Increasing tank Size as pleco grows?

[Hordesofplecos]

Hi all second post here and thanks everyone for all the help last time. Thisseems to be a great community

We have been looking for a larger variety pleco and have i think narrowed down to either a sunshine (if we find one at a good price) a royal, a l90 paps or a 137. It will eventually live in a 180 but we want to get one really small (2-3in) and watch it grow and yes we realize it can take many years. We do have a 20l and a 55 my 20 has our new (2in) orange seam in it but I'm wondering we can start with one of the smaller tanks and move it as it starts to grow? Like start with 20 until it hits like 4in, 55 till li I'm like 7-8in. It even just start with the 55. Just expecting we would never find a 2in royal in a 180. Currently we have some various small tetras a Betta a bulldog and an orange seam plec. Some will be moving to the 180 some will stay in current homes we don't know if we will keep the 55 or just the 20 after. It will likely be quarantined in a 20 or the 55 at the very least depending on when we move what fish over.

 

[fishhead0103666]

Just a heads up, the royal pleco grows an inch a year. I have a little 2.5 incher myself.

 

[Hordesofplecos]

Just a heads up, the royal pleco grows an inch a year. I have a little 2.5 incher myself.

Yeah we did consider starting out bigger and the royal is what we are most leaning towards but we just think it could be cool to get this little guy and like 10 years later see him become this massive fish. But that's also why we were hoping he could be happy growing up a bit in something smaller.

 

[tlindsey]

Stay consistent with maintenance and proper water changes until you move Pleco to the larger aquarium.

 

[fishhead0103666]

Well I do not see why he couldn’t start off in a smaller tank and then move upto a bigger tank as he grows. A lot of our people here that have huge tanks with monster fish will get small fish and grow them out over years with the help of various sized aquariums.

 

[Hordesofplecos]

Well I do not see why he couldn’t start off in a smaller tank and then move upto a bigger tank as he grows. A lot of our people here that have huge tanks with monster fish will get small fish and grow them out over years with the help of various sized aquariums.

Great yeah I have already learned my tiny little gold seam poops like no other. More than my 5in bulldog plec. It's everywhere lol probably because he eats anything and everything literally all day long veggies, algae, wood, frozen shrimp, pellets, flakes, wafers if it goes in the tank he finds some. I was just not certain because I have heard some stunted growth horror stories.

 

[TheWolfman]

My royal grows extremely slow. So slow that his tankmates are now sizing him up for a snack (he’s going to be moving to a different aquarium). You can definitely grow him out and upgrade as needed if that works for now.

 

[monkeybike]

I bought one of my royals at around 2" and in 2 years it's about 8+", you just gotta pump them up!

 

[Hordesofplecos]

W

I bought one of my royals at around 2" and in 2 years it's about 8+", you just gotta pump them up!

What do you feed/do?

 

[ScienceofFish]

I bought one of my royals at around 2" and in 2 years it's about 8+", you just gotta pump them up!

Is it a L191? I heard those are the fastest growing royal. And what do you feed them? Cos 2 to 8 in 2 years is extremely fast.