New Pleco! RHINO!:)?

[TheFishBoss97]

Hmmmm the spotting on the dorsal fin make me feel like its a gibbiceps rather then a rhino. The molted colors its displaying would be easily explained by the fact that when frightened it shows more of a molted pattern look similiar to a rhino. Rhino's have no spots from what ive seen and experienced. Either way though it is a nice looking specimen. Give it time to calm down then take pics so we could see it's normal calm coloration versus a stress coloration.

I'm gonna search up gibbiceps........

Yeah, i will take some more pics for you guys, not now, because I turned off the lights, and yes, it did change color, before I turned off the lights, it didn't have those spots and looked more like rhino skin which I assume is what it is supposed to look like?

Ya, 10-11", not 5 like the lfs said. Don't need wood like Panaques, but does need some veggies in the diet along with meatier foods. Or just feed it NLS pellets, they're good for any species of pleco IME.

I feed all my plecos zucchini, other veggies, and algae wafers, never tried NLS pellets? Maybe next time I run out of my wafers

i hope you have an 18 inch tank sitting around i saw these at my LFS, they get bigger than 5 inches...

? 18" tank? idk....what you mean
lol

 

[TheFishBoss97]

looks kinda like these when i checked before turning off the lights

http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Catfis497.jpg

and

http://www.aquaticrepublic.com/images/full/loricariidae/pterygoplichthys/scrophus/7.jpg


Searched up gibbyceps

and I know it as(thx to my LFS) a rock pleco lol

well, my LFS has weird names, some of which I don't know how, like blue pearl shrimp are sold as blueberry shrimp, and Black Crystal Shrimps are sold as Black Pearl Shrimps, and Green Bab. are sold as Algae shrimps

 

[allaboutfish]

I'm gonna search up gibbiceps........

Yeah, i will take some more pics for you guys, not now, because I turned off the lights, and yes, it did change color, before I turned off the lights, it didn't have those spots and looked more like rhino skin which I assume is what it is supposed to look like?



I feed all my plecos zucchini, other veggies, and algae wafers, never tried NLS pellets? Maybe next time I run out of my wafers



? 18" tank? idk....what you mean
lol

18in wide

 

[TheFishBoss97]

oh, yeah, my 72G is....18" at the deepest point......and 14" at shallowest in terms of width

 

[TheFishBoss97]

My dad and I are looking at a few tanks at my LFS..........the 200G was sold So all that is left is a super tall 350G tank(NO), a few 150Gs, 125Gs, and lots of 90Gs..........I think I am leaning towards something 6ft and so is my dad........

 

[sora1600]

I think a big tank is great if it ends up being a rhino but I would think the problem would be your current stock. I doubt your bottom dwellers are going to be compatible with the pleco once it reaches a certain size.

 

[GEV83]

Looking closer to your pic and it does look like a rhino with exception to those spots but I did find one picture of a rhino with black spots on its dorsal fin which I found pretty interesting. I currently own a rhino and they are nice pleco's. They are not such bully's like there bigger cousins the gibbiceps. These are mainly veggy eating pleco's so don't give to much protein. Also driftwood is extremely beneficial for the Pterygoplichthys family. Mine love it.

With regards to your tankmates I think you should watch out with your snails. I have seen pleco's eat Mystery Snails buy sucking on there openings and forcing them out. The shrimps will be fine though. They tend to be to fast and small for the pleco's to worry about or to try to consider them dinner.

The current 72 gallon will be good for your Rhino without needing an upgrade. They get big but not overly active so they do fine in that size tank. A 125gallon of course would be better but isnt really needed. I got mine in a 135gallon but he shares his home with various other pleco's.

 

[TheFishBoss97]

I think a big tank is great if it ends up being a rhino but I would think the problem would be your current stock. I doubt your bottom dwellers are going to be compatible with the pleco once it reaches a certain size.

yeah, I will see, I might just upgrade and leave the 72 as is. But either way I will still keep the 72g and have it running so I can leave the other bottom dwellers in there and make the larger one a cichlid tank? I would really like to get a large cichlid tank with a nice rockscape. Well, here in SJ, I can easily find used-new tanks ranging from 90Gs to 150Gs for $75-$200........so I think that isn't an issue. Well, I assume I have at least 1/2 a year before the rhino is large enough to require a new tank? considering plecos grow quite slowly, and this one is only around 3" or so.....

 

[TheFishBoss97]

Looking closer to your pic and it does look like a rhino with exception to those spots but I did find one picture of a rhino with black spots on its dorsal fin which I found pretty interesting. I currently own a rhino and they are nice pleco's. They are not such bully's like there bigger cousins the gibbiceps. These are mainly veggy eating pleco's so don't give to much protein. Also driftwood is extremely beneficial for the Pterygoplichthys family. Mine love it.

With regards to your tankmates I think you should watch out with your snails. I have seen pleco's eat Mystery Snails buy sucking on there openings and forcing them out. The shrimps will be fine though. They tend to be to fast and small for the pleco's to worry about or to try to consider them dinner.

The current 72 gallon will be good for your Rhino without needing an upgrade. They get big but not overly active so they do fine in that size tank. A 125gallon of course would be better but isnt really needed. I got mine in a 135gallon but he shares his home with various other pleco's.

thanks Yeah, I think all plecos like DW whether its for their teeth, or hiding;0

Yeah, I think I will maybe move the snails to a diff. tank or leave them permanently in the QT......

Currently, as of 10 min ago, the rhino only has spots on its tail, which there are only 2 of, and are patterned like rhino skin. I only feed wafers and other processed fish foods when I am on vacation, or come home late, etc. So my plecos get around 3-5 slices of fruits/veggies a week.............


I think a bigger tank would be better as I am sure the rhino will uproot plants and I don't want that as the 72G is a planted tank. Would they do fine with cichlids? I think so, but I'm not sure, as the only pleco I have had was a common pleco I got at around 3" which grew to around 12" until I jumped out of my 72G the 1st month it was setup when I was in Hawaii, it knocked the glass cover off(which broke) and then jumped, idk why though as it had never before when it was in a 20G.

Camera battery is charging right now, so pics probably in a few hours? there are a few ppl coming over to my house to check the electrical, something is really screwed up

my dad and i chekced the house wattage, and it shows total 600 watts, but the PG&E SMART(not) meter shows 1100 watts

lol

 

[TheFishBoss97]

for some reason, my rhino is sucking on my rock(very jagged and rough), not sharp, but very rough, like a dead coral................. is that okay, or should i remove in case he /she harms itself?