whisper

I just brought this guy in for the winter from my Koi pond where he was since April. He was about 4" when I put him in the pond. He is now about 8". There is another one out there I still have to bring in and he is even bigger. They really grow like weeds in the outdoor pond.

bolivianbaby

He's a cutie! So he grew 4" in a year?

CHoffman

I think she's saying he grew 4" inches in 5 months.

bolivianbaby

Wow! I thought they grew slower than that. Incredible.

whisper

Yes 5 months. Like I said they grow like weeds in the pond. They eat algae and what ever else is in there all day and night. When I feed the Koi and goldfish in the morning the plecos also come over to be feed. I through in a hand full of cichlid pellets for them.

whisper

In a tank they do grow slower. I have one in my 47gal. tank and it has only grown about 1 1/2" all summer. It is really amazing how huge they will get in the pond. When I get the bigger one out I'll post a picture of that one.

gremlin

Purty pleco. Looks a bit like mine. They really do grow amazingly fast in the pond. My two went from 1/2 inch to 8-9 inches last summer (4-5 months). It will be interesting to see how much they've grown this summer when I pull them out.

whisper

Oh I bet they'll be huge. At least 12-15". Let us know.

aquarist48

Beautiful Pleco Whisper ! I'm hoping to see a growth spurt with my Pleco now that he's in the 265g. He's 8" now. It's only been a little over 3 weeks since I did the tank transfer from the 155g and I declare even my Silver Dollars have grown.
Ken

Amanda

Wow that awesome! When I build my pond, I'm thinking of putting my common pleco out there, but I'm worried that I won't be able to get him back out in the fall. Plus, I'd be worried if we had a cool night.

whisper

Oh I think he'll be fine. It's like Christmas every year to see how big they get over the summer. If you can get him used to being fed in the same spot then you can use a large net to get him. Start training him as soon as you put him in the pond. If you have fish in it and you feed them then he will get used to the food being fed to them. They can take temps as low as 60degrees. I have a floating thermometer in my pond so I can keep an eye on it. So go for it.

whisper

Here is the second bigger one I caught out of the pond today. He measures 9" long. His head is about 2" wide.

aquarist48

Beautiful!
Ken

bolivianbaby

Wow! He's HUGE, but very pretty. Thank you so much for sharing these pics

ATKINSON

Awesome plecos!!

Aldric

wow very nice

btate617

Nice Plecos whisper!

It is amazing how much fish grow after a few months in a pond. I would like to try a small pond but being so close to the river and the amount of raccoons we have I don't know if it is a good idea. I don't want to be known as the guy who killed all the raccoons for eating his fish.

Brian

whisper

LOL Well you don't have to kiill them. I use a live trap.We live right in town with a chain link fence all around the yard. So far we have caught 2 raccoons, 1 opossum, and 2 stray cats. I use a live trap to catch them in. Then I call the local Animal Shelter and they come right out and pick them up. The wild animals are taken out to the country and the cats are put up for adoption. So get yourself a trap and dig that pond.

gremlin

I used a live trap for a while - now if I want a "feral" cat to be removed, I have to take it to the humane society (or the pound) and 1. hope they will take it ("we just don't have room), 2. pay $70 to turn in "your sweet little pet kitty" that is hissing and trying to scratch and bite right through the trap. Now, I just chase them away when I see them. The hose and my slingshot (with small green oranges for ammo) work pretty well without doing any damage other than a sore spot for a couple minutes. And I keep my fingers crossed that I don't lose any fish each night.

Don't get me wrong, I love cats. I just feel that they should be subject to the leash law just like dogs. It is so sad to see some of the cats that are living on the streets in their "natural habitat". Since when is a city street a "natural habitat" for any animal (besides humans)?

whisper

I totaly agree with you on the leash laws for cats too. The two that I caught were so skinny you could tell they hadn't eaten in a long time and the one poor little kitty was VERY pregnant. poor thing. Hope she and her kittens got good homes.