Is a 55 gallon sufficient size for a pleco?

[ttt0649]

I have a common pleco and hes about 9 inch right now. I was wondering if my 55 gallon was big enough for him?

I believe the tank is about 48 inch long and 14 inch wide.

 

[bigspizz]

They get 20+"......

 

[Mystix212]

A 6ftx2ft footprint is a nice fit. Your plec grows much wider then your tank.

 

[davo]

Depends what species common it is... What's the footprint of a 55g? Odds are it will be too small though.

 

[dexman1349]

The footprint of a 55 is 4' by 1'. Pleco's (depending on the exact type of common) can get well over 20".

Short term it may be ok, but he will probably need something bigger.

 

[davo]

In that case event the smallest species of "common" it will be too small, and as said some of the Pterygoplitchthys will be double the width of the tank in size.

 

[Summer]

There are many plecos that would fare well in a 55. My suggestion would be 3 or 4 bushy nose (ancistrus).

 

[WyldFya]

In that case event the smallest species of "common" it will be too small, and as said some of the Pterygoplitchthys will be double the width of the tank in size.

There are some Pterygoplichthys that can live in a 55 for life, but they are not common. The are generally listed as a "common pleco" though. A 55 gallon is 48x13x20.

 

[davo]

There are some Pterygoplichthys that can live in a 55 for life, but they are not common. The are generally listed as a "common pleco" though. A 55 gallon is 48x13x20.

punctatus is about the only one I can think of. I've never called scrophus a common, as it has other common names, not sure if I've seen parnaibae before, and the rest I wouldn't put in a 1ft wide tank, as they all get at least a foot, the most of the commonly sold Pterygoplichthys or Pterygoplichthys hybrids exceed the 12" mark some by quite a distance, with the exception of maybe joselimaianus (12"), if it is to be called a "common". Some people are ok if the tank width is the same size as the total fish length, personally I'm not a fan of that and therefore don't encourage it.

 

[Ianab]

Do you have a photo of your Pleco?

There are at least 5 different fish all sold as 'Commons'

Knowing which one will help gauge how big it might get.

But chances are you will need a bigger tank sometime in the future. A wider but shallower than normal tank works better for plecos. 2 ft wide x 18" deep gives a pleco more space than 18" wide x 2ft deep. Same water volume but more floor space. A shallower tank can often safely use thinner glass too, this reduces the cost. Just a thought if you are getting a tank built to suit.

Cheers

Ian