common plec
- Thread starter Katie217
- Start date
Go buy a big tank and lots of filtration. 
PlanetCatfish :: Cat-eLog :: Loricariidae :: Liposarcus pardalis
Really they do get big and are messy. Commons are very easy to take care of. He will eat left overs from what you feed the other fish, but should also be fed algae tabs and sinking pellets at night after lights out. They grow pretty fast so if you don't have at least a 55 gal tank, you better start saving for one now.He will need to be put in it before the yr is over.
Size..well people report that they get 24 inches in the wild, and 18 inches is a good estimate of an obtainable length in captivity. However there has recently been a stir of commotion on planet catfish about their size.
PCF list them as only getting 11 inches. This would be about 13 inches if you include the tail. Anyways, Jools (the site owner) and Shane (one of the main contributors) have said time and time again that the reason for the small estimated size is they have yet to see proof (a photo or the real animal) of one over that length. Now they even publicly asked that if anyone has one larger than this size to send in a pic. No one has done so yet.
Now these two chaps go down to SA all the time on collection trips. The site is 10 yrs old. If in none of their travels nor in any of those 10 yrs has any one produced a pic or have they seen an animal over a foot long..Kinda makes me wonder just how large this fish actually gets. Still 12 inches of pleco is a large fish.
PlanetCatfish :: Cat-eLog :: Loricariidae :: Liposarcus pardalis
Really they do get big and are messy. Commons are very easy to take care of. He will eat left overs from what you feed the other fish, but should also be fed algae tabs and sinking pellets at night after lights out. They grow pretty fast so if you don't have at least a 55 gal tank, you better start saving for one now.He will need to be put in it before the yr is over.
Size..well people report that they get 24 inches in the wild, and 18 inches is a good estimate of an obtainable length in captivity. However there has recently been a stir of commotion on planet catfish about their size.
PCF list them as only getting 11 inches. This would be about 13 inches if you include the tail. Anyways, Jools (the site owner) and Shane (one of the main contributors) have said time and time again that the reason for the small estimated size is they have yet to see proof (a photo or the real animal) of one over that length. Now they even publicly asked that if anyone has one larger than this size to send in a pic. No one has done so yet.
Now these two chaps go down to SA all the time on collection trips. The site is 10 yrs old. If in none of their travels nor in any of those 10 yrs has any one produced a pic or have they seen an animal over a foot long..Kinda makes me wonder just how large this fish actually gets. Still 12 inches of pleco is a large fish.
umm well it sorta looks like the pic that fishlover1 posted, but i never really see him, hes always in this little log thing i have, and hes in a 20gal right now...ive never really had any sucess with plecos, they usually just lived for a few days then passed, but ive had this guy for about a week now and i usually see him with a full belly so i know hes eating (plus the log in there isnt as algea covered anymore )
)
No not for long. Commons don't really stunt. They are hardy enough to bulldoze past that weakling stunting crap. His growth will be slower keeping him in too small a tank, but he will become "that monster that fills up the bottom of my tank" eventually. His bio-load will have long since been an issue for that volume of water, giving you constant headache.
Get a bigger tank, or get rid of him and order one online.
AquaBid.com - Your Aquatic Auction Website
Exotic Finds
SomethingsPhishy: Discus Plecos Fish Online Store Pleco Aligator Pleco - 3 inch Golden Starfire Sailfin Bushinose Pleco - 1.5 inch L007 Vampire Pleco - 6 inch L009 - Smokey Peckoltia - 3 Inch L011 Red Fin Thresher - 2.5 inch L014 Goldy Pleco - 10 inch L014 Goldy Pleco - 2 inch L018 Gold Nugget Pleco - 2 Discus and Plecos
Get a bigger tank, or get rid of him and order one online.
AquaBid.com - Your Aquatic Auction Website
Exotic Finds
SomethingsPhishy: Discus Plecos Fish Online Store Pleco Aligator Pleco - 3 inch Golden Starfire Sailfin Bushinose Pleco - 1.5 inch L007 Vampire Pleco - 6 inch L009 - Smokey Peckoltia - 3 Inch L011 Red Fin Thresher - 2.5 inch L014 Goldy Pleco - 10 inch L014 Goldy Pleco - 2 inch L018 Gold Nugget Pleco - 2 Discus and Plecos
Congrats on the Common, they're pretty cool! Have you tried to feed him veggies yet? They're a blast to watch eat zucchini!
I used to keep mine in a 20 gallon tank, which lasted about four months before I set up my 40 gallon. Now he lives in there and it's been a good eight months. He's grown maybe 2 inches since I've gotten him and I overfeed him because I can't resist watching him inhale zucchini. I personally think you'll be okay with the 20 gallon for a little while, but only if you're filtrating it well, have places for him to hide and stake out a territory in, and as long as you're aware that he will need a bigger tank when he hits about 5-6 inches. I bet he'd like a pond when he's bigger :3 Good luck with him!
And now, a little rant because it's midnight and I feel like putting this out there: I dunno, I just get a little... not annoyed, but bothered when people jump on others when they have commons in smaller tanks (not that anyone in this post did, that's a very general statement and when I say smaller, I mean 20g, not 10, that is too small). True, they need to realize that the Plec is going to need larger housing as it grows (which they grow pretty quick), but sometimes, people make it sound like the owner is going to wake up the next day and the Plec is going to be 2 feet long and sucking on the walls or something. Hmmm... sorry, I'm just in a bad mood and that's always bugged me a bit. Just putting it out there... that wasn't directed at anyone in particular. I'll stop my rant now, sorry, don't eat me D:
Have you tried to feed him veggies yet? They're a blast to watch eat zucchini! I used to keep mine in a 20 gallon tank, which lasted about four months before I set up my 40 gallon. Now he lives in there and it's been a good eight months. He's grown maybe 2 inches since I've gotten him and I overfeed him because I can't resist watching him inhale zucchini. I personally think you'll be okay with the 20 gallon for a little while, but only if you're filtrating it well, have places for him to hide and stake out a territory in, and as long as you're aware that he will need a bigger tank when he hits about 5-6 inches. I bet he'd like a pond when he's bigger :3 Good luck with him!
And now, a little rant because it's midnight and I feel like putting this out there: I dunno, I just get a little... not annoyed, but bothered when people jump on others when they have commons in smaller tanks (not that anyone in this post did, that's a very general statement and when I say smaller, I mean 20g, not 10, that is too small). True, they need to realize that the Plec is going to need larger housing as it grows (which they grow pretty quick), but sometimes, people make it sound like the owner is going to wake up the next day and the Plec is going to be 2 feet long and sucking on the walls or something. Hmmm... sorry, I'm just in a bad mood and that's always bugged me a bit. Just putting it out there... that wasn't directed at anyone in particular. I'll stop my rant now, sorry, don't eat me D:
hahahaha i agree with ur rant, ive always thought that a 20gal tank was big enough for a pleco...but i guess not haha but i agree, its annoying when ppl just attack someone who could be new to fish keeping, like when someone has a 33gal, and has 2 oscars in it, when they bought them they were tiny, but then ppl spaz at them for messing up once! theres my rant heheee
but i agree, its annoying when ppl just attack someone who could be new to fish keeping, like when someone has a 33gal, and has 2 oscars in it, when they bought them they were tiny, but then ppl spaz at them for messing up once! theres my rant heheee
Yeah, without knowing the situation, you can't really say much. I have an oscar in a 29gal, an oscar in a 32gal, and a Royal Pleco in a 10gal. But what makes this OK is that 1) none of these fish are staying in these tanks very long 2) They are all in quarentine 3) oscar #1 is under 2", oscar #2 is about 4", royal pleco is about 3" 4) I am keeping these tanks maticulously clean and the 10gal and 32gal are bare bottomed and overfiltered 5) the 32gal is 4' long. I could go on and on, but that's the basics. You can't judge by just hearing the type of fish and size of tank.