I have two different pleco's with different coloring and would like help!

Hey I have two Plecos as many of you may know. The one is socially and growth stunted from a traumatic first few years of life. The second one is in my 30 gallon (which I plan to upgrade at some point in 2014 to at least a 50 gallon).
I was told at the pet store that he was a smaller breed but don't recall what they said he was. It has been a year since I got him (don't actually know the sex or how to sex it) but he has grown from about an inch long to about 8-10 inches. He has a really beautiful fanned out sail fin that he often travels around with and when I am doing tank maintenance he loves to rub on my hand and keeps his pokey's in, the stunted pleco is more of a striped pattern and is far lighter in color. She (again I don't know) almost always has her pokeys out and panics regularly so all tank maintenance has to be done extremely carefully or she hurts herself.
Anyway, here is a picture I just got of my friendly pleco. Can someone please let me know what breed he/she may be, how to sex him, and how big of a tank upgrade would work for his projected size. I struggle to trust the pet store about him not getting big considering his rapid growth but his growth has slowed over the winter so maybe they are right. Thanks Pleco peeps!


Oh Stunted pleco came out and got a decent picture taken! Perhaps yall can help me with her sex, breed and expected size and recommended tank?


What would be the SMALLEST tank I could get to eventually house them both in peace?

 

Oh, and the second picture looks barren right now because I grow duckweed and hornwort in a second tank and then swap the majority of it over about once a week which satisfies the comet and pleco, even the frog likes duckweed, they also all eat pond snails. I have only the castle otherwise because the pleco needs to hide but like I said often panics and hurts herself so I am keeping it to a minimum for her safety. I have tried her in larger tanks and pond settings, fully planted to completely empty and thiis is the one tank she seems to be the least stressed over, hopefully she can move to a bigger tank sooner than later and start to enjoy life instead of being a shut-in

 

It's hard to tell from the pictures but I believe they are common plecos.

You mentioned the first had a long fin? Have a look at sail fin plecos, you may have a match.

As for sexing them I don't think that anyone will be able to sex them from the photos. Try this link:

They will both need at least a 125 gallon tank.

Good luck!

 

They're both Pterygoplichthys. The first is pardalis or multiradiatus, the second could possibly be joselimaianus but is probably pardalis.

 

hampalong Thanks, I found a picture of the sail fin up, not the best picture but that's what you get when a fish is in motion

 

The first one looks just like my pleco "potato"