Sucking Loach

[chrisconroy]

I have just been given a very large sucking loach. He is about 4 inches long, dark grey with speckles. He has a very sqaure face, resembles a hippo, looks like he has bolts through his head and is the ugliest looking sucking loach I have ever seen! However, he does his job well but would like know the name of his species.
He also has a very large top fin, which he fans out when he's happy, making him look look enormous. Can anyone help me identify him?

 

[modernhamlet]

The common name "sucking loach" is usually used in referring to Gyrinocheilus aymonieri, otherwise known as the Chinese Algae Eater.

Several profiles:

http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/algeater.htm
http/www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/fish...html#gaymonieri
http/badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile47.html

They are very common, but much disliked in the hobby.

 

[chrisconroy]

Unfortunately nobody has been able to name the species of my sucking loach. Although he is ugly, I love him dearly and he does his job very well!!
Anyway, just to say after alot of investigating, I have discovered he is a
Hypostomus Plecostomus. I believe the common name is Pleco but if you write his name down, it has to be shown as P*eco as it is unlucky to write his name in full, if you do the fish will die. Anyone every heard of this before? He has an interesting story to him my husband's friend found this fish was getting too large for his tank so he gave it to my husband who put it in his plastic lunch box (washed out of course) raced home with it on the front seat (about a 15 min. journey) got pulled in by the Police for speeding. Police must have thought he was slighly weird, fined him £60 and 3 penalty points on his licence!! So now he is our most expensive fish. Although by the time the Poice had finished with the paperwork, the water was stone cold but nevertheless the fish survived although my husband gives him the occasional dirty look when he passes the tank.

 

[Pointy_kitty]

Although he is ugly, I love him dearly and he does his job very well!!

hahaha
do you ever have or see fish that are SOOOO ugly that it actually makes them cute?
like a horse face loach

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Unfortunately nobody has been able to name the species of my sucking loach. Although he is ugly, I love him dearly and he does his job very well!!
Anyway, just to say after alot of investigating, I have discovered he is a
Hypostomus Plecostomus. I believe the common name is Pleco but if you write his name down, it has to be shown as P*eco as it is unlucky to write his name in full, if you do the fish will die. Anyone every heard of this before?

Okkkkaaayyyyy

A common plec is going to get much bigger than the 4" you stated him as in your first post, try over a foot!! With this, comes a lot of mess and the need for a very powerful filter to keep parameters good, not to mention a fairly large tank to pysically house him.

A plec is not a type of loach but is in fact a catfish. So, rather than no one telling you, people have understandably thought you mean a sucking loach aka chinese algae eater.

Here's some information on the common plec Common Plec


They eat sinking plec tablets, cucumber, lettuce and sometimes algae to a certain age. I think that as they get older they like a more carnivorous diet and may not eat any algae. They need, like all plecs, a place to hise during the day as they are largely nocturnal. Bogwood is ideal for this as it allows them to hide, looks good and they may eat it as well.

I have heard that myth as well about the * in plec, it is discussed frequently on the forum.

 

[chrisconroy]

Reply to Cheese Specialist.

Only discovered today that plecos like lettuce and cucumber. Sounds daft but where is the best place to drop him a slice of cucumber. He dosent have a favourite spec. and I don't want bits of rotting cucumber in my tank. Do you have to chop the cucumber into little pieces or leave it as a slice? How do you feed yours?

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Reply to Cheese Specialist.

Only discovered today that plecos like lettuce and cucumber. Sounds daft but where is the best place to drop him a slice of cucumber. He dosent have a favourite spec. and I don't want bits of rotting cucumber in my tank. Do you have to chop the cucumber into little pieces or leave it as a slice? How do you feed yours?

I cut about and inch of cucumber as a round slice, then stick a stone through the middle to get rid of the seeds and to weigh it down.

I then put it in the tank and leave it overnight. Remove it when you think it's breaking up a lot, depending on the fish in the tank, you may be able to leave it for 2 nights.

I have clown loaches that like to eat mine too so it often breaks up quicker.

With lettuce, I take an outer leaf and squash it in my hand a bit to break down the cellouse (sp?) and then put it in the tank with a stone on top to weigh it down.

What size is your tank? Have you got wood in it?

 

[chrisconroy]

Reply to: Miss Cheese Specialist (I assume you make cheese on a dairy farm!)

Many thanks for that, my Plec will have a lovely treat tonight. My tank is 3ft long by 2ft high, you know those fancy ones in an oak cabinet with two little cupboards underneath. I will buy him some more bogwood this weekend although he does have some. He frightens the life out of me when he fans out his top fin, I love him but he is scarey. Was going to call him Bill after being apprehended by the Police know who to contact now if I need more advice and you aren't that far away in Newcastle are you? I live near Warrington.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Glad to help Chris!

Just be careful about how big your plec thill get in that size tank, although by the time that happens you may be wanting to upgrade

I hope Bill is ok and I am sure he will be happy with more bogwood and some cucumber.

I am not sure how far away you are, but in England nowhere can ever be that far!!

I only have 2 plecs at the minute but might be getting some more. They are fantastic fish and I know that you'll love yours, even if he is a bit freaky!!

Here's a pic of one of mine...

 

[chrisconroy]

Reply to The Cheese Specialist.

My goodness, your fish is even more scarey than mine! Bill looks like he has bolts coming out of his head! I did what you said but I get the impression he doesnt know what to do with the cucumber. I'll see if it has had any nibbles by the morning. I read these are freshwater fish really. If Bill gets too big, we have an outside pond. Could he go in this? I read somewhere that one of these Plecs was put in an outside horse trough to clean it. Well I know where you are as my mother-in-law's family is from Sunderland. If you don't know where Warrington is, we are about 12 miles from Liverpool, near The Wirral. We have a digital camera so I will take a few pickies of Bill and you can see for youself how scarey he is. I have a gorgeous blue Siamese Fighting Fish who is really a woosh, he is scared of all the other fish and spends his day tucked away in the corner. We bought our daughter (she's 21) a £500 tank in a beech case. Got the usual starter fish for her but she robbed one of my fantails the other day. Went to see her a couple of days ago and found out within hours her fish had murdered the fantail - ate its tail and head. Well, lets see what happens tonight with the cucumber!

 

[Cheese Specialist]

You migth ave to try it a few times until Bill realises the scran is for him.

I read these are freshwater fish really.

Do you have him in a salt tank or something? Most people wuld argue against using slat wih them.

He could go in a pond if you have somewhere for him in the winter, I think. I know people keep them in coldwater tanks but IMO a pond would be too cold.

Brucilla is not scary!! Those 'bolts' are eyes!! I think Brucilla is gorgeous!

Must go and watch the 'lovely horse' episode of Father Ted.

 

[ryan]

Bristlenose Pleco?

 

[kevin007]

Bristlenose Pleco?

yea is it a bnose plec? if he is then ur in luck..they dont grow big..like..4 inch? i think