What Type Of Environment To Plecostamuses Perfer? (rocky, Caves, Plant

I'am sorry I underestimated the size of him....and the size of a foot.... hes about 7 or 8 inches long, Im waiting for him to come out of his little cave so I can try and measure him.

Andanother thing. He will only grow the size that hes comfortable with in the current tank he lives in...for instance..When I got him he was about an inch long, and I had him in a 10 gallon....after he got bigger i upgraded him to the 15 or 20 gallon (the one hes in right now)...He's grown to his maximum comfort level of that tank, which is about 7 or 8 inches. Now that he is getting movied to a larger tank, he may grow larger. As of right now he has PLENTY of room in there.

What you have described here is called stunting his growth, I'm affraid. The problem with this is that the fish will stop growing at a certain point in a smaller than ideal tank size but his internal organs keep on growing. This kind of problem can cause all kinds of problems. On a side note I would run both the filters that you've got (old one, new one) on the new tank, then you can move him over to his new home right away. nice looking tank by the way.
 
Andanother thing. He will only grow the size that hes comfortable with in the current tank he lives in...for instance..When I got him he was about an inch long, and I had him in a 10 gallon....after he got bigger i upgraded him to the 15 or 20 gallon (the one hes in right now)...He's grown to his maximum comfort level of that tank, which is about 7 or 8 inches. Now that he is getting movied to a larger tank, he may grow larger. As of right now he has PLENTY of room in there.


uhh na..... thats what petsmart says.....

Its true but they forgot that the outside stops growing but the insides dont stop which leads to a premature death. Maximum comfort level is as big as they can possibly get regardless of tank size, he must be very uncomfortable.
 
No worries.....hes in a much bigger tank now.....very happy ^_^

Heres a pic of the new tank....he hides himself REALLY well.....I cant find him most of the time lol :rolleyes:


P1060230.jpg

Yea I knew there was a problem when he started swimming at highspeeds in the 15 gallon, and hitting the sides of the tank like he was trying to get out....I feel really bad for making him stay in that little tank for so long :unsure: :-(

Edited because I didnt add the pic...
 
Its a little late since you have already moved him into a big tank and all. But I absolutely love the information that can be found on www.mongabay.com in relation to aquarium biotopes with certain fish species. Just as a sample, in case your interested for the future, he're an exceprt on the information I pulled from the site on the Pleco


Discription: It is covered everywhere but the belly with large bony plates. The head is large, broad, and flat. The mouth is located on the underside of the head and is shaped like a suction cup. It has one pair of barbels. The color varies depending on the age, species, and environment the individual came from. Usually the body has a base color of light brown to black. The fish can be spotted, striped, splotched, or one solid color. The fins are the same color as the rest of the body. The dorsal fin stands tall when erect.
Size: to 24" (60 cm)
Habitat: In fast-flowing streams and rivers with pebbly substrate in South-Eastern and Southern Brazil, Venezuela, Rio de la Plata, and Trinidad.
Dwelling: bottom (substrate dependent)
Tank: 20" (60 cm) or 10 gallons (38 L) is sufficient for young individuals, those under 4" (10 cm). Eventually they must be moved to larger tanks. The tank should have open swimming areas and hiding places of rocks, wood, caves, and wood. This fish will eat plants.
Water: pH 5-8.4 (7.0), 1-30 dH (10), 66-86°F (19-30°C)
Temperament: A peaceful fish that can be kept in a community tank with small to large fish, including cichlids. Does not get along with own species. Each fish sets up territories to defend. Young fish can be kept together while adults become aggressively territorial.
Suggested Tankmates: South and Central American cichlids, gouramis, rainbowfish, larger tetras and characins, Pimelodus, larger barbs, larger livebearers, Corydoras
Food: Mostly algae, but sometimes vegetables; spinach, lettuce, peas; live; worms, crustaceans, insect larvae; fruit; tablets; flake. May graze plants if not feed sufficient amounts.
Sexing: Unknown
Breeding: Unsuccessful in an aquarium. Observed in fish over 12" (30 cm). Plecostomus are bred in mass quantities in Singapore, Florida, and Hong Kong in large ponds with steep sides. A pair will dig a burrow, in which, they spawn about 300 eggs. The ponds are drained and the parents and their young are removed. This fish is also often bred in Bangkok in fish hatcheries.
Of Note: If fish does not get enough algae or green foods, it will nibble plants. This species reaches larger size in wild. Eaten in native countries. It grows slowly and is long-lived (over 15 years). Hypostomus plecostomus and Hypostomus punctatus are used interchangeably in most aquarium stores. There is an albino variation widely available. There are over 120 other Hypostomus species that are sold as Hypostomus plecostomus. This species can pinch with its pointed teeth and also make holes in plastic bags. The Plecostomus can store air in its intestine, thus allowing it to survive in poor conditions. This species is easily cared for as long as their is plenty of algae and/or other supplementary foods. Be aware that the Plecostomus reaches a large size and requires a large tank with age.


Has that sort of information on all kinds of fish. I went there to go about trying to make my Amazonian biotope that I have in my tank now. As stated, excellent information on biotopes and lots of information on different fish species.
 

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