plecoprincess

I have been looking for a 55 gallon on craigslist. I really want a common pleco.
Will a common pleco be happy in a 55? I also really want : 2 blue mickey mouse plattys,1 dwarf gourami & 4 jully corys.Do you guys have any other ideasof what else I could stalk?

TFA101

Common plecos can attain lengths of 2 feet long. A 55 gallon with excellent filtration could hold one and thats it, as this fish is VERY messy (they poop ALOT).

If possible, maybe you could get a hold of a bristlenose pleco. They produce alot less waste and don't grow as big (only about 6"). There are some very pretty specimens for you to choose from, but they are a little more pricey.

You can also add all of your desired fish AND MORE if you get a bristlenose pleco. Lots of benefits to downsizing

plecoprincess

thanks for the great advice!!! If I get 2 angels and they dont pair off would they still have room?

TFA101

if you get two angels, you risk one harassing the other, a kind of dominance thing.

You could get one angel as a showpiece for your tank, or 3 young angels

harpua2002

I disagree. A fish that can attain lengths of 2 feet or more does not belong in a tank that is only twice its potential body length, and would not even afford it space to turn around (as 55 gallon tanks are only 13" wide). IMO common plecos should not be so widely available in the hobby since they are not suitable for most hobbyists' tanks.

There are lots of smaller species of plecos that will do quite well in a 55 gallon. Bristlenose, rubberlip, clown, tiger, etc. are good options that are generally easy to find, inexpensive, and small. There are also quite a few "fancy" plecos that would be great choices, but can be expensive. Queen arabesque, orange seam (not gold nugget), peppermint, etc. would work.

Blub

I totally agree. I've heard this from a lot of fishkeepers and other forums: fish need a tank at least 6 times in's adult body length. Now, considering the fact Common plecos can get to 24" and 55gals are usually around 40"; there really isn't enough space to move. But don't worry... There are about 300 odd other plecos to choose from! Some of the most common small plecos are Bristlenose plecos (active), Clown plecos (mine doesn't do a right lot! but they are pretty), Rubbernose plecos and if you want really small the schooling Ottocinclus. I reckon in a 55gal you could get 2-3 Bristlenose (bn)s/Clown plecos and probably a school of ottos as well as your angel, platys, corys and gourami.

Just a side note: the fish you saw at the LFS probably aren't Julliis (they are EXTREMELY rare) but Leopard corys. Leopards are very common and virtually identical to Jullis for the untrained eye. Good news is: there isn't really much difference but it is nice to know.

plecoprincess

My momgot tired of saying "false julii corys" so she just:; started to say "julii corys".Sorry for the confusion'but it'sall my mom's falt. Thanks for the advice.


pleco princess

namehater

it would take years for a common pleco to outgrow a 55g. i have a common pleco that is about 1.5yrs old and about 6". he is my excuse to keep upgrading tanks lol, he started out in my 14g, then moved on to the 29g, now his home is the 55g. once he outgrows it, which i dont think is going to happen for a couple more years, ill have reason to go buy a 100+ gallon tank.

harpua2002

How do you know that the fish isn't stunted from keeping it in a tiny tank? Plecos can grow quickly in large tanks.

plecoprincess

Thanks for the great advice!!!! I will be sure to think this through.

Shawnie

Hi plecoprincess...IMO , a common plec would be fine in a 55 gal ....unless you bought a fully grown adult, a juvie he can live happily for a few years in there......they do take some time to grow and grow very slow after the first 1 1/2 - 2 years......the hardest thing is falling in love with them for a few years, and not being able to keep them as adults because that "bigger tank" we always says we will get, never happens....I have a common in my 55 gal that I got 3 years ago at 2 inches...hes now about 4 inches...I do know he wasnt stunted or not fed well and I also know, unless I can get a 100 gal or more, I will have to rehome home when he outgrows my 75 gal (hes being moved up probably next year)

Regal

I wouldn’t put a common pleco in a 55. I did put one in my 75 and ended up giving him to a local fish store because he was uprooting my plants every night. He was maybe 2 inches when we (my son wanted him) picked him up and 8 inches when we got rid of him. We measured him when he was in the bucket before we took him to the store. I’m not sure exactly how long we had him but definitely less than a year because I’ve only had the tank a year and a half. So just based on my own personal experience I would day don’t do it. We replaced the common pleco with a BN Pleco because they stay smaller. He doesn’t uproot the plants but we also never see him so I guess it’s a trade off.

bolivianbaby

Hi PlecoPrincess!

Good for you for doing your research first! That's very important in fishkeeping (I learned this the hard way).

Maybe you could check out the fish profiles on here as well. If you're really gunning for a 55, I bet even if you decide not to do the common pleco, that maybe you could find a really pretty larger species of fish (maybe a larger species of tetra or something) that you'd enjoy. The wonderful thing about fishkeeping is there are always other options and the larger the tank, the more options you have.

Just a thought

plecoprincess

Thanks for giving me that great advice!!!!!!!!!! I'll wait till we get some for a 100 gallon.


Pleco Princess

TFA101

100 GALLONS!!

I'm jealous! My parents originally promised me a 50 gallon when we moved, but made me downsize to a 20G. Not that I don't like my 20 gallon, its my favorite tank I have, but still...

ugh

Happy fishkeeping

plecoprincess

Dont be jealous!!!! My 100 gallon is not going to be for a while.5-10 years to be exact.


Pleco Princess!!!!!!!:;

TFA101

mine too!

thats something we have in common! lol

Blub

Same here... Excedpt mine will e 500gals.