly territorial but they are only young - about 2.5". I have a nice cave (coconut shell covered in Java Moss - it's excellent!) and will get another for the plec.

Any suggestions?

Oh and Im pretty new to this game so don't want anything tricky!

 

[KathyM]

Someone more experienced will advise you better I'm sure, but steer clear of "common" plecs, gibbies/sailfins, etc. These will outgrow your tank quickly and make a lot of waste.

I think the best option would be a bristlenose, but wait for others to advise you as I'm not the best for working out stocking.

 

[Bex]

Cheers! Had heard about the monster common plecos so will steer clear of them. Have been on planet catfish but not knowing names of them the list is so huge and I will be here all day trying to look at them!

Appreciate the honesty of people on this forum - unlike my LFS who seem to tell you anything you want to hear just to get you to buy! I asked about a common pleco (already knowing they get huge) and was promptly told that it will only grow about 6". Needless to say, we walked away!

 

[KathyM]

LMAO our LFS sold a choccie albino common as some posh L number. They also said L001s (Goldspots) only get to 8".

Be careful with Planet Catfish site though, because even they list commons (liposarcus pardalis) as reaching 10", when they far exceed that.

We bought a gibby from the LFS and were told 12" max - he could exceed 18". Needless to say we're on the hunt for a larger tank now LOL.

 

[Bex]

This fish thing is totally addictive! Only had the tank for about 1 month and already we are talking about getting a bigger tank! LOL! Just such a shame that you can't get good advice from any LFS. We have 1 more to try that we know of and hopefully they will be better. Have learnt a very hard lesson from trusting them though - was told to cycle with fish and was told to put 8 in straight away! Nearly lost them all! Thanks to good advice from this forum and lots of frantic daily water changes we have had no casualties and tank is now cycled!

 

[KathyM]

LOL - tell me about it! We're going to be skint soon if we carry on with this addiction *lmao*.

Here are a couple of pics of our plecs:

De Niro the gibby (about 5" at the moment)

Our baby bristlenose that we can't name yet as we don't know if he's a he or a she.

 

[Bex]

Wow! Love De Niro! He's amazing! He's gonna get pretty big though isn't he so I can't have one of those? Baby bristle is pretty cute. Can't get any pics of my tank at the mo as camera is broken.

My husband wasn't all that keen when I said "I want a fish tank for my birthday" but he's totally hooked now too! lol! We haven't even watched tv for the last 3 weeks as the fish are more interesting!

I convinced him by saying "fish don't cost a lot" (we are trying to save for a mortgage) but 1 month and 500 smackeroos later we are about to get MTS! I thought our tank was pretty big when we got it - I have learnt a lot in 1 month!

Got to get a bigger and better tank - Xmas is coming! LMAO!

 

[KathyM]

LMAO snap!

Yeah De Niro will get pretty big - at least 12-15" and probably up to and possibly beyond 18". He's a bit odd compared to other gibbies because he hasn't had a high growth rate - he was in the LFS for well over a year before we bought him and only made 4-5". We'll be needing a 5 x 2 x 2 tank to keep him long term though (which is my plan).

The Bristlenose will only make 4-5" so he's a nice choice for a smaller tank. But that depends on what you have in already too.

 

[Bex]

I currently have 4 dalmation mollies, 4 platys (these are the ones that came through the cycle poor things) 2 high fin catfish (synodontis albertis) and 2 (badly advised again!) silver sharks - I know these guys are gonna get big and being fast swimmers they must be in a bigger tank. LFS were adamant these guys would be fine in my tank. They are ok right now as they are only 2-3". Another reason to get a mahoosive tank as would rather keep them than take back to LFS to be re-sold into another too small tank.

Hubby has just ok'd the bigger tank for Xmas so can now start planning.

One thing with my current tank. I don't have any bog wood (no wood at all in fact - lots of plants and a couple of rocks) Do all plecs need bog wood? I think some need it for fibre?

 

[KathyM]

Most plecs like bogwood, but some *need* it, such as the panaques (eg Royal plec) for example. There's a nutrient in the outer layer of bogwood that they need, but I can't for the life of me remember what it's called. Bristlenoses apparently like to eat bogwood too. I've seen both of these chew at the bogwood, but not to the same level as some other plecs do.

As for the Silver Sharks, they will grow fairly huge (12-16" I think) and prefer to shoal I think so it might be worth parting with them before you get any more attached (and if you're like me that'll be hard as it is without giving them growing time and finding you can't do it!). They can also be buggers for jumping, and I've even heard of one headbutting a thin tank until it broke (although I suspect that could be a myth, I'm easy to dupe).

I'm really no good at determining stocking levels so I'll leave someone else to advise you on that side of things

 

[Bex]

Thanks! I know the sharks have to go but I am worried they will go to a worse home. Going to check out an LFS today that is fish only - not part of garden centre or pet shop. Going to test their advice and if it's good will give them the sharks so I know they won't be badly sold on.

I actually took them off a friend who's tank was half size of mine after LFS said ok. Better in my tank for a couple of weeks than in teeny tiny tank! THey haven't jumped yet but I am being careful. They are only babies right now.

So don't worry, as soon as I can find a responsible LFS than off they will go. Unless anyone here has a bigger tank and fancies a day trip to Maidenhead to take them off my hands?

 

[KathyM]

Don't feel bad - most of us have been in the same boat at least once *hug*.

You might find that advertising them on somewhere like Aquarist Classifieds, or on here, might put your mind at ease about them finding a more suitable home than the LFS will find them? And they'll be fine for now, I bet they're spoilt rotten.

 

[andywg]

LMAO our LFS sold a choccie albino common as some posh L number. They also said L001s (Goldspots) only get to 8".

Be careful with Planet Catfish site though, because even they list commons (liposarcus pardalis) as reaching 10", when they far exceed that.

We bought a gibby from the LFS and were told 12" max - he could exceed 18". Needless to say we're on the hunt for a larger tank now LOL.

True commons will only get to around a foot max. However, there are a whole multitude of fish sold as the common plec, not to mention that commons there is a fair amount of hybridisation amongst the larger plecs in the wild. All this makes accurate identification very difficult on small specimens as would be imported.

Also, the plec most usually referred to as common pleco is actually Hypostomus punctatus. PC only refers to L. pardalis as usually being imported as "common pleco" as it does not look like an L number, and therefore is unlikely to be described as such (despite having the numbers L021 and L023).

 

[KathyM]

I've been looking into this a lot after our mistake with Hannibal, and I would say that nigh on all plecs sold as "common plecs" in LFS today are liposarcus. There are three species named as "common plecs", but only the liposarcus are really seen sold as them any more. Hypostomus species are seemingly not "common" any more *lol*.

So that's why I would steer WELL clear of "common plecs" in the LFS nowadays. Even PAH have their's listed as "hypostomus punctatus", when they're easily identifiable as liposarcus by the amount of dorsal rays (5-8 = hypostomus, liposarcus commonly having 11-14). Same with a few of the online fish stores (Tropical Fish 4 U listing liposarcus as "hypostomus punctatus" too).

This is the problem with buying under the common names nowadays too. There's no such thing as a "true common" because those that were sold in days gone by as "common plecs" just aren't common any more.

 

[KathyM]

Flippin' heck - thought I'd have a peek through ebay to back up about there being huuuuuge commons (and because I'm nosey and it's nearly payday) and found this. Now bear in mind we recently rehomed an albino liposarcus because we were concerned about his potential size and afterwards struggled with guilt because it was hinted elsewhere that albinism might have the same effect as it does in some other animals of stunting growth.

I would imagine this is a case of bad measuring, but I've got to post it:

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Albino-plec-sucker-l...1QQcmdZViewItem

That looks like an albino liposarcus, one of those cute little albinos sold in Pets at Home. Eeek! Edit: Judging at size of gravel, not anywhere near 2ft, probably about 12-15". Still the biggest albino I've seen *lol*.