how big do golden nuggets get?

[Joviella]

can anyone please tell me how big a golden nugget plec can grow? can't find any info and my lfs doesn't seem to want to help!!

 

[Annastasia]

I looked in my fish book, and it says they will get up to around 6 inches.

Hope this helps!

 

[ryan]

There is doubt about the eventual size of Golden Nuggets, most sources will tell you 12inches, however, I have never seen a fish of this size, IME they only reach 7 inches and very slowly. There are differences in size between the three species, which were you thinking of. I believe there were some large wild caught specimens of about 12-14inches put on British market a while back as I saw some for order and mail order in the lfs and on trimar.co.uk.

 

[CFC]

Golden nugget plecs get to about 8" but grow very slowly and take years to get that big. If you are getting one (or have one) remember that they are one of the carnivorous species of plecs and cannnot survive on algea and algea based foods alone.

 

[Joviella]

thank you all for your answers. cfc.....i feed my fish bloodworm every other day as well as flake and algae pellets,cucumber and peas.

 

[ryan]

thank you all for your answers. cfc.....i feed my fish bloodworm every other day as well as flake and algae pellets,cucumber and peas.

Sounds like a good diet, do you know which species of Golden Nugget you have?

L18....L177

 

[Joviella]

I don't know what species my golden nugget is.........he is a lovely fish though.Sadly he only comes out when the lights aren't on.

 

[ryan]

Yep same with my Golden Nugget, strictly nocturnal but after two months he is getting bolder so be patient.

 

[Joviella]

got to say....had mine for about two months and last night when the lights were out he was at the front of the tank and sucking on the glass......was well impressed!

 

[SirMinion]

remember that they are one of the carnivorous species of plecs

I have a book, published in 1996, which says GNs eat rotting wood and nothing else!

 

[CFC]

Wood is a important part of many L number plecs diet but their diet has to be supplemented with meaty foods as well. In the wild they may well get all the protein they need from small organisms living in the wood which they inadvertantly eat as they rasp on it but in a closed enviroment these organisms are quickly depleted and they need to be fed bloodworms and other "meaty" foods.