|
 |
Pleco ~ Plecostomus~ Suckermouth Catfish ~ ~ Armor-Plated Catfish ~ Family: Loricariidae
 Juvenile Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps Photo © Animal-World Latest Reader Comment - See More There are tons of them in a pond behind my house and they are very large (20" to 36"). They have removed most of the vegetation from the pond. I would like... (more) gregs 2008-07-22
One of the hardiest and most enduring of all catfishes, the Pleco or Plecostomus is the most common catfish used for getting rid of problem algae in the aquarium!The Pleco or Plecostomus are nocturnal so it is best to feed them in the evening just before turning out the lights. A word of caution, they have been known to remove slime from latterally flattened fish like discus and angelfish when they are sleeping! Even though they are herbivores they can get quite large and can become too big for small aquariums. Keep some wood in the tank since rasping algae from the wood provides a perfect place for more algae to grow maintaining a constant food source for this fish. Also, the cellulose in wood is necessary for their digestive process. Pleco or Plecostomus make very good community fish as they are peaceful with other tankmates. The only exception to this is they can get aggressive and territorial towards other plecos if they were not raised together. There are many species (over 100 Hypostomus species) sold under the name "Pleco" and the main differences between the species seems to be in their varying color patterns. For more Information on keeping this fish see:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| Geographic Distribution Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps |
|---|
|
| Data provided by FishBase.org |
Since they are herbivorous the Pleco or Plecostomus will eat undesirable algae. They will not harm plants, but make sure the aquarium is well seasoned and do feed a supplemental sinking algae pellet to make sure they don't starve. Because they are super algae eaters, they must have their veggies! (Note: they have not been observed to eat blue algae.)
Distribution:
The Pleco or Plecostomus are found in most of South America.
Size - Weight:
These fish get up to 24 inches (60 cm).
Social Behaviors:
They are a good community fish.
Sexual Differences:
Not known.
Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
The Pleco or Plecostomus will swim in the bottom of the aquarium.
Acceptable Water Conditions:
Hardness: 1-25° dGH
Ph: 6.5 to 7.0
Temp: 24-27° C
Breeding/Reproduction:
This fish has not been bred in an aquarium.
Availability:
The Pleco or Plecostomus is readily available.
Click to see All the comments!
|
|
Click to see all of the coolest comments!
|
| Latest Comments |
|---|
| There are tons of them in a pond behind my house and they are very large (20" to 36"). They have removed most of the vegetation from the pond. I would like to get rid of some of them so I wonder if I should just cull them or farm them out to other areas.
2008-07-22 |
| I have 1 leopard pleco and I have located him at the top and middle of my tank. I even spotted him doing a flip.
2008-07-22 |
| I have 1 leopard pleco and it is getting along well with my 5 sword tails.
2008-07-21 |
| I have 3 plecoosomus and I have recently seen 7 babies, they are so cute. Didn't even know I had them til I saw a little line. I thought "what's that" but when I got close it was a baby pleco. So people they do breed in a house tank. I'm so pleased the fish feel comfortable in their tank to breed. I think I have done a good job, and my tank is only 18" so it's a small one, but they still had young. I have to upgrade now to a larger tank when they get a bit bigger. I never saw any eggs just babbies. I won't sell them, they are my grandkids. If you like, I made it possible, so give it a go.
2008-06-18 |
| I have a leapord pleco that I have had for a few weeks and it is starting to lose its color. Its scales are starting to dim and turn grey. If you know anything about what may be wrong please contact me at xrepthecladdaghx@aol.com.
2008-05-29 |
| Some of the coolest comments: |
| If you want a fast growing pleco, every now and then chuck a slice of zucchini into the tank. just microwave it in some water for 30 sec - 1 min, just to soften it, let cool.
A generally yummy treat for most loaches and catfish i have owned 2006-04-02 |
| The common pleco displays sexual differences in males by small barbels that grow around the mouth when they are mature, females have larger stomachs. As many of you have found, they can grow quite large, leading to good resale value. I have a clown knifefish, an arowana, two young plecs and a rainbow shark. All are carnivorous, but leave the 3" plecos alone.
2004-03-26 |
| Comments Dr Jungle REALLY Likes to Hear! |
| I have 3 Sailfin pleco's, a Albino and a Chocolate Pleco (so i call it). I have them in two seperate tanks, one 4ft and one 6ft. They are the main attraction in my tanks and are normally well behaved. They do like there own space but argue when they have algae pellets and Zuchini. They get along with my Ghostknife's and Bristenose too. Sometimes come up for gulps of air for what reason i dont know but they seem to be happy. Found they do grow very fast and love to hide when i have visitors! Other than that, i will always have Pleco's in my tanks, just a pity you cant breed them (well easily anyway).
Thanks for the info on this site too it was a great help!
2007-01-17 |
| These fish are great and so is this site. I just love this awesome site. My one is about 6 inches. Oh yeah your sites the best fish site 2005-11-20 |
| I have these two plecostomus and they seem pretty cool to keep. And your site is great. 2004-04-21 |
Author: David Brough. CFS.
[Pet Cats!] [Pet Dogs!][Pet Birds] [Small Animals] [Reptiles] [Cute Pets] [References]
[Team] [Pet Links] [Pet Supplies] [Care Sheets] [About Animal-World] [Site Map]
[Privacy Policy] [Recommended Pet Books]
[Cat Care] [Dog Care] [Fish Care] [Bird Care] [Reptile Care] [Reptile Information]
[Bird Information] [Types of Pets] [Types of Dogs] [Types of Cats] [Pictures of Pets]
[Pictures of Animal] [Exotic Pets] [Gold Fish Care] [Fresh Water Fish Care]
[Salt Water Fish Care] [Tropical Fish Care]
 |
