View Full Version : Do you think that my tank is over stocked?
EricaBernice
09-04-2007, 11:50 PM
29 Gallon with:
2 Yellow Labidochromis caeruleus
1 Blue Labidochromis caeruleus
1 Moonlight Gourami
1 Common Pleco
1 Starfire Red Glofish
4 Albino African Clawed Frogs
Is my tank over stocked?
DLV082
09-05-2007, 1:21 AM
Yes, the common pleco by itself grows to 24".
EricaBernice
09-05-2007, 4:50 AM
How long does it take to get that long? My friend has had one for 3 years and keeps bragging about how it's going to get huge and it's been about 6 inches for the past 2 years.
I don't know what the growth rate of a common plec is but they get extremely big and can suffer stunting from tanks which are too small.
You also need to consider whether your stocking is appropriate. The labs are far too much aggression for the gourami.
Sploke
09-05-2007, 9:31 AM
Plecos can grow decently fast in good water conditions. I had one that went fromabout 3" to 10" in 3-4 years. If that fish is not growing its probably being stunted.
AndiPants
09-05-2007, 10:53 PM
Plecos can grow decently fast in good water conditions. I had one that went fromabout 3" to 10" in 3-4 years. If that fish is not growing its probably being stunted.
:iagree: I got a pleco 1" and in the matter of 4 years he was over 12" long, one of the nicest fish I have ever had though. But I had problems with another pleco who had only grown 7", but he always threw his weight around and would squish and kill my other fish (I don't think intentionally, just a wrong place at the wrong time senario). Plecos really need to be in a larger tank.
jpappy789
09-05-2007, 11:03 PM
I'm guessing that the glo-fish is actually a zebra danio...if so they are schoolers are need groups
EricaBernice
09-06-2007, 3:51 AM
Yup. It is a zebra danio. I was planning to get more, but I was worried that my tank was already over stocked. I guess I'll get a bigger tank before I get them. I'll leave the gourami and danios in the 29 gallon tank and put the pleco and cichlids in the bigger tank. How big a tank do you think I should get for the pleco?
khombre
09-06-2007, 6:07 AM
How big a tank do you think I should get for the pleco?
Biggest one you can get. A pond would be nice. Common plecos in one of the rivers here grow to somewhere in between 2ft - 3ft. :)
Carp37
09-06-2007, 7:51 AM
The biggest problem with "common plecos" is knowing which species they are- if it's Hypostomus plecostomus or similar they do tend to stay at 7-10"; if its the almost identical-looking Liposarchus they get to 2 feet long. As nearly all the small (juvenile) "common plecos" sold are from fish ponds from the Far East it's almost impossible for hobbyists to tell them apart.
Star_Rider
09-06-2007, 5:22 PM
The biggest problem with "common plecos" is knowing which species they are- if it's Hypostomus plecostomus or similar they do tend to stay at 7-10"; if its the almost identical-looking Liposarchus they get to 2 feet long. As nearly all the small (juvenile) "common plecos" sold are from fish ponds from the Far East it's almost impossible for hobbyists to tell them apart.
:iagree: :iagree:
wow I am impressed..most folks don't relaize that 'common' is a casual , tossed about term. re: suckermouth catfish.
yes you should determin the species..if that's not possible thn start looking for a really big tank..
I have seen full sizes 2' plecos in a 150..it was wayyy too small for that fish