I Know Nothing About Plecos

My sister recently retired from fish keeping (if you could call it that) She had a grossly overstocked 20 gallon and all her fish (no suprise) died... except for her plecostomus.

She sold her tank, and had the pleco in a Tupperware for weeks. (Poor thing) She asked me if I would take it and I said yes. It is temporarily residing in a 10 gallon (I know, I hate me too) that I had originally planned to put a betta in. He definitely *looks* happier but a 10 gallon is way too small.

I've only ever kept bettas and I know nothing about pleco tank size. I tried googling it but there are so many different answers. Based on normal stocking rules, if they can reach 20 inches long, he'll need 20 gallons but that definitely doesn't seem like enough.

Info about him:
He's young. My sis only had him for 6 months. And about 3.5 inches long. I've been giving him algae tablets. From what I can tell, he's just a common pleco. Though I can't help but worry that his growth will be stunted because of his earlier conditions.

Basically: What size tank will he need? (I am 100% willing to give him the best home possible) How long will he live? (What have I done what have I signed up for) What should I be feeding him?

Thank you! (I'm so sorry I probably sound like the stupidest and most inexperienced fish owner ever.)

 

For a common pleco I read the minimum tank size is 125 gallons preferably larger.

 

Can you post a pic so we can help identify the species of pleco you have to make sure its a common?

For a full grown adult common pleco that is easily 18-24 inches, you would need a tank that is preferably at least 6 feet long x 2 feet wide, or bigger. They can live well over 10 years in the right conditions.

 

Welcome to fishlore. Plecos get big, relly big. I personally would keep it in anything under 100 gallon if you decide to keep him.

 

Depends what species it is, as many species stay small. But at potentially 2ft long, a 125 gallon tank would be like a goldfish bowl.... If it's a common and you do it right it will be a very expensive rescue.

Difficult to say what to feed it without knowing which plec it is...

 

I'll post a picture as soon as I can. But based on the research I've done, he's definitely not a bristlenose or one of the slimmer, small types (whiptail). He looks most like a suckermouth (if that's what they're called) or a sailfin.

What is the [pleco size:tank size] ratio? Like how many gallons or square inches of ground space for every inch of pleco? It's clearly not 1 inch:1 gallon. The reason I ask this is because while I plan on giving him a proper setup, I'm not super financially able. Would it be okay to keep him in a 40-60 gallon temporarily? I would definitely upgrade the tank as needed but seeing as he's only a few inches long, would it be safe to go with a smaller tank for a max of 2-3 years?

 

There really isn't a ratio that works in all situations, at least I'm not aware of one. But just think that a fish needs to be able to move around the tank, which includes turning around, without trouble. Therefore the width of a tank (from front to back) needs to be bigger than the fish is long. For most fish its said the width should be 2x fish length..

The costs you are going to incur to try and save this one fish, which likely won't live long unless given the proper room, is going to be huge if you go up in size of tank as it grows in size.

As for increasing in small increments with the fish, I think you need to read up on something called stunting and stunted growth. Google it and read some articles so you get a good understanding of what it is, and what it does to the fish. I could explain it here, but reading it from the professionals will likely have more impact on you than just some average joe on a forum.

 

Thanks for all the info! I've spent the evening rehashing my pet plans. (I'll probably end up dipping into my "I want another hamster" fund. ) How does this sound?

125 gallon tank
Two 250 watt heaters
A fluval cannister filter (what should the turnover rate be?)
Natural driftwood/rock decorations
I'll start off with fake plants but hopefully I'll be able to properly plant it

Does a mix of (high quality) algae pellets and zucchinI sound like a decent diet?

I also want to eventually keep some kind of rasbora or platy. Do you think these will go well with a pleco?

*Please* feel free to correct me on anything. I am the furthest from an expert as someone could possibly get.

 

For a canister I think you want 5x turnover, so for a 125 probably somewhere around 625-700 gph at least.

Make sure you make the pleco some kind of cave be can get under, mine likes to sleep upside down in his, as do many others.
He'll also need a little meaty food in his diet along with the algae wafers and zucchini. Mine eats shrimp pellets, catfish pellets, algae wafers (I recommend omega one veggie rounds, which will also give him some meaty goodness), zucchini, green beans, yellow squash and occasionally spinach.

He should be fine with platies and rasboras, the only fish I've heard of plecos bothering are goldfish because they're slow.

 

Thanks Bijou88 ! Yeah, Omega One makes some pretty great food. (I use their betta pellets).

 

Big plecs grow quick. If it is an un-stunted common it could easily reach a foot in a year.

Re the filter turnover, Bijou88 is right, but you'll only get about half the turnover stated, so something rated at 1000gph will give you about 5-600 (stated turnovers are, very misleadingly, rated when totally empty).

 

The only way we can help you work out what tank size you need is with a photo.

As mentioned, you're looking at anything from 25 gallons, to 1000.

 

For a canister I think you want 5x turnover, so for a 125 probably somewhere around 625-700 gph at least.

Make sure you make the pleco some kind of cave be can get under, mine likes to sleep upside down in his, as do many others.
He'll also need a little meaty food in his diet along with the algae wafers and zucchini. Mine eats shrimp pellets, catfish pellets, algae wafers (I recommend omega one veggie rounds, which will also give him some meaty goodness), zucchini, green beans, yellow squash and occasionally spinach.

He should be fine with platies and rasboras, the only fish I've heard of plecos bothering are goldfish because they're slow.

They'll also eat neons or fight with each other.
Id still like to see a pic, to rule out similar plecs.

with plecs, like angels, height is important for the tank. Many plecs like hanging on the sides, so you want the height to be big enough to be a good bit bigger then the length of a full sized adult.

 

Plecos should also have driftwwod or bog wood in their tanks to rasp on ,and rest on, It helps with their digestion and they seem to like it. Alison

 

They'll also eat neons or fight with each other.
Id still like to see a pic, to rule out similar plecs.

with plecs, like angels, height is important for the tank. Many plecs like hanging on the sides, so you want the height to be big enough to be a good bit bigger then the length of a full sized adult.

I'm not sure where you read that, but that isn't right. Plecos spend far more time on the floor of the tank than on the glass. At least in a tank that has enough floor space to be comfortable.

While obviously, the larger the tank the better - but it's not a huge issue the OP should be looking into.

 

Is it feasible to build a pond? I don't know what your climate is like but in Florida I've seen many beautiful ponds with full grown pleco.

 

Unfortunately, Canada is frozen for 6+ months a year so no, a pond is not going to work.

 

I'm not sure where you read that, but that isn't right. Plecos spend far more time on the floor of the tank than on the glass. At least in a tank that has enough floor space to be comfortable.

While obviously, the larger the tank the better - but it's not a huge issue the OP should be looking into.

I didnt read it, I saw it.
I agree they spend time on the bottom, but they use the walls daily. As we don't know the breed here, its pretty immature to eliminate t his possibility

 

I really wish I could post a photo... Are plecos supposed to be this shy? I'm visiting family for Thanksgiving across the province so I won't be able to try again until Tuesday.

If it helps, he looks identical to the pictures that come up if you google 'suckermouth plecostomus'. And he's definitely not a bristlenose or one of the small, skinny varieties.

 

What is his body pattern at the moment?

Aka fins, arch of body, shape, diameter of fish

 

You can post the link to a photo that looks most like him on google,that might help us identify him

 

You can post the link to a photo that looks most like him on google,that might help us identify him

That would work, maybe update if itsclose but not quite too. Some types Have variations

 

Plecos are usually quite shy little fish, you're not alone. Give him/her a nice piece of Cucumber, I find that makes it easier to grab photos of them.

 

Plecos are usually quite shy little fish, you're not alone. Give him/her a nice piece of Cucumber, I find that makes it easier to grab photos of them.

Shy until there's a second male that is....

 

Sorry this took so long! He (or she? ) looks almost exactly like this:
https://www.teowayyong.net/Media/fishcatalog/Catfish/Common_Plecostomus.jpg
Except his tail is skinnier.

 

Well if you're sure, that could be a big fish..
at least a foot

 

That's a strange looking Pterygoplichthys, as it looks a lot like a Hypostomus. Either way, it's a big fish...

 

Hm..juvenile common plecos can look a bit skinny in the beginning, especially if they've had a wee bit of a rough start... But WOW they bulk up fast! I had to re-home mine because I didn't read before buying, (slaps hand, BAD BAD!), and can't manage a really large tank. But half the fun of keeping a Big Fish is watching your friends' eyes pop out when they get a gander at your boy (girl?) in all his finny glory. And when big fish look you in the eye, they really LOOK you in the eye.

Three cheers to you. You're a really nice person to go to so much trouble for an orphan fish. Definitely he needs some wood to rasp on...it helps their digestion. But check how to choose driftwood for your tank, and either boil or soak it before putting it into the tank, or you'll wake up to Tea colored water, LOL.

Have you named him yet? How about "Tupperware?"


P.S.....Welcome to Fishlore!