Choosing a Pleco

[skiltrip]

I am looking for a Pleco...

There seem to be so many different kinds of Plecos that I'm not sure what I'm looking at. What is a common algae eating Pleco that would be good for my size tank, a 37 Gallon? I'm also looking for a type that's not too expensive. I've noticed the prices vary among types a bit too.

- Kip

 

[Graeme]

The more you pay the little they stay!!





Graeme.

 

[skiltrip]

so can you name a common hardy type that would be a good size for my tank?

 

[Alien Anna]

Hi - before you get too excited, have a look at what you can actually buy, rather than looking on Planet Catfish and drooling at all the species available. Saves disappointment in the end

For a tank your size, I'd suggest you stick to a dwarf variety. I recently had the pleasure of seeing a fully grown Common Plec at a zoo aquarium - it must have been 2.5 ft long! It was great to see it moving about so freely. It was in a giant, walk-through tank with pacu, emporer tetras and silver dollars. I get so sad to see Common Plecs stuffed in tiny little tanks where they can barely move. Often they don't get sufficiently fed to grow to those enormous dimensions, but a stunted fish is not a happy fish IMHO.

You've no doubt heard of Brillo, my bristlenosed plec. He's a dwarf variety and is unlikely to grow bigger than 5" even with the best of care. He is currently about 3.5" although he's too shy to be measured at the moment (he's definitely bigger than he was, however). I can thoroughly recommend a Bristlenose (ancistrus, to give it its proper name). They are ugly as sin, but that kind of makes them cute, in a funny kind of way. You could get a pair and have lots of fun observing crazy mating behaviours (they are quite comical).

 

[CFC]

The more you pay the little they stay!!

Hmmmm does that mean if you buy expensive plecs they dont live long or that expensive plecs dont grow big?

If its the latter i beg to differ,red titanic plecs cost in the region of £120 but grow to 20" plus,i bit too large for most peoples thanks i think.

 

[cory]

Bristlenosed plecs are a really good way to go with your particular tank. The ancistrus are some of the more interesting plecs that I've seen. And the price tag most certainly isn't the way to judge anything(but, I'm thinking that you already knew that ). From what I've read around here in the past several days, Anna knows her stuff. She's obviously not just talking to up her post count.

 

[mrV]

Ancsistrus sp. cf. temminckii, especially males are quite large for 37gal. (~15cm, 5,9 inches). Don't ever buy female and male -> It means alot of problems. They breed like rabbits

I would put 4 LDA 25 Parotocinclus jumbo or like you call it "Pitbull pleco". However you must be sure they are P. jumbo, not Parotocinclus sp. "Recife".