95 gallon tank
- Thread starter Naomisos
- Start date
150 cm is roughly equivalent to 5 feet, or 60 inches. 50 cm is roughly 20 inches. So your tank is approximately 60" x 20" x 20" in U.S. measurement, for anybody else who doesn't normally think in terms of the metric system.
Your silver dollars are Metynnis argenteus. They'll get 15-18 cm in diameter, so they should be able to live their lives out in that tank, though a larger tank is always better. I would suggest adding two to four more, as they will be more comfortable in a school.
I didn't see you mention what species of loach. Quite a few species will do alright in that size tank for their entire life. But, like FishAddict said, if they're clown loaches you'll need to consider an eventual home. They'll reach a bare minimum of 25 cm, but you really need to expect most of them will reach 30 to 35 cm.
The pleco is the real wild card. Here in the U.S., most of the species sold as common plecos are of the genera Hypostomus and Pterygoplichthys, and will max out between 25 and 45 cm. A lot of these are bred in huge ponds in Asia and Florida, but not all. If the fish you have were wild-caught and imported, you run the risk of getting one of the truly huge species which can reach a meter in length. I recommend you do a search for huge plecos to get an idea what you could be in for, though it is fairly unlikely. Oh, and identifying "common" plecos is nearly impossible. After all my years in the hobby the best I can do is recognize a handful of regularly sold species which basically allows me to say what a "common" pleco is not.
WYite
I just saw your answer to my questions. The sailfin pleco is most likely Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus, which maxes out at about 35 cm, or Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps, which maxes out at about 50 cm. Like I said the common pleco is anybody's guess. Two of the easiest species sold as common plecos to identify are Pterygoplichthys pardalis and Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus. Both max out at about 40 cm, but if you take a look at both of these species you can see they have very distinctive patterning on the bellies and with a closer look have subtle patterns and distinctive scute shapes on the back. This is one of those deals that I was talking about where you can determine what your common pleco is not.
WYite
WYite
Not to steal the thread, but do you know the types that get to enormous sizes? (Just curious)They have some giants at a LFS , like 8- 10” across the head, they said they were “plecos” when I asked lol
That’s isn
My loaches are clowns
That’s insane! My mother had always plecos and they have never gotten that big. She had one who was approx 30cm and we considered him huge! I will have to consider what’s appropriate for them long term.
My loaches are clowns
It could have been, or just as likely it could have been one of the species that maxes out at around 12"/30 cm.
WYite
