Mixed Feelings about a new 20 Gallon

I took all your advice and got a 20 gallon for my pleco!! Only there is one major, major problem with the BN pleco. With some reserch I found out my mom didn't buy me a bristle nose pleco but a sailfin pleco! I know these are supposed to get a lot bigger than the BN pleco and I'm hoping it will be alright in the 20... It's the long version because I knew he would need the space. I don't have a heater and filter for the 20 though so he is just going to have to wait in my 10 for now. I don't want to move the heater/filter to the 20 because I have platies and rasbora hets in the 10 that I want to keep in there because I just got everything settled and decorated. (Plus one of my platies is pregnaut and I don't want to stress her out) So my pleco is just going to have to wait until I can purchase a heater, filter, gravel, etc. I can't get anything bigger either. I have absolutly no room to put the 20 gallon and I cannot afford a stand because my mom made me pay for the tank today so I'm broke. I can't start cycling until I can find a spot to put the 20 gallon. My room is big but I just don't have enough stands/outlets. I am so overwhelmed! I thought taking care of a 10 gallon was hard I can't even imagine a 20 gallon!!!

 

Can you return it?

 

The pleco or the tank?

 

Pleco.

 

I can't return the pleco because it was a gift from my mom and I don't know if I can return the 20... I would have nothing to put my pleco in then

 

You would really have to. Sailfins do grow pretty large. 18 inches. If kept in the 10 or 20, it will probably get stunted and die. They really need a 75 plus gallon tank.

 

You could try to sell it on Craigslist or something. I hope your mom doesn't feel insulted if you get rid of it because it won't work out.

 

The bigger the tank the easier. You could call a fish shop and see if they will trade. Depending on your size of sailfin. It will reach 12- 13 inches when full grown.

 

No I really, really can't get rid of it. Like sreiously I can't. So I guess he'll just have to make the best of it in the 20 gallon :'(

 

How long will it be before my pleco gets stunted? Will he die right away?

 

No he will die slowly.
Out of lack of appetite and lack of exercise.

Where you bought this pleco, don't they have bristlenoses?
Can't you get the fishstore to get one for you from their scource?
Once it came, you just had to switch...

 

Do you think If you swapped it out incognito like your mom would notice?

 

It may not stunt just get huge. It isn't fun I know. When I'm done with my bachelors degree and have my own place one of my main goals is to have the biggest aquarium I can so that I can have a sailfin. They are my all time favorite fish.

 

My mom got it at petsmart and how would I switch it? I have no drivers license and no money.

 

Can you show this thread to your mom? Maybe if she understood how big the fish will grow and how much it will suffer in too small a tank, maybe then she would help you swap it? Many moms are reasonable when talked with, so try talking with yours?

 

Have you even tried to explain to your mom how large he's going to get and that he's going to suffer? We're talking about an animal here... he'll die a slow death. Gift or not, it's important that he goes to a better home. Perhaps post on craigslist and have someone pick him up who has a larger tank?

 

Yes I told her all this but she doesn't believe me and says she got me a BN pleco! (Which obviously it isn't) she is already mad at me for buying a 20 if I told her now I decided to get rid of the pleco she would flip. I don't want to cause any harm to him! He is fairly small, a little under 2 in. Ugh, I feel so bad for the little guy!

 

Can you post a picture of the pleco to just triple check which species it really is? Also if it really is a sailfin pleco, do you think if you showed your mom pictures on the web of sailfin plecos labeled as such, do you think she could be convinced? Finally, is there another member of your family who could help you convince your mom or who could give you additional ideas of what you could try to convince your mom?

 

I can try to post pictures... Last time I tried my phone was to slow and it said that I needed flash player. Hmm not really I have little brothers and sisters that are too young to understand and my dad doesn't care. He used to have a goldfish in a goldfish bowl and he said it lived for 20 years with no problems.. *rolls eyes* :/ I don't know what to do! I'm sounding so negative! xD But really I don't have very many options here.

I'll try to upload some pictures!! 98% sure it is a sailfin pleco, but hey, I could be wrong!

 

How are you sure? Did you count the rays in the "sail"?

 

Just to add if it turns out to be a common it isn't her fault. She asked for a bristlenose and PETSMART sold her a sailfin. And if I remember right female bristlenose don't always have as pronounced bristles.

 

Here's a link to one of the pictures. Sorry I can't figure out how to post it on here!! Sorry! If you need the link to the other picture let me know!

EDIT: *crosses fingers* that I'm wrong and it's just a female BN pleco!

 

He is too small to count the rays, I've tried

 

Just to add if it turns out to be a common it isn't her fault. She asked for a bristlenose and PETSMART sold her a sailfin. And if I remember right female bristlenose don't always have as pronounced bristles.

Female bristlenose plecos do not have bristles. Or at least some of them don't - can't generalize to all, since I do not know all, but the one I had was female without bristles. Also most bn plecos sold at pet stores are very young, and even male bn plecos may not have bristles if they are very young.

 

Yeah, that looks like a common to me. I breed bristlenoses and have never seen one with such coloring.

He's really beautiful. I wish you could get him in a proper home.

 

Yea, he has the greatest personality too! He loves zucchini! I just wish I had a bigger tank for him how long do you think he'd be okay in the 20 gallon before it would start stunting his growth.. Maybe I can keep him in there until he outgrows it. That would give me more time to think of a solution

 

I think it's a common too. Maybe for Christmas you could get a bigger tank? Petsmart doesn't even list a bristlenose.

 

Yea, I don't know. I haven't gotton my family into fish yet but maybe I can raise enough money to buy a 75 gallon for the whole family for christmas. (That way my parents could stick it in their room or in the living room because I have no more room) and my little siblings would probably open up more to fish. Right now my little brother is scared of them