pl*cs

[Zippy]

I also think that when you buy a fish its for life, i have 21 plecs altogether and i can house them all comfortably (14 are babies at 1" in size). I have no intensions on buying a plec or any fish to get rid of when it gets to big its just another excuse to buy another tank

 

[Aquascaper]

There is a big difference between an Aquaculturist and an Aquarist in that an Aquaculturist is keeping the fish for financial benefit and is therefore investing time & money into the fish to gain profit from it when it is sold on, the Aquarist is keeping the fish for the experience of it.
For the Aquaculturist to make money there has to be a demand for the fully grown fish, this demand is not going to come from a run-of-the-mill LFS but from companies, restaurants, etc. wanting 'instant' results from a tank rather than waiting and putting in all the time & effort growing the fish.
To buy a fish knowing that you will have to give it away when it gets bigger is a very risky practice IMO unless you have the contacts with which to re-home the fish.

Never bank on an LFS taking back a fully grown adult fish, no matter what type/species it is, the last thing you want is a huge fish on yours hands with no where to put him

 

[samthefishman]

i agree with yous, Why buy a fish and then take it back when it gets to big? i dont see the point. But some people do. Its their jobs.

 

[samthefishman]

aquascaper, we sell to LFS alot. Not only small fish but fully grown fish such as baramundi and silver pearch. It all depends on them and what they want, and they want our big fish. Maybe some places our different i am only speaking of exsperiences i have had.

 

[kenneth_kpe]

i had a janitor fish before but i had to give it to my firend because he keeps eating all my plants up.

by the way guys funny janitor fish story that happened recently here in the philippines. Causing catfishes to be a bit "banned" here

http/www.llda.gov.ph/janitor_fish_facts.htm

 

[chew-able]

I keep hearing this line "the plec will be stunted" and I have 2 problems with this:

1) stunting the growth of a fish will considerably effect its health!
2) In 10 years fish keeping I've never seen a stunted comman or gibby plec yet. Why do you think people have to take them back! They are renound as one of the few fish who's growth will be virtully unaffected by the tank size.....put a comoman in a 10gallon and it'll be half the length of the tank in 6months.

Most plecs are brought by people who are inexperianced or just have little 10gallon for the kids. Almost all non-fishkeepers can discrible "those sucking fish" so its an almost guarentee they will want one in their first tank. Unfortunately most are sold to them by aquatic stores who ask no questions!!! This worries me far more than the smaller number of people who buy them knowing how big they will get and plan for the rehome!


Chew

 

[rvm]

I keep hearing this line "the plec will be stunted" and I have 2 problems with this:

1) stunting the growth of a fish will considerably effect its health!
2) In 10 years fish keeping I've never seen a stunted comman or gibby plec yet. Why do you think people have to take them back! They are renound as one of the few fish who's growth will be virtully unaffected by the tank size.....put a comoman in a 10gallon and it'll be half the length of the tank in 6months.

Most plecs are brought by people who are inexperianced or just have little 10gallon for the kids. Almost all non-fishkeepers can discrible "those sucking fish" so its an almost guarentee they will want one in their first tank. Unfortunately most are sold to them by aquatic stores who ask no questions!!! This worries me far more than the smaller number of people who buy them knowing how big they will get and plan for the rehome!


Chew

Thats a fair comment, but I have seen a stunted Common Plec. I was in an LFS a couple of weeks ago, and they had one that looked like a big fat teardrop!! Very sad to see!!!

 

[gixer]

I am one of these people who buys a small common Pleco in the hope that one day he will grow into a giant, and guess what?, IT WORKED!!! Now he is nearly 7 inches long and is hopefully going to grow much larger in my new 42 hex community aquarium!

this topic really annoys me to be honest...

especially things like that above.. its pure ignorance,