Pleco general info + cory help

[Extarys]

Hi there, sorry I've been so busy I didn't have much time to drop by.

My bf wanted a pleco so badly, so I bought one. The guy at my LPS sold me a "common pleco" for 8 bucks. He's a little bit less than 3 inches long.

He currently lives in my new 55 gallons with 8 corys and 5 kuhlis. I read that sometimes pleco attach themselves to other fishes, will he hurt my corys or kuhlis? Also, how large will he gets? I read 2 feet long, but I also heard he won't grow full size if the tank size doesn't permit it.

I would like a pleco but I don't want to trouble the peace of my friends in there. Should I get 1 bristlenose or a bushynose instead?

I would eventually love to add a pearl gourami in there with a bunch of neon tetras. To populate the top and mid of the tank.

Also, my corys and kuhlis were in a smaller tank where other inhabitants bullied them. Kuhlis are fine but the corys lost their colors. My peppered corydoras doesn't have much black spot now but they seem quite happier. How can I help them regain full health?

 

[Demeter32]

He will out grow the tank, no doubt about it. The myth that says "fish will only grow as large as their tank" is a like. The fish will get stunted but their internal organs will continue to grow and their health will eventually be affected. I doubt that your pleco will go after the corries and loaches, they mainly go after flat bodied fish like goldfish and angels *only when they're starving*.

Feed your pleco slices of squash and cucumber as well as algae wafers. You can keep this pleco you have now until he's about ehh 8 inches long then rehome him and get a bristle nose instead.

The corries should be fine so long as the tank is cycled and they have a smooth substrate to dig. So long as no one is bullying them and they have food and clean water they'll be fine.

 

[Byron]

I agree, but I would take it one step further...return the common pleco now rather than later. It is kinder to the fish to do this, as it will be healthier in a large tank from early on. I am not a fan of acquiring potentially large fish, keeping them in small (for the fish) tanks for a spell, then getting rid of them somehow; the fish should go into the tank it will need sooner rather than later. Moving it now will be less traumatic.

The Bristlenose species remain smaller, around 4-5 inches max. They are territorial, males that is, so one is better than two or three unless in a very large tank (you would be OK in the 4-foot 55g, with lots of chunks of wood to break up the substrate).

On the Pearl Gourami, this is better in a group, with more females to males ratio. If this is for the 55g, you could have a lovely group of 5-8 (2-3 males, 4-5 females).

Byron.

 

[Extarys]

The corries should be fine so long as the tank is cycled and they have a smooth substrate to dig. So long as no one is bullying them and they have food and clean water they'll be fine.

Thanks, I'm more confident now

I agree, but I would take it one step further...return the common pleco now rather than later. It is kinder to the fish to do this, as it will be healthier in a large tank from early on. I am not a fan of acquiring potentially large fish, keeping them in small (for the fish) tanks for a spell, then getting rid of them somehow; the fish should go into the tank it will need sooner rather than later. Moving it now will be less traumatic.

The Bristlenose species remain smaller, around 4-5 inches max. They are territorial, males that is, so one is better than two or three unless in a very large tank (you would be OK in the 4-foot 55g, with lots of chunks of wood to break up the substrate).

On the Pearl Gourami, this is better in a group, with more females to males ratio. If this is for the 55g, you could have a lovely group of 5-8 (2-3 males, 4-5 females).

Byron.

Yea I'm thinking about returning him, I don't like stressing fish for no purpose.

I already have a lot of bottom feeder, so even if my tank is big, I would start with only one.

For the Pearl Gourami I didn't know they had to be in a group, how can I sex them at the pet store? Could I get only 2-3 females? Would it be ok with a future addition of neon tetras?

You guys gave me greats tips, thank you very much!!