Please help identify these plecos.

[Cassiopeia]

I was given 2 pleco. All they knew about them was that they are plecos. I am new to owning fish but already love them and want them to be happy. Doing my own research I see that they can get quite big so I'm planning to get a much bigger tank. I do not have experience with fish but am doing a lot of research to give goku and vegeta a happy life. Any advice is appreciated. How big of a tank do I need for them? I think they may be 2 different breeds, they look quite different. One is thinner/sleeker and has really striking spots, especially on the underbelly as seen in pics(Goku). The other is wider and has kinda bulgy eyes compared the the sleeker one (Vegeta). Sorry for the bad phone camera pics. Tried to get a good fin shot of each.

 

[Wills]

Hi welcome to the forum

They both look like 'common' plecs which is a name that covers a few species. As you said they grow very large, and could end up between 1 and 2 foot long. In a suitably sized tank they will grow very quickly, both easily getting to 10 inches within a year no mater what sized tank they are in.

What sized tank do you have them in now? And how big is the tank you are planning to get for them? You would want something like a 6x2x2 as a minimum which is around 180 gallons. This really is a minimum as well, if you can accommodate bigger, especially on the width measurement that would be great.

Taking on a fish like this is a big choice and there are plenty of other options for you to keep in most sized tanks - even in a small tank something like a group of Ottos (water hardness and ph permitting) look quite similar or if you are in a 30-40 gallon plus a Bulldog Plec or Bristlenose Plec can be an option. If you are not able to commit to a big tank in terms of size, time and money it may be a more responsible approach to rehome these two fish to a shop or someone else with a big tank and find a more suitable sized species for your current tank.

It would be great to get some more info on your current tank as well How old is it? What size is it? What other fish do you have? And what is your water like, it it soft or hard? And lastly what is your ph

Wills

 

[Cassiopeia]

They came with a 20 gallon tank, which I think is pretty sad. I don't think they were informed anything about the species when they got them at Wal-Mart nd just thought oh hey algae eaters will keep my tank clean.. I don't really know why Wal-Mart sells them like that with no info. Kinda feel like they should be a specialty fish for people with experience, not really an every day fish for just anyone. I have a lot of space so I have room for a 180 gallon. I have seen some for sale for decent. Could they both fit in one that size together and be happy? Will I have to separate them? They seem to like each other a lot. I will test the water today and update you on the ph and hardness. They are in with some fruit tetras.

 

[Cassiopeia]

I have already committed myself to adopting these guys so I will do whatever it takes to keep them happy and healthy. I know it is a big choice, and I don't have a lot of fish experience, but I know I can do it with proper research and care. Advice is always appreciated. Thank you for the response.

 

[seangee]

Good for you and well done on doing the research.
Just a hint: think carefully about where you want the tank because once it is in place with sand, water and fish in it it won't be moving anytime soon

 

[Cassiopeia]

Haha Yes, it would be impossible to move. I am already rearranging and deciding where I want it to be permanently.

 

[Cassiopeia]

Been a busy day trying to get my water levels to the right point. My ph is right around 7.0. I have hard water here but I used a water conditioner. Ammonia levels were very high and water was starting to get kinda foggy, found that my filter is good up to a 10 gallon tank not 20 so I put in a new filter built for 20-40 gallons. Did a little water change, used some safe start to lower the ammonia. Also got a better air pump for it. Hope that helps. Water temp is 78. Oh, and they are in with 5 fruit tetras. If I am doing anything wrong or missing something please let me know. This is a learn as I go experience and I really do appreciate any advice.

 

[seangee]

Keep the old filter in the tank and running as it already contains much of the beneficial bacteria the system needs. Don't be afraid of big water changes, its important to keep the ammonia and nitrite as close to 0 as you can.

Just FWIW fruit tetra is not a "natural species". They are created by injecting dye into fish (usually white skirt tetra) and are probably weaker for the experience. Not judging but just so you know, and IMO another reason to avoid buying fish from places like Walmart. They grow to about 2" and are a shoaling species and like to be in groups, so if you want to get more once they are in the bigger tank you could add white skirt tetra or black widow tetra, which is another colour variation. Post pics before buying though so someone can confirm the species.

animal-world.com and seriouslyfish.com are both good resources for looking up info on fish species.

 

[Cassiopeia]

Thank you. Do you have any advice how else I can lower the ammonia levels? They are still too high.

 

[Cassiopeia]

I really hate Wal-Mart. They are so irresponsible and don't even train the fish department. Nobody knows anything about anything. They honestly should not be selling fish at all.

 

[Cassiopeia]

I am still curious what species of pleco thses are. Common is kinda a broad term isn't it? How can I find out the l-codes for these 2.

 

[Cassiopeia]

Here's some better pics of goku. Couldn't get any of vegeta since he is in his favorite spot under the filter.

 

[Cassiopeia]

Here is goku's belly. He has really cool white spots. Its always easier to take his pic. He is more active all around the tank and vegeta likes to hide a lot.

 

[stanleo]

The problem with plecos is there over 100 species but if they came from Walmart they prolly are common plecos. Walmart is terrible and some fish lovers have been successful getting their local stores to stop selling fish. Even places like Petco will list a minimum tank size for the common as 30 gallons which is way too small. That being said, when I first looked at your pics I was thinking they looked like clown plecos which are a small species. I have one and he looks similar but the color is different.

As far as water changes, bigger is always better and they are the best way of knocking down ammonia levels til they are 0. Nitrites need to be 0 and those will climb once the ammonia naturally starts to decrease. There is a great article on here about cycling a tank that I recommend. Good luck.

 

[Mikayla K]

I know this is a bit old, but I really wanted to mention that it is not wise to keep two plecos together. In their Juvenile years they'll be just fine, but as adults they become extremely territorial to their species and are very aggressive with one another. It will just stress the plecos out constantly, and stressed out plecos can lead to poor immunity just like any other fish. A 90 gallon aquarium is minimum size for a common pleco, so you have the option of doing 2 tanks; or you could pick your favorite and rehome the other. Also another thing these fish really do live forever, okay not forever but 20-30 years if kept in the right set up and taken care of properly.