clown pleco growth rate?

[DexteR]

hey all i am just wondering how fast i can expect my clown pleco to grow and how big? he is currently in a 30 gallon with a 3" common pleco a male yellow lab and a black skirt tetra, i feed them twice a day giving 2 alg. wafers and flake food and occasionally bloodworms (do they eat them?) i also have two piranha with a 12" common pleco... they are buddies.
i want to eventually put the clown with the piranha (depending the size he can get) if not he will stay in the tank with the lab(s), i plan breeding the yellows but my male keeps killing the females (2 so far)

 

[davo]

ok, most importantly... your piranha and pleco... they are not buddies. Eventually it's going to kill your piranha. This website is full of "my piranha and pleco are fine together" and a few months down the line "oh looks like it wasn't a good mix, it's hollowed out my plecos stomach" and "I told you so".

Clown pleco can refer to one of many different species, even ranging in different genus, but if it is Panaque maccus or Panaque sp. cf. maccus or L206 it will get to almost 4".

 

[DexteR]

yea.... this is what i have heard all around... i know that they r not really "buddies" but i am keeping my fingers crossed... speak of the devil and he shall appear. just wondering how many differant species of pleco r out there i have seen a hundred different pics and very few of them seem to be the same species. i don't know what kind of pleco i have (clown) all the LFS labeled it as a clown Pleco i will try and post a pic of him either in the forum or in my gallery. can i continue with the blood-worms though? and how nessesary is driftwood in the tank or can i sneak by without it (i just don't like the look very much)

 

[davo]

Theres probably over 600 different species now ones now. Heres a link to all of the L numbers http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/numbers.php?mode=l&thumbs=16 and theres tonnes that don't have an L number either because they are already described by science or... no ones got around to it.

The chances of your clown pleco being a Panaque are very high, therefore your need for driftwood would be a must, as it essential to them (not to mention that it's generally beneficial for many plecos even outside Panaques). If it was a Panaque, bloodworms won't be a good idea, as too much protein is detrimental, and they will need vegetables over others (see dietry thread).
Fingers crossed won't really help your pleco when it's been torn apart by a P. Sorry these are probably all the answers you didn't want to hear...

 

[DexteR]

no prob u can't learn without making a few mistakes right?... and i figured u would say i need the wood so i went out and bought a piece today, i just bought my piranha some feeders today as well and the big pleco ate 2 of them i have never seen this before and wonder...is it normal, he just straight up popped outa nowhere dashed to the top grabbed one and was back in his spot...
it was really cool see. and not to be a stubborn ba-tard but the piranha and pleco mixture is such a highly debated topic that i will keep him with the p's, i did take some heed though and bought another "cave" for him to escape to, it's just that he makes a nice addition to the tank (while he lasts)

 

[DexteR]

oh yea and thx for the link

 

[davo]

no prob u can't learn without making a few mistakes right?... and i figured u would say i need the wood so i went out and bought a piece today, i just bought my piranha some feeders today as well and the big pleco ate 2 of them i have never seen this before and wonder...is it normal, he just straight up popped outa nowhere dashed to the top grabbed one and was back in his spot...
it was really cool see. and not to be a stubborn ba-tard but the piranha and pleco mixture is such a highly debated topic that i will keep him with the p's, i did take some heed though and bought another "cave" for him to escape to, it's just that he makes a nice addition to the tank (while he lasts)

ok that's your decision. Yeah some plecos will become hunters, and will "eat" fish. Are you talking about your common or the little clown? Commons need more and more protein based foods as they get older, so it is not a suprise if it is a common (although still need their veg). If the clown, well a Panaque should really have absolute minimum meaty foods- close to none at all.

 

[DexteR]

yea it was the common that ate the fish... my "panaque" (thx) is only like 1/2" he is to small for me to even take a pic with my crap camera he just shows up as a tan blur...
thxs again for all the help u seem to really know ur **** if i need any help i may Pm (if that's kool?)

 

[davo]

sure, I always answer pms. Or just post up questions on the board I'm not the only pleco nut here, and then it helps build the database of knowledge for other users also.