55 Gallon Tank BN pleco growth rate

Okay, so I know that all fish are different and grow at different rates, but I'm starting to get concerned about my baby BN pleco (at least I'm 98% sure he's a BN). He is in my 55gal that is heavily planted (with swords and jungle val) with an odd assortment of fish, but the tank is by no means overstocked. He is in there with my adult male BN pleco, Percy, but the only reason is because I was trying to grow the baby out a bit until I got my 20gL up and running. There is plenty of algae in the tank to support both Percy and the baby.

Anyway, the baby was just under an inch long when I bought him at Walmart (I know, you shouldn't get fish from Walmart, but I got Percy from Walmart because he was being sold as a common pleco and I had a hunch he wasn't one, and he's been wonderful and healthy). Now, three months or so later, the baby is barely an inch and a half long. I'm worried about his growth because it took Percy maybe six months to reach 4" and sprout his bristles. I've now had him for over a year and a half and he's fully-grown at 5.75".

So, how long did it take your baby BNs to reach a decent length? The baby (who I've been calling Grover) is a bold little thing and will be out munching on algae during the day or night, lights or no. He and Percy basically ignore each other.

Here's a pic from when I first got him (kind of like playing "Spot the pleco" lol):

And a shot of his underside (sorry he's a bit out of focus...my camera decided to focus on the GSA instead of Grover):

 

I have had one for about a year and it is around 2" and another 2 who I have had for around 6 months who are about the same size, I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Mass

 

I don't think you have anything to worry about either they grow pretty slow.

 

So basically, Percy was a freak for reaching 4.5" in six months? lol

 

That's fast growing for a BN Pleco.
Almost six inches?
That's big for a BN Pleco.

I guess you're doing something right, congrats.

 

I have other fish where the first one that was in the tank grew quickly, but subsequent additions are growing much slower. My theory is that if there is a dominant/mature individual of a species in the tank, juvies take longer to reach full size.

 

That's actually true in some species. I know for sure it happens with Clown Loaches. A friend of mine has Clown Loaches, and he says, when one gets bigger, the other ones will lag in growth rate.

 

So basically, Percy was a freak for reaching 4.5" in six months? lol

No not at all. Quite common for plecos to grow that fast. Some of my commons put on more than an inch a month. BNs have slightly slower growth rates than commons in smaller tanks it seems. I would say that your small one isn't growing properly for two possible reasons. (1) He is not the dominant fish in the tank and might do better in your 20gL. (2) He was inbred or has some other disorder that is messing with his growth rate.

Just an observation, but does he have ICH in the second picture?

Also the first picture makes me think he might be a Calico.

 

That's fast growing for a BN Pleco.
Almost six inches?
That's big for a BN Pleco.

I guess you're doing something right, congrats.

I've actually measured him (when I moved the tank to my new place), so I know for a fact that he's sitting right at 5.75".

I have other fish where the first one that was in the tank grew quickly, but subsequent additions are growing much slower. My theory is that if there is a dominant/mature individual of a species in the tank, juvies take longer to reach full size.

That actually makes sense.

No not at all. Quite common for plecos to grow that fast. Some of my commons put on more than an inch a month. BNs have slightly slower growth rates than commons in smaller tanks it seems. I would say that your small one isn't growing properly for two possible reasons. (1) He is not the dominant fish in the tank and might do better in your 20gL. (2) He was inbred or has some other disorder that is messing with his growth rate.

Just an observation, but does he have ICH in the second picture?

The baby is going into the 20gL in the next couple of days, so he should start growing, I guess.

As for him having ich...ummmmmmmmmm...he never showed any signs of it, to be honest. And he's healthy as can be now, so if he did have it, it's gone and didn't infect anyone else.

 

Yeah, if you look at the second picture you can see little white spots/dots all over his body. Haha, glad it didn't bother anyone else .

 

Yeah, I see the spots now, but never noticed them before. Weird. I haven't lost a fish out of that tank since I moved it a few months ago (when I moved, I lost my two albino cories for some unknown reason), and no one has looked or acted even remotely sick (except for the apparent ich spots on Grover in that pic). It's weird 'cuz I've had that photo up on a couple of other forums and no one said a word about him looking like he has ich. lol

 

Maybe this is stupid, but I thought BNs usually were dark with white spots? In the 2nd pic, the spots look raised, more like ich than the normal BN spots, but I just assumed that was an optical illusion.
And that IS a little odd... my bf has a BN in a 10 (just until it grows a little more, and the 20 is a little more stable), and he doubled in size his first month! Granted, he went from 1/4" to 1/2", but still, it's a lot for a little fish...
Herm... just how big/how fast are these guys SUPPOSED to grow?

 

Maybe this is stupid, but I thought BNs usually were dark with white spots? In the 2nd pic, the spots look raised, more like ich than the normal BN spots, but I just assumed that was an optical illusion.
And that IS a little odd... my bf has a BN in a 10 (just until it grows a little more, and the 20 is a little more stable), and he doubled in size his first month! Granted, he went from 1/4" to 1/2", but still, it's a lot for a little fish...
Herm... just how big/how fast are these guys SUPPOSED to grow?

That's pretty normal growth actually. Best growth I've seen is around in inch each month but I would say half an inch each month should be expected. At least that's what I got but diet will affect some growth.

They even out between 4" and 6" but I have seen some above 7", excluding fins.

 

it'd be nice if this guy stayed in the smaller ranges... but he's so cute and amiable and active, not hidey at all I hope that doesn't change with maturity.

 

Maybe this is stupid, but I thought BNs usually were dark with white spots? In the 2nd pic, the spots look raised, more like ich than the normal BN spots, but I just assumed that was an optical illusion.

If you look at the first pic, that's what he normally looks like. I have no idea what's up with the ich-like spots. He never displayed any symptoms (other than the spots, which I obviously didn't notice) and he's perfectly healthy now.

 

Hmmmm. Uhoh. I might need to go root around a plec id if BNs aren't the spotty critters I thought them to be...

 

This is my adult male BN, Percy:


He can go from all spotty like that to kind of blotchy/camo/mottled with his spots barely visible (especially if he's startled...that pic was taken when he was on high alert because he thought it was feeding time).