What is He?

[Cherub]

I will admit I know next to nothing about fish and relied on the local store for knowledge. This guy was sold to me as an alge eater and was told not to clean my glass as he would do it all. Since he isn't and I'm having trouble even scrubbing what is on my glass off I'm thinking that I need some more info on him.

From nose to tip of tail he is almost 15 inches.

He doesn't bother the other fish in the tank

He doesn't like the other fish touching him.

The tank is 36x12x18 well that is the water measurement anyway

I'm not sure of the water temp as I need a new thermometer

Any info or help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Cherub]

Here's a photo.

 

[AG458]

Looks like a common pleco. You got a pretty big one, judging by the 15 inch size. They are known to clean algae, although I've never had experience with one doing so. I currently have a common pleco smaller than yours, and he likes resting on the roofs of the caves in my tank throughout the day. I think they max out at around 24". My current water temp is around 80 degrees and he's doing fine. Just a warning: I've been told that they are waste machines, so I'd watch how clean your substrate is. I also read that they like to suck on the slime coat of certain fish; what does your current stock contain?

 

[Cherub]

He is a huge poop machine and my youngest son loves watching him do it. I clean the substrate?(rocks at the bottom) a couple time a week with a siphon. For stock there is 8 tetras, 3 krazinkis(sp) another fish that looks like him but is only 2 inches long, another silver algae eater, and a yellow one that hides out in a cave that looks like the lorax.

So if hes a pleco I can follow the feeding advice for them with out any problems? How active are they suppose to be? This guy just kinda lounges around and sometime he gets in a mood and moves everything around the tank to suit him and pulls out all the plastic plants.

 

[moe214]

Needs a bigger tank.

 

[Cherub]

How big of a tank should I make for him?

 

[AG458]

Mine just hides basically all day, unless one of my fish kicks him out! Mine is the least active fish in my tank, so don't worry about anything like that. I don't feed him in particular, but he's still surviving, even though I feed my other fish individually. He doesn't bother moving anything in my tank (mostly because he can't).

 

[moe214]

I'd recommend atleast a standard 120. 4x2. Footprint matters more than height.

 

[Chicxulub]

Dassa big ol' plec.

Moved to plecos.

 

[Warborg]

Looks like an aged Sailfin. The owner(lfs) should be ashamed selling him to you. He's too big for your tank. They tend not to clean algae when bigger. As long as he is well fed, he will leave the other fish alone(other then hiding spots).

Edit: just noticed the posted date.