Tank size for common pleco?

[FreakIndeed]

I must have a weird pleco then. Mine swims around a lot during the day. Back and forth across the tank. Up and down. Sometimes he'll just swim to the top real fast and hit the surface, then gracefully swim away. He actively eats when the lights are on. Goes right to the center of the tank and battles for the pellets I put in for all the other fish. Heck, he's probably more active than my Jack Dempsey!

 

[bettagurl]

Well seeing as a pleco can get half the size of a 55 gallon, and it would get stunted in a 55g, a 55g is too small. plus 55s are only 12"-13" wide.
The bare minimum I'd say for a pleco would be a 90 gal, I'm not sure how wide it is, but whatever tank you have it in should be at least 22" wide.
I'd make an indoor pond for one, about 1' - 1' 1/2 deep and 6' x 6'.

 

[shoreliner]

do you think it would be hard on the pleco to start him out in a smallish community tank and move him to larger tanks as he grows? I have a small one in a 29g community tank, but was planning to get a 75 or 125 in the next year or so. Any reason that won't be ok?

 

[Star_Rider]

Many people do just that..start small and get larger tanks.
the only issue I see, is determining what the growth rate is for the fish.

I've seen fish grow pretty fast in the right environment..and in the wrong environment of course stunting.

I would expect that if you start a common (one of the larger ones as this group encompasses many 'common' pleco) say in a 55 then expect to move to a larger tank in 6months to 1 year. you would be okay. I would be hesitant to start a 'common' pleco in anything smaller.

 

[Mgamer20o0]

14" long one in a 55 hex for years.

doesnt sound good.... as they get over 2 feet long.

 

[DeputyChiefJR]

Man, what do people do with a 2 ft long dead fish when the time comes....?

 

[Mgamer20o0]

bbq

 

[davexstumpe]

i was gonna say 10 gallon? :raspberry:

 

[friends_forever]

You are going to need a 125 gal. tank to hold a full size common pleco. Ouch. At full lenth common plecos can grow up to two to three feet. Any smaller tank won't cut it, even if they are inactive because big fish do their *ahem, business* big. The ammonia (and other junk) build up will kill your fish in a small tank.