How long does it take to stunt a juvinalie pleco?

[madmisha]

Hello catfish people

My name is michael,im new to this forum,and a catfish lover.especially Loricardaes.
as a matter of fact,ive got a collection....L200,L128,L46,L47,L114,190,191,333,257,231 and more.....all of them are still very young,less then 10cm/3.5 inches in size....and the problem is,as of now they share a 67gal/250 liter tank.
within the upcoming half an year im supposed to be moving to a larger home,and plan to set up a tank about 200-250 gallon large. i was wondering if those all my beautiful cats could be all well in a 67 gallon tank for half an year without damage to their growth?
the tank is planted and is housing some tetras and 4 fully grown discus...2 20% water changes a week.
theres a bunch of driftwood for them to graze,with a cucumber here and there,and JBL pleco tabs.

also,another question? is it normal for an L47 to have a darker colored belly?had him for about 4 weeks now...didnt pay attention to it when buying him...he doesnt seem to graze on driftwood or cucumber often but right after im feeding my other fish TetraBits he usually goes on the lookout for any food left in the gravel.....ill try to get some pictures later

[Richard B]

Hi Michael

Welcome to PC

Sounds like the tank is vastly overstocked (with bottom feeders) currently along with species that will interbreed (L333 & L046) & directly outcompete some others, & close to maximum stocking in total, without room for growth. Each 3.5" pleco really needs a minimum of a square foot of substrate for territory to avoid aggression & disputes as they mature. 6 medium sized plecos is the maximum number I'd recommend for a 43x17" if that is the size you have. L46 can easily be outcompeted by the more aggressive plecos like L114. Another thing is specific dietary requirements - the Hyps like a more meaty diet than the 'royals' which need more veg & wood.

I'd get a second tank asap - what is the current footprint? 250 L is about 43x17"? Do you have a photo?

[pleconut]

I'd go along with what's been said, but I would in agreement add, that I think they need separating into groups across various tanks. Those with different dietry requirements, would do better in separate tanks. The ones that can hybridise, need separate tanks. Then there's the ones that are more aggressive potentially, either when it comes to feeding or otherwise, that grow large in size like the L114, needing separate tanks. They definitely can't all be kept in one tank, without some problems arising, no matter how big that tank is, for the long term

[smitty]

Well you are not going to hurt their growth by keeping them in a 67 gallon tank as long as you keep them a great water conditions and they are fed well. However I would do 50% water changes 2 times a week.