What Kind Of Pleco Do I Have? Pic

[GoldfishAttentionSpan]

I got a fish today from PetCo they listed as a "Colombian Spotted Pleco." I normally research my fish before getting them, but this guy was so cool, and if he turns out to be too big, I will switch him if I have to. I know this isn't the right way to go about getting fish, but I'm allowed a relapse now and then, right?

ANYWAY, what can you tell me about this fish? He has bristles on his nose, little spots, and a big top fin like a sailfin. What size tank does he need?

 

[Chuka1212]

based on what you said about his fin and the bristles, I doubt it is really a columbian spotted, here's a link to a picture of one....
http/www.pbase.com/pschia/image/42804804

You could have some type of bristlenose, they get up to a foot long if I remember right. But then again I could be wrong about the columbian pleco thing.

 

[GoldfishAttentionSpan]

Nope, certainly not a columbian pleco!

I got a couple bad pics of him, but hes hiding from me under some fake grass, so they may or may not be helpful. I will upload them in just a second...

 

[GoldfishAttentionSpan]

 

[Teelie]

Take a look here and see if you can spot it. Might take a while though, there are 685 and counting but you can discount most of them by ignoring the obvious "not it's" and focusing on Panaques, Peckoltias, Ancistrus, and Hypo. names. Most of the ones without a name or are just a number you should ignore intially as well.

edit: Or post some pictures. Looks like a Bristlenose or similar Ancistrus to me.

 

[GoldfishAttentionSpan]

Holey moley! Think the world has enough kinds of plecos?!?

 

[Teelie]

Heh, these are only the ones known and listed to science and/or the aquaria trade. There might be two-three times this many undiscovered yet.

 

[GoldfishAttentionSpan]

Heh, these are only the ones known and listed to science and/or the aquaria trade. There might be two-three times this many undiscovered yet.

Wow! I better hurry up and decide what he is now, before I have even more possibilities!

With the help of google image search, he does look like a bristlenose, but he would be full grown because he is 3-4 inches, easy.

If so, can he stay in my 10 gallon, or shall he go into my 26 gallon once it is set up?

 

[Teelie]

Bigger is better. They can produce a lot of waste and like the room.

 

[GoldfishAttentionSpan]

Bigger is better. They can produce a lot of waste and like the room.

Ok, so I'll have him in my 26 gallon when its up an running.

This is my planned stocking for my 26 gallon:

1 male blue gourami
8 danios (3 long finned, 5 short finned)
6 coolie loaches
2 peppered corydoras
3 emerald corydoras
3 mystery snails

I may be nixing the cories if they don't grow on me soon. Right now I find them to be very annoying!

The filter is for a 30 gallon, but I guess it would still be overstocked with the pleco (who I am thinking of naming either Mr Angry Eyes, or Dahok...)? Could I replace the filter with a stronger one and keep my stocking the way it is above?

 

[Teelie]

Should be fine, yeah. I tend to use 1.5-2 times the filter rating for my aquariums since most of the time they give optimal flow as opposed to actual flow. Like a filter that states 250gph might actually only get 175gph with all the media and the gradual build up of gunk in it.

 

[KathyM]

Take a look here and see if you can spot it. Might take a while though, there are 685 and counting but you can discount most of them by ignoring the obvious "not it's" and focusing on Panaques, Peckoltias, Ancistrus, and Hypo. names. Most of the ones without a name or are just a number you should ignore intially as well.

edit: Or post some pictures. Looks like a Bristlenose or similar Ancistrus to me.

It will only be one of the ancistrus species. They're the only bristlenoses. That should narrow it down. Doesn't look like a common bristlenose (Ancistrus sp. 3) to me. Looks like you've got something a bit different there! Problem is, without a "proper" collection location, they're apparently very hard to ID.

However, I think he looks a bit like Ancistrus triradiatus:

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/speci...?species_id=883

Interestingly, it's collection location is Columbia. It's very hard to tell from the pics though.

 

[paul_219]

Very nice and cool pleco.

 

[smithrc]

Looks like a stressed common to me...

Has he settled in yet?

If so get a few more pics up

I'll go out on a limb and say he'll be fine in a 26 gal as he'll get to 6" max
(this opinion may alter if the pics show he is a different bristle nose )

 

[KathyM]

You may be right, it's the tail and markings that seem off to me for sp. 3. I'd expect a fan shaped tail that narrows at the base on sp. 3, whereas this one looks like Poofish in that he has a thick tail base and no fanning of the tail in shape. I know what I mean, it's hard to describe.

Here's some pics of Poofish to try and illustrate what I mean (he was provisionally IDed as Ancistrus triradiatus):

See how where his tail joins the body, there is no narrowing, and the tail is not fan shaped like sp. 3.

Same again