Should I get rid of my common pleco?

[kaurushin]

I got a common pleco that seems to be doing okay in my tank but judging from other posts I have seen, it's not the brightest idea to keep them because they get big and they dont really eat algae as much as one would think. I already have a bulldog pleco, so... should I just stick with the bulldog I have and return the common to the store?

 

[jetajockey]

I would, if you don't foresee yourself getting a proper size tank for it. (assuming it isn't in a huge tank already)

I've never kept bulldog pleco, can't comment on that one. I stick with ancistrus.

 

[kaurushin]

Ancistrus? Well I knew it would get pretty big, but when I get fish I want them to live as long as possible even if they dont end up living as long as I anticipated. I found out that the pleco would get bigger than my goldfish and be like a mini shark practically so I really dont want that but I dont want the other pleco to be on its own

 

[oo7genie]

Yeah, if you know your tank is too small, better to get rid of it now than later. Trying to get rid of a larger pleco can be difficult.

And ancistrus are commonly known as bristlenose plecos, in case you were wondering.

I've got one Ancistrus, one Bulldog, and one Clown Pleco. One in each of my main tanks. All of which are plecos that only get to be around 4" or so.

I highly recommend the Ancistrus over the others, simply because I never see the others. They add to my tanks bio-load, and that's about all they do. Besides, the bristles on ancistrus are just awesome, lol

Many plecos prefer to be alone, and will chase others away when they see them. I'm not sure if this is the case with bulldogs as I've only ever kept one pleco to a tank, but I'd do a little reading on it before assuming it wants a similar species friend.

 

[Wycco]

Bulldogs can get pretty territorial as they age- not just to other plecos but to other bottom dwellers in particular... ESPECIALLY at feeding time. Mine spends more time chasing the (pangio) loaches and cories away then she does eating.

Bulldogs are pretty tame as far as plecos go though- so they're nice in that they're actually out and about in the tank during the day and don't shy away if you need to do tank maintenance.

 

[ValorG]

Drop that thing like a bad habit.

 

[TabisFish]

^^hahaha

 

[excuzzzeme]

I have what you might call a "common", real name is pterygoplichthys disjunctivus. He is currently about 14 inches. Because they are plentiful, most LFS carry them as a common. They prefer to be a single bottom feeder fish in the tank and will fight with others that look similar. The smallest tank you could keep one in is a 48"x18+", heavily filtered. They get too large for anything less than a 75. It is true that the older they get, the less algae they eat. Mine prefers the catfish pellets or the Pellets I feed the Oscars with.

Unless you can meet those conditions, you are better off returning it.