plecomaniac

Hello, lately i have been confused, i am sort of a beginner, (only about 1 year into it and loving every minute) and respectable people in this hobby have been saying that a pleco would only grow to the dimensions of ones tank, and others would disagree by saying it depends on the feeding, ectc. So i have to ask, in this example, would a pleco only grow according to its tank or would it grow due to its feeding patterns?

COBettaCouple

A pleco does grow differently based on tank size, but that's due to stunted growth and internal damage as the organs are scrunched together. The waste is also an issue since they produce so much waste.

susitna-flower

GOOD QUESTION....a bit on the side of illiciting ire of some though...

Does any responsible fish owner EVER KNOWINGLY buy a fish they want, for a tank that is smaller than the recommended size? I hope not!

Many people buy fish for tanks without the foreknowledge of the fishes potential growth... and end up keeping them in less than ideal conditions until they can get a bigger tank, or find the fish a new home....

This is why we try to provide all the fish profiles etc, here on this site so people will research ahead of time, and never be faced with such a situation.

I would have to add I'd not call a hobbyist "respectable" if they council intentionally stunting a fish.

tan.b

a pleco must never be placed in a tank that is too small. if you have a common pleco that will out grow your tank, then i'm afraid you will have to look at getting it rehomed as soon as you can or return it to your pet shop. sometimes an lfs will sell a common pleco and label it a bristlenose pleco which are suitable for most tanks as they only grow to about 5". however the common plecos get HUGE and are not suitable for most tanks. they are better in ponds if you live in a hot country (unlike me in the chilly uk!) yes their growth will be slower if kept in a small tank, much like your feet would perhaps not grow properly if placed in shoes that are too small. however, their internal organs continue to grow and become constricted and damaged beyond repair and the pleco will live a short and painful miserable life. unfortunately many lfs's look only at profits and will sell fish that are unsuitable for most tanks and dont concern themselves with overstocking/compatability etc!

plecomaniac

thanks all, but still, nobody has answered my question. Would a pleco grow big if it was placed in a smaller tank or would it grow big if it ate alot? Or which one is how a pleco grows.

COBettaCouple

A Pleco in a small tank won't grow as big due to the stunted growth that will cause a lot of internal damage.

Barbrella

No fish has a mechanism that tells it just how big it's tank is and when it should stop growing. As others have said, no knowlegeable, respected person in the hobby would ever say otherwise.

If the fish doesnt' grow it's due to stunting from poor water conditions which are inevitable if the tank is too small. This is particularly true of plecos, who output large (HUGE!) amounts of waste. Poor health and early death would be expected.

Apparently, the answer is Yes.

plecomaniac

oh ok, , i read on planetcatfish that 40 gallons is the minimum

COBettaCouple

I think about 5-6 gallons per adult inch is good for plecos. It's a little about listed minimums but with their waste production, it helps keep water chemistry in line.