so how do you guys get your pleco to get massive ? I have one in my 140g tank here don't know his species but he is black and beigeish colour with patterns everywere ... there is no algea in my tank so ive been feeding omega one veggie rounds the last few days here... should I feed them all the time or should I switch to something else when there all gone ?
how to grow a monster pleco ?
- Thread starter rob1984
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years, would take years... I mean that Jurassic looking monster pleco that takes up some feet and huge girth? years...
ya ive seen some guys there like the size of a 1litre pop bottle andlike 12-18" how do you get em that size ? and it really takes years for em to get that big ?
Plecos generally are very slow growers compared to the growth rate of many other fish. And yes, plecos should be fed other than just tank algae. Depending on what species of pleco it is depends on what it should be fed. Many need a vegetarian diet. But some are carnivorous. And just as an example, the pleco I have now I bought at about 8". I've had him about 4 years. He's 13" now. And also, depending on the species, not all plecos will ever reach that size. If you can post a pic, people here can most likely give you more detailed info on your specific pleco.
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here is a pic of the pleco I have if anyone can help to ID him and shed some light on this now....
what you want to do is to start out with a sp pleco that atleast has the potential of becoming a monster.. regular plecs can grow quite large.. maybe 20"-2' but they just don't get the girth of the big panaques..
so, step one.. find one of the larger sp panaque (or adonis) or something of your choice..
step 2.. find out everything you need to know about said fish.. were it lives, what it eats, what kind of ph and then you replicate that..
step 3.. patience.. and lots of it.. it's not like an rtc or an aro..
I'm just discovering plecs after 7 years in this hobby and what you need to do is to really treat them as price fish.. they will maybe sustain life on scraps and tank algae but to thrive they need veggies and dying plant matter and some wood to clean etc..
so, step one.. find one of the larger sp panaque (or adonis) or something of your choice..
step 2.. find out everything you need to know about said fish.. were it lives, what it eats, what kind of ph and then you replicate that..
step 3.. patience.. and lots of it.. it's not like an rtc or an aro..
I'm just discovering plecs after 7 years in this hobby and what you need to do is to really treat them as price fish.. they will maybe sustain life on scraps and tank algae but to thrive they need veggies and dying plant matter and some wood to clean etc..
^ hit the nail on the head. Knowing what species you've got is a good start too.
Growing any fish to it's maximum potential is as simple as understanding its requirements and doing your best to meet them. And with plecs (especially Panaques) patience is a virtue too. Two important things I've learned about growing out plecs has been to keep a group of them so you can feed plenty and get a bit of natural competition happening, and provide them with plenty of space. Don't piss about with "grow out" tanks, chuck a bunch of young fish straight into a 150g+ tank, keep the water warm and clean, feed them well and they'll reward you with good growth.
Here's 13 months growth on one of my L190, and that was in an over-stocked 400L tank, I'm hoping they really take off now they have 2000L!
13 months later, 6cm to ~20cm
Growing any fish to it's maximum potential is as simple as understanding its requirements and doing your best to meet them. And with plecs (especially Panaques) patience is a virtue too. Two important things I've learned about growing out plecs has been to keep a group of them so you can feed plenty and get a bit of natural competition happening, and provide them with plenty of space. Don't piss about with "grow out" tanks, chuck a bunch of young fish straight into a 150g+ tank, keep the water warm and clean, feed them well and they'll reward you with good growth.
Here's 13 months growth on one of my L190, and that was in an over-stocked 400L tank, I'm hoping they really take off now they have 2000L!
13 months later, 6cm to ~20cm
Do I just have a reg pleco here ? And is his growth rate slow or ? I have warm water, he goes nuts when I throw veggies rounds in, and do large water changes and etc he has some wood and fake plants and such he can eat/suck on
You have a Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (aka as a common (1 of 3 kinds of commons)). They can reach over 20 inches. I had one that was 19.5 inches.
http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=703
What I did to make mine big was lots of water changes, lots of feeding, and lots of room.
I fed my commons shrimps pellets and a weekend pellet(s)(look like a brown log), I believe it was made by tetra but haven't used or seen it in a long time.
http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=703
What I did to make mine big was lots of water changes, lots of feeding, and lots of room.
I fed my commons shrimps pellets and a weekend pellet(s)(look like a brown log), I believe it was made by tetra but haven't used or seen it in a long time.
Warborg, could you post a pic of that pleco you're saying? I assume it's your avatar right?