Minimum tank size for a common pleco (L021)

[kdrun76]

Also, I would never tell someone who just got one for their 30 gallon: "You need a 125". They can't plausibly think of that, considering most people think a 50 is huge. 75 may not be optimal for the beast that you raised from 1", but not everyone can get a 125, and 75 is one heck of a lot better than 30, or even 50.

A responsible pet owner would NEVER put one in a 30. If you were a responsible person you would encourage anyone you saw trying to put a common pleco in a 30 to find another home or get a bigger tank for the fish. Doing less than that is promoting animal abuse. If you aren't part of the solution, you ARE part of the problem.

Encouraging a 20+ inch fish to be put into a 50 gallon tank is meeting the needs of the fish keeper, not the needs of the fish. If you can't meet the needs of your pets, find a new home for the pet. Its that simple.

 

[andyjs]

I said 75 as a bare minimum. I don't have a common, but I do have 2 young gibbys in my 150. By the time they are full sized, if I don't have anotherbtank of at least 150 gallons, I'll be giving one of them to someone who does.

 

[zerojquan85]

Plecos dont grow to adult size in months.. it takes years mind u.. years... Adult size for common plecos take roughly 1 to 2 years.. 10" plus... So having a big tank 125 or above when the pleco is 1-4" is not really a great idea... I would say a suitable tank of 75 gallon is enough for a grow out.. and see how the pleco performs...

My experience with an albino chocolate pleco from baby .5" to now 7" was 7 months... But i dont feed it algae walfers or nothing... I feed mine veggies.. and market shrimp... so it depends on the diet it gets..

 

[cdc]

I have had my common 2 years and its only 6-7 inches and eats fine it started off in a 55 and is now in a 300. The other common that I adopted I was told was 2 years old and was 11".

 

[L021]

A responsible pet owner would NEVER put one in a 30. If you were a responsible person you would encourage anyone you saw trying to put a common pleco in a 30 to find another home or get a bigger tank for the fish. Doing less than that is promoting animal abuse. If you aren't part of the solution, you ARE part of the problem.

Encouraging a 20+ inch fish to be put into a 50 gallon tank is meeting the needs of the fish keeper, not the needs of the fish. If you can't meet the needs of your pets, find a new home for the pet. Its that simple.

I didn't say I condone keeping them in 30s. I said I've seen people leave petsmarts with "tank cleaners" and "allergy eaters" for their 5 and 30 gallon tanks. I'm saying that 75g tanks are a significant step up from the average 10 or 30 gallons.

 

[Mr Pleco]

Any pleco over 12" 90 gal is min with 50 gal sump..shoot for a 19x turnover ratio

 

[RichardCichlid]

Very old post, but I need to get my posts up and I was just wondering if that's a Cichla Temensis in Mr Pleco's picuture?