Hypostomus punctatus in a 36"x12" tank?

[Plec123]

My bristlenose passed away a while ago, and now I only have a clown pleco, which I don't see often. I was wondering if a common pleco (Hypostomus punctatus) would work in my tank, even as just a temporary resident for a few months, or if it will just get too big.

This is my setup:
38 gallons (36"x12"x20"), AC110 filter
plants- crypts, anubias, jave fern
fish- Blue acara, clown pleco, several tetras, paradisefish, blue gourami, aluminum cat (Chrysichthys cf. nigrodigitatus)

 

[Warborg]

A Hypostomus punctatus is really not a 'common'. A H. punctatus would be better then a Hypostomus Plecostomus(the true common pleco).

But either one might hit the 12 inch mark(TL). They are a case by case situation.

A Warning: at 2 inches they are often mixed with Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus and Pterygoplichthys Pardalis and a little hard to tell apart.

Personally, I'd say go for it if you are sure you can get a H. punctatus.

 

[Plec123]

I should be able to differentiate between H. punctatus and either of the "common" Pterygoplichthys species.. Even at a small size the Hypostomus at my petsmart show a lighter background with dark spots, rather than the broken pattern shown by the sailfins and P. pardalis. But this is good news!
From what i've read, H. punctatus is more commonly imported than H. plecostomus so I'm pretty sure that's what my lfs gets.