What Pleco Do I Have!?

[Sammyb]

Well went out today to get a bristlenose and i ask the fish man if he had any, he said no but.. he told me he had 'P. gibbiceps' and i asked him to his face, ''how big will it grow? he looked at me and said, no bigger than 5 inches! so like an idiot i bought it, now i got home looked it up and see it can grow to 18 inch, that shop keeper is a real ****!!! but then i looked at pictures of P. gibbiceps and it dosnt really look the same but i may be wrong, take a look...
It is very small as you can see the giant shrimp next to it!

 

[fluttermoth]

I'm afraid that does look like a gibbi...

 

[Sammyb]

ah man, thats annoying as he is really nice but its a 3ft long tank, so i guess thats way too small for a 1 foot fish

 

[guppi]

Will probably grow to about 8 inches take it back and give him hell.

 

[fluttermoth]

Gibbis get to well over a foot; my LFS used to have one that was at least 18"; probably more.

 

[jcabs100]

It's a butterfly high fin Pleco I had the same one and I had to get rid of it because my tank was way to small it grows to to be about 18 in.

 

[xingumike]

That is a gibbiceps, doesn't look overly healthy either.

Will grow way over the 8 inches quoted above.

 

[Sammyb]

Oh well he is allot darker and better looking today as i took the pictures when i had just got it home

 

[xingumike]

So are you returning it?

 

[Sammyb]

I may keep it till it is around 6inch then ill have to give it away or get a 6ft tank! which is what i want anyway

 

[fishnovice]

I may keep it till it is around 6inch then ill have to give it away or get a 6ft tank! which is what i want anyway

It is very difficult to rehome large plecs, literally can't give them away free. I would recommend option 2 - get a larger 6ft tank I have a gorgeous L001 (related to gibbiceps) who is now around 14in with tail, had to get a larger tank but it's worth it as he;s a real beauty and a great pet, always active moving about the tank so I get to see him every day.He's a peaceful giant that gets on with all other fish and I would recommend the species. Keep him if you have space for a large tank, with those fins looks like he will grow into a beauty