Hi Planet Catfish, I've been told you are just the people I need to speak to, I've inherited/rescued a 25cm 5year old pleco and although I'm pretty sure Biggy is a Common Pleco their size doesn't seem large enough after 5 years...however poor quality water conditions for those 5 years may have stunted it's growth. Really I need to know as if he gets any bigger I'm going to need a much bigger tank as I've only got a 22gal tank at the moment and he's almost ruining my water at the moment with the waste he's producing.
http://www.thinkfish.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4735
Many thanks for your help!
James
Common confirmation!
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Richard B
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Re: Common confirmation!
it doesn't look like anything too unusual, but there are a few common pl*cs & i'm not an expert in these species.
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Bas Pels
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Re: Common confirmation!
It looks quite normal to me.
A few years back, I got 2 which might have been a bit small for their age too. I think it was the same species. Now, they are over 40 cm, so they were, likely, able to compensate the backlog. I had them in a 270 * 80 cm tank this while
A few years back, I got 2 which might have been a bit small for their age too. I think it was the same species. Now, they are over 40 cm, so they were, likely, able to compensate the backlog. I had them in a 270 * 80 cm tank this while
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andywoolloo
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Re: Common confirmation!
he is beautiful! How big is 20 cm?
Re: Common confirmation!
He (or she, not sure about that one yet either!) is a beauty, 20cm is about 8inches.
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MatsP
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Re: Common confirmation!
It's certainly (based on Dorsal Ray Count) a of some sort. The lack of size may be a result of keeping it in "suboptimal conditions", such as in a too small tank, not enough food [these things are EATING MACHINES]. It may get out of the stunting with good care, but I've also read about irreversible cases where the fish don't grow any further [or at least not much].
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Mats
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corydoras
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Re: Common confirmation!
Hi
I can echo Bas Pel's comments. A friend had a common plec which was bullied by a chinese algae eater (sucking loach in the UK) for several years and only stayed around 4 inches - 10cm.
It started to grow again once the loach was removed and went onto being alomost a foot in length. This was just in a standard UK 3ft tank which holds around 18 UK gallons.
Matt
I can echo Bas Pel's comments. A friend had a common plec which was bullied by a chinese algae eater (sucking loach in the UK) for several years and only stayed around 4 inches - 10cm.
It started to grow again once the loach was removed and went onto being alomost a foot in length. This was just in a standard UK 3ft tank which holds around 18 UK gallons.
Matt
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katmandu
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Re: Common confirmation!
Could be p.pardalis.I have seen dark black before.As we all know,it is all depands of water quality.
Nice one
Nice one
tank 1----5 x L 66,2 x L 134,5 x bristlenose,Satanoperca spieces
tank 2----1 x L 147,Cheatostoma,Geophagus Tapajos,Heros severus,bristlenose(pair)
tank 3---3 x N.brihardi
tank 2----1 x L 147,Cheatostoma,Geophagus Tapajos,Heros severus,bristlenose(pair)
tank 3---3 x N.brihardi
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Plecofanatic1989
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Re: Common confirmation!
100% Pterygoplichthys pardalis. Hes a beauty! I have a P. joselimaianus that stayed about 4" in a 20 High gallon tank yet I had another one that grew to over 6" in a 10 gallon. Needless to say the one in the 10 had to be moved to my 55 n has gone on to grow even more. Anyway beautiful pleco.
Josh
Josh
Re: Common confirmation!
Thanks all for your help with this, having looked at some picks I definitely agree Pterygoplichthys pardalis is the species, a nice black one which I hadn't seen many pictures of before. If he gets any bigger I'll have to find someone with a bigger tank or take him back to the shop, which would be a shame 
James
James