slow grow pleco

[GuppyDude]

u guys tell me constantly that my common pleco in my 10g will out grow his envirment ver quickly but he hasn't grown a whole lot since i bought him. iv had him for probably a few months now and hes yet to show sighns of growth. iv been keeping him well fed on alge and alge tabs, and he even nibbles my plants. i heard somwhere that a pleco will only grow as big as its envirment allows it to, kinda like a gold fish. i dont beleive this much but im kinda worry that my pleco isn't growing because of something im doing wrong

 

[digital_run]

u guys tell me constantly that my common pleco in my 10g will out grow his envirment ver quickly but he hasn't grown a whole lot since i bought him. iv had him for probably a few months now and hes yet to show sighns of growth. iv been keeping him well fed on alge and alge tabs, and he even nibbles my plants. i heard somwhere that a pleco will only grow as big as its envirment allows it to, kinda like a gold fish. i dont beleive this much but im kinda worry that my pleco isn't growing because of something im doing wrong

Not true....stunting will occur when a fish is in a tank which is too small for it...basically it's inside's will continue to grow while it's outer body will not. This will lead to a slow painful death. Even though it looks like he hasn't grown im sure he has...eventually he will either need to be moved or will die!

 

[GuppyDude]

well hes still a lil guy, as far as plecos go, if he ever gets to big, ill find him a new bigger home, i bought him to take care of alge but iv gotten attched to the lil guy, i wouldn't let him get sick

 

[Teelie]

By the time you notice, it may be too late. Commons need a large aquarium, over 50 gallons at least, there are no exceptions and no ways to keep a fish that'll grow that large in something so small. It will literally out grow that tank if given proper space.

 

[Paul_MTS]

i heard somwhere that a pleco will only grow as big as its envirment allows it to, kinda like a gold fish.

this is totally wrong and even more so for goldfish, it's just an old wifes tale!

I have a sailfin in my 25gallons/3ft and i have noticed growthnin the past 3 months i have had it, I will be moving him to a 4ft tank around x-mas when it gets delivered, or i might move him on!

 

[clutterydrawer]

My random input...today I read about an experiment into stunting in which the experimenters kept four juvy channel cats in a 15g (24" long) tank, kept them clean and fed them well and they grew to the length of the tank, i.e. their heads were touching one end and their tails were touching the other. worrying hmm?

 

[Teelie]

Yes, that is. That's the kind of think people shouldn't do, though it was an experiment so I assume there was scientific merit involved.

 

[robgurr]

would a 90 gallon be big enough for a few plecs?

 

[clutterydrawer]

depends what kind of plecs...

 

[smithrc]

would a 90 gallon be big enough for a few plecs?

we have...

5 in a 35...
2 in a 30
6 in a 50
and 70 in a 15 (all but 3 are fry )

as clutterydrawer said... It depends which ones.

the 5 are L129's and only get to 3"...

 

[Paul_MTS]

yep deffinately depends on size, i'm packing my tanks full of more dwarf size plecs, lots of lovely L numbers!!

 

[GuppyDude]

well as i said before, when he grows to about 6 incehes ill find him a new home or buy him a bigger tank but right now hes still a little guy. iv heard alot about fish that stop growing in small tanks, iv also read reports about goldfish staying quite small during its for year in a 1g bowl and then explodeing in size after being moved to a new home, im thinking its only some fish that have this little adaptation while others dont. its got to do greatly with their natural habitats. im not sure where wild gold fish or wild plecs live but ill take you guys word for it and keep and eye on my plecos size. and belive me, hes got plenty of room in this 10g at his current size.

 

[Paul_MTS]

I cannot stress enough that keeping goldfish in stupid litle bowls or tanks is extremely wrong and inhuman.

today at work i most turned down about 5 people that wanted to stick common goldfish and sarasa comets in litle bowls and tanks

depending on the true size of your plec he may be happy for now or he may be being stunted as we speak, it's best to try and use atleast 3ft tanks for them for starters.

 

[GuppyDude]

my tank is a 2ft, are there sighns i can look for for stunting? i need somthing so i can know when to move him out

 

[cory]

Signs that your common plec is in danger in your ten gallon tank:

1. If your common plec is breathing in a ten gallon tank ...
2. If your common plec is eating in a ten gallon tank ...
3. If your common plec is pooping in a ten gallon tank ...


... you might be a red neck.