johnplecobeginner

hey guys
im pretty new to plecos i have 4. 3 common ( 1 albino) and a sailfin, they are only about 4 inces at the moment, is there any way i can tell the differences in sexes at the moment?
also will plecos interbreed?
i would love a good mix
currently have one 50 gallon tank in 6 months when i move i intend on buying a 150 gallon which has court my eye,,
also how long will it take them to out grow my tank and at what age will they start to think about breeding,

when i get my 150gallon my 50 gallon one is going to become a breeding tank with tubes and a mud bank in,, i may seem pretty novice but ive done a good bit of research its just some things are easier to find than others..

any help would be great>
many thanks

Lucy

Hi welcome to Fish Lore.
I hope you don't mind, I've moved your thread to the proper forum.
When you have a question just navigate the whatever subcategory best fits your topic.

I can't answer your question but the members have a wide range of knowledge and will be happy to share it.

Good luck.

CHoffman

Hi and Welcome to Fishlore!!!...
So over all you have 4 plecos??...What kind is your albino and salfin??...And your other two are commons right??.In a 50 gallon I wouldn't keep even 1 common pleco they just get to be too big..around 2 feet long and produce a ton of waste. Pleco's dont interbreed..But depending on what kind your others are they might be the same species...If you don't know what kind they are I'm sure members could help you ID them if you posted pics...Here is a link about common plecos...It talkes about breeding in their too..It's VERY informative.
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/pleco/common.php

Jonah

Hi,

The sailfin Pleco will get to about 17-18" if it is a sailfin you have http://www.planetcatfish.com/cotm/co...?article_id=52

The commons will get 18-24" each here is a good artical on sexing plecos from the same site http://www.planetcatfish.com/shanesw...article_id=244

I do hope you have a very big tank or a heated pond with these four fish o.o

johnplecobeginner

like i said im going to end up with a 150 gallon tank in 6 months,, surely they are not going to outgrow in the meantime ( only being 4 inches at the minute)
i have what was sold as a red sailfin plec is it L165 the albino is a common albino, was sold to me as a golden plec so i was dissapointed to find out its just a common plec but albino,
what is the L number or a common plec and is the albino different

johnplecobeginner

well 50 gallons is what exactly, 215 litres ish,
also jonah id love to see some pics of your tank set up.

Amanda

Commons are sold under MANY different names. It's not that they'll outgrow the tank, it's that they may be stunted in the meantime. They also produce A LOT of waste. If the albino is a common, it will have the same L#.

Jonah

There a few very out of date ones in my profile which I must update as the plants have all grown out now hiding many of the caves etc.

In it I have 1 Red Sailfin which I was sold as a dwarf when I was very new to fishkeeping and knew no better. But I am resigned to either getting a bigger tank or rehoming him in the next year or so. He is about 51/2" now

And 2 Rubberlipped Plecos http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/pleco/rubberlipped.php at about 4" each at the moment who are destined to be permanent residents. They should not get to more than 6-7" each I am hoping I sexed them right and I have a pair or they may start to fight for territory soon.

johnplecobeginner

so what can i do to reduce the waste as currently i am syphoning about 10 litres a day to get rid of waste, so that equates to 5% water change daily is that ok...
also i would like to add that i also have an axolotl (chip) in there with the plecos, with 3 danios 8 guppys and maybe 30 guppy fry at the mo, either for food or for exchange at my local fs if they survive,

johnplecobeginner

i seem to like a lot of variety and i think i may well go out and buy a gold nugget and a green phantom at the weekend,


also when plecos do breed what sort of numbers do they breed in, i dont mean 1 male 1 female how much fry will they produce?

Nick G

I know nothing about breeding Plecs, but as for keeping them, they should ok in a 50gal for a few months as long as you have excellent filtration and do frequent water changes. Normally I wouldn't advise keeping fish in a tank that is too small, as Amanda said, their grow can be stunted, however Plecos do grow very slowly, so as long as you upgrade within a few months, they should be alright until then.

Jonah

Nick, what do you think about sharing with the axolotl you are the nearest thing to an expert on them here.

John, plecs are my favourire fish by a long, long way but i would not put all the ones you have and plan to have in the same tank. My wife tell me that I only breed guppys as a reason to have spare tanks to house my plecs and she may be right.

A common plec or a sailfin need to be in a 55gal each to cope with the waste and the potential size. 5% daily with dextox is fantastic and will really help you keep your fish alive and in good condition!

the Gold Nugget is a lovely fish the Green I know nothing about. I honestly would not put all your plecs in my tank, it is not good for them, even if i could.

With all your other fish it honestly is a disater waiting to happen if you do, I have been there so I feel qualified to say so.

Ping me on the profile and we can have a chat and I will talk you through all the stocking mistake I have made if you fancy a long boring chat.

Nick G

I definatly wouldn't put an Axolotyl with them. That would be asking for trouble. Plecos and Axolotyls are all bottom dwellers and if I had to make a guess I'd say that the Plecos would kill the Axolotyl once they get bigger.