Albino Pleco

[Ayrianth]

I bought an albino pleco when I set up my tank. In six weeks he's gone from about three inches to over six. How large can I expect him to get? He's in a 55 gallon tank.

Also, he spends most of his time inside a hollow piece of driftwood and seldom comes out except for feeding time. I'm not sure if this is normal or if it's an attempt to keep away from the cichlids that reside in the tank with him. They will on occasion harrass him when he's out and about but not often.

Thanks for you help.

[OrionGirl]

Is he kind of reddish tan, same shape as a common? Mine was labeled as a chocolate common. They get the same size as a common--up to 18 inches. Mine is about 12 inches right now. He swims all over when he thinks no one is watching, but hides under the wood pile the second he notices me.

[Ayrianth]

this is what he looks like (found this pic on the web... my guy is too shy to get a pic of)

http://basic1.easily.co.uk/01501B/058023/albino_plecostomus.jpg

[OrionGirl]

A bit paler than mine, but that's the common, all right. 18 inches at least. He'll start wanting more and more meaty foods, as well, though mine will still eat the veggies.

[Ayrianth]

What's best for him to eat? He's currently eating the pellets for the cichlids and brine shrimp. He's not much of an algae eater - that's what I thought he was supposed to be. I do see him sucking on the stuff in the tank but he's not out much. I'm thinking maybe he's out more at night when the other guys are sleeping and it's dark.

[OrionGirl]

Commons tend to eat algae when juveniles--less than 3-4 inches. As they age, they definitely prefer meatier fare. Most will still eat a bit of algae, but most tanks don't provide enough for them to live on. I feed Emerald Entree--it's a frozen food with a mix of worms, shrimp, and greens--and algae wafers, and fresh veggies. He eats them all quite happily. They also need some wood to munch on--this is the first fish I've owned that will make a noticable difference in the wood as he eats.

[inxs]

As Oriongirl mentioned , they love wood and depending on what kind of pleco it is will determine how much wood they eat.

They absolutley love zuccini and shrimp - to mention just a few foods they will eat. Basically the commons are omnivoirs . They do eat algae but not all kinds - for example they will not eat the hard green algae that coats your glass, they do however love the brown stuff.

For your pleco to reach 18" you would have to keep it in a very large tank or pond but they should reach 8-12" relativley quickly, after that I think it depends on the individual how much more they will grow.

[Ayrianth]

thanks for the replies. :)