Sailfin Gibbiceps Pleco
- Thread starter JEAE21
- Start date
JEAE21;1142016; said:
they might be in the monster pleco thread, and I think someone on here that bred them had several old 2 footers. Most don't get as big because they are stunted or poorly looked after. If your gibby is even close to 12" fully grown you have a severely stunted/deformed fish. Even 18 is on the smaller side. I take it we are talking about the same species P. gibbiceps right lol... you gotta check sometimes lol.
My bristlenoses regulary fight when in close proximity to achother, usually 3-4" or less. They usually erect thier side stabbers and try to swing at them, as if to literally stab them. The worst that has ever come from this is a little scratch and severe fin splits. Usually the standard fight has fin splits, but they heal within days.
As most plecs get bigger (8"+), they should be feed a more high protien diet. Many commons, sailfins, gibbi's, panaques, adonis, titanic etc all all meaty foods when large.
As most plecs get bigger (8"+), they should be feed a more high protien diet. Many commons, sailfins, gibbi's, panaques, adonis, titanic etc all all meaty foods when large.
free choice on veggies and a few shrimp pellets every day or a piece of fresh shrimp once a week works well. larger ones that have learned to eat at the top will eat freeze-dried shrimp by pinning it to the side of the tank.
davo;1142123; said:
How do you know that?
Fishbase.org 19"
Scotcat.com 16"
Planetcatfish.com 17.7"
I don't want to sound like an arse or a know it all but I don't think telling people an 18" gibby is small is a claim you can make without backing it up.
It's fine I don't mind explaining.sandtiger;1146162; said:
scotcat I can't say anything for.
But I'll give you a short story. Fishbase gave Hemiancistrus subviridis a max size of something like 6" (15cm). Planetcatfish is posted at 7.5". Now odd that Wyldfya ended up with a specimen at around 11", a third of the size longer. I don't know if you know Shane but he's the one putting up the info on planetcatfish. People are busy and things haven't been updated the information is very old. Here is a link to shanes own words that the largest specimen he collected was 28cm http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13059&highlight=l200+size
Even DATZ labels the fish to growing a bit less than that.
I also wonder if it was the time-knowledge factor that has led to this or whether the fact that it is the fish farms that are "mass producing" these fish that seem to max out a few inches shorter, I don't know but I'd imagine it to be the previous. Another maybe is that people aren't talking about the TL when they say 18-19" and are talking about SL (I know planetcatfish uses SL in their sizes, and most people get their info from this site when it comes to Loricariidae), and so this is the most probable of all my hypothesis.
Ahwell I have two so in a few years time I'll hopefully be able to show you myself, the biggest I've had in the past - 20"
Either way, as in your original statement of 12-18" if you have a P. gibbiceps that maxes out at 12" then it has a serious problem.
OK saying 18" is small might be a bit wrong but if you have anything under that I'd be worrying when they can attain quite a few inches over that.
Hope this helps?
