View Full Version : Sexing question Pleco
Vicentismybetta
10-26-2009, 4:23 PM
I was wondering if anyone could help me sex my leopard sailfin pleco? At the end of the school year I will be moving and I will be putting this fish with what we were told is a male of the same spieces. I want to know if there would be any problems putting them in the same thank as the tank is a 55-75 gal and I only have a 30 and my pleco will be close to out growning my tank by then.
To the best of my knowledge there is no sure way to sex a Sailfin pleco or Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps. They dont get along they become territorial with eachother also putting a male n female together wont solve nothing. They need a pond with a mud bank to hook up. How big are both gibbiceps?
Vicentismybetta
11-01-2009, 4:35 PM
Mine is about 3 in. now and the other is over 5 in at my parents house.
Oh there both small. Do be aware that they will need a bigger tank as they get up 18" in length
Vicentismybetta
11-01-2009, 9:55 PM
The biggest one has been that size for almost a year now Are you sure he'll get bigger?
pinkertd
11-02-2009, 10:10 AM
They'll get a lot bigger than they are now.
clayt101
11-02-2009, 10:55 AM
The biggest one has been that size for almost a year now Are you sure he'll get bigger?
Is it being fed? They don't just eat algae. You need to feed them. Algae wafers work well.
Vicentismybetta
11-02-2009, 2:07 PM
Of course he is being fed. my parents give him at least 1 algae waffer a day and this Pleco has actually been 5 inchs long for about a year and a half. I was corrected by my mom. I would really like to know if there would be problems with putting the 2 together.
Putting them together is a no no due to there territorial nature. Gibbiceps will chase each other and bite eachother. They do get really nasty sometimes. Keep them seperate. How often are water changes done. Sometimes if there arent enough WC or food provided they will stay small. Algea wafers shouldnt be the only thing fed to these pleco's they would really benefit from some zuchini.
Vicentismybetta
12-18-2009, 9:46 PM
Ok I have a diffrent question that has nothing to do with sexing. My pleco refuses to eat any of the algea waffers that i put in the tank and will only eat the live algea that I put ing the tank from another tank that has an abundance of it. Even with this tank having an abundance, it never has enough for me to put a diffrent rock in each day. Should I be worried? has anyone else had this problem? what can I do?:help2:
sorberj
12-22-2009, 3:56 PM
It may be that it is already well fed. My experience is that plecos will generally only switch food types if the other source dries up for a while. Try withholding the algea rocks for three or four days and see if it goes for the tabs. Additionally, mine loves to have its diet supplemented with Broccoli florettes (came in handy when my labrador retriever also gained a taste for the algae tabs). He'll actually sit on top of it and protect it from my two Pearl Gouramis that also have developed a taste for frozen Broccoli.
Vicentismybetta
01-23-2010, 3:10 PM
Cool thanks alot. i'll try that!