Ever have to get rid of a pleco?

[noelberg]

Just wondering how common it is.

My friend is about to give his monster pleco away and get a farlowella to replace it.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi noelberg

Fortunately, I never had that problem. It must be sad to have to get rid of a fish that you have kept long enough to outgrow its tank.

 

[ste2k3]

I'v never had that problem but it is a common problem here. they are sold as algae eaters for community tanks in a lot of shops and people just don't realise that the cute 2" fish is going to turn into a 2' monster sooner or later. I'v rehomed many plecs and currently have 3, one of which is 25" long.

ste

 

[chaotica2010]

Two of my LFS have rescued plecos that are huge. One has a river bed runing along the bottom of the store filled with koi and plecos. The Plecs look relly healthy and happy and of course you can buy one if you have the tank space.

Rick B)

 

[Inchworm]

...it is a common problem here. they are sold as algae eaters for community tanks in a lot of shops and people just don't realise that the cute 2" fish is going to turn into a 2' monster sooner or later.

That's exactly what happens here, too. They are inexpensive and they sell them to people who even have the slightest touch of algae. Then, they don't tell them what to do when they no longer have algae.

There are so many fish that these lfs can sell, that would live long and happily as members of community tanks, that I don't understand why they have to do this.

 

[silver]

It is very sad . They should not be sold to just any old person. I think you should have to fill out paperwork before getting one )


At my LFS when I went the guy didn't bother telling me that I need driftwood for the lttle guy to be healthy, thanks to CFC I went out and got some right away. And sure enough my little pleco, Hershey, just LOVES it and he can hide under it. They also didn't tell me to feed him tubifex worms a couple times a week, but again thanks to the mods here I have ONE HAPPY PLECO. And of course, I have enough space to just let him GROOOOOOW and GROOOOOOW!



Silver

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I haven't had to, yet. Mine's still around 2-4 inches with the tail. I've got a long time to go before I have to give it away.

I bought mine from Walmart, it figures. I had no idea at the time. They didn't have an algae eater so the guy there gave be a plec for the price of an algae eater, and I was happy either way so I didn't mind.

 

[vantgE]

I never had a plec but I was just wandering how someone could give away a fish, you read about people tradeing for fish all the time on hear and not just cause they can't keep them just cause the want another fish i just don't get it.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Nope.

I do so much reseach about my fish I know what size they are going to get and I intentionally got small plecs.

 

[Adrinal]

Well look at THIS!!!

I was sold the same package 15 years ago. Oscars would be a great fish with a pleco.... They didn't tell me it should have a 500g tank... which they should have (and or space station sized filtering).

I think they got longer than the width of my 75g tank and was up to 2 50% waterchanges before I faced the music and took them back.

course... the real crime here was the oscars... not sure how many there were to start with... but one in a 75g is too many IMO.

 

[rollntider]

I have had to get rid of 3 in my life time. I had a lemon Pleco die due to a Cichlid time period , they picked him so much he jumped out of the tank, no kidding. Anyways, all the others were given to a local pet store, he sold them I am sure for a profit. But i dont care as long as someone has the space for them.. I dont mind raising them for 5 years and giving them to a good home....I have had to play "locate a home" for various others, i have met over the years.

 

[noelberg]

My lfs wants to sell smaller plecos, but the guy in charge of the pet department said they're too expensive. He said that anything other than the common one would be $50-100.
Foster and Smith have Candy Stripes for $10 and bristlenoses for $13. Add shipping and markup (since the lfs has to make money) and you can get a cool, small pleco for $25. IMO that's a better deal than paying $2-3 and then having to deal with an ever-pooping, ever-growing monster which you later have to deal with getting rid of.
I got my little bulldog plec at Petsmart for under $5, so that shows that the lfs' can sell smaller varieties at decent prices.

I wish stores and Joe Schmo fish-buyer would realize that cheaper isn't necessarily better.

 

[Rudy2860]

I have a pond that if my common or sailfin grow out of my 55g ( 100g later perhaps ) they can go in in with some koi and feeder goldies that are monsters

i'm sure they'd love that

 

[Mustang5L5]

I just took mine back, but not due to size.

He was just way too messy and my convicts were picking on him. Not to mention he would uproot my plants all the time. The poop was the main reason.

He was only 3" when i took him back. In the 3 days he's been gone, the tank looks so much cleaner with less poop around.

While i was there picking up 1 otto to take his place in the tank, i noticed Petco sold 1.25" Plecos for $1.09. Thats kinda cheap. I was temped but i knew i'd be in the same boat later