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“Some grow to 2 feet if given A LOT of room. Especially...”

written by Mystix212 on 17/01/2007

Good Points
These are a very intriguing looking fish with their shape and personality. Sometimes they may chase one another around, but this is just play. They range in colour from black to browns, to brown with pale yellow stripes, to even brown and pale orange. It all depends on what hybrids you buy.

They eat algae. Most people brought these for that sole purpose, to eat algae, and they will, just not all the time. Most of time they will be on the ground looking for cover or just loafing about.

When you can see them scraping algae of the walls looking at how their mouth works, it's always entertaining.

They may live for up to 15+ years if taken proper care.

Bad Points
They may eat your plants. Small Pleco's generally won't affect your plants, but watch out for the big guys, as they will probably put a few holes in your plants. This may happen if you're not feeding him correctly.
They do get pricey - small 1 to 2 inches sell for about 30 - 50% more than the average fish the same size.
Big ones like 6 inches may sell upwards of $50 (AUD) per specimen. This is because they are not fast growers, although if you overfeed him he will generally grow faster. You rarely see them in pet shops for sale bigger than 7 inches.

General Comments
Some grow to 2 feet if given A LOT of room. Especially ponds with a depth of 4.5 feet or more. But huge tanks like 300 G will give them ample room to roam and eat algae. Small tanks like 20-40 G are OK for the smaller ones. It may take up to 10+ years to reach full length, but more food will make the Plectostomus Catfish grow quicker. Bristlenose Pleco's top out at 6", and some other species top out smaller than that, but most species grow to a foot or longer.



Once you've brought one you will want another. They can mix well, and they will never bother any fish. BUT, if you catch him in your net some have little barbels, and their fins may get caught in the mesh, so try catching one in a cup if need be.