New Pleco

[pricey2k10]

1st post so here goes...

Bought a pleco last week for local pet shop, not sure what type of plec he is as there was no signs on the tank bout 1-2 1/2 inches long. Did the usual leave it in bag then slowly add him to tank, hes bin a bit quiet always sticking to the glass, Ive put a wafers in everyday bit doesn't seem interested. So i think I'l try putting one over night, its sharing a tank with 3 neon tetras, 5 male guppies and 1 albino corydora and the tanks a 33L.Theres a large ornament in the tank and a bubbling turtle as well but thinking theres may not be enough of shelter for it as from what iv read on other forum pages. Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated

I'l try and post a photo in the next day or 2 and let u know how i get on with the wafer overnight

[rich311k]

Welcome to AC! They are nocturnal and shy at first, keep feeding him at night and give him sometime. Chances are good you will need a bigger tank for him.

[pricey2k10]

thanks for the advice, well the plan is to get a 3ft tank in the next month or so its just finding where to put it haha, cause id like to get maybe just 1 more plec when i get the bigger tank cause i heard they can be quite territorial at times

[Northernguy]

Welcome to the Fabulous AC!:22:

Bristle nose are cool and so are rubberlip plecos and will not outgrow a 3ft tank.They are also very freindly.
If you have a common pleco then a 3ft tank is not large enough.You need a tank that is larger then 12" deep (front to back) for many plecos.
If your pleco is one of the large ones you should try and return it.If its a smaller one then great.
Is your tank cycled?

[Brhino]

yeah, if a pleco isn't marked in the store, it's almost guaranteed that it's a common pleco, which can get 12"-24" long. You need a very large tank to successfully keep a fish like that.

Anyhow, since he's not eating the wafers, try feeding him some fresh veggies, like cucumbers or zucchini (aka courgette)... but you need to think about if you're going to be able to get nice big tank to keep what will be turning into a nice big fish.

[pricey2k10]

I'l try and get a photo up when i can, yea I'l be moving them into a 3ft long tank once i get it. i checked the wafer this morning and it looks like hes been eating but this morning hes back on the side of the glass haha, the tank should be cycled cause i didn't put the 1st set of fish in for 2 weeks and the pleco & albino till a week after... thank you everyone for the help

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

I'm not quite sure you understand what "cycled" means. To cycle an aquarium means to have the nitrogen cycle established in your filtration system. This is a process that takes usually from 3-6 weeks and there must be a source of ammonia to get it started. If you didn't add any ammonia and cycle the tank in a fishless manner, then your nitrogen cycle did not even begin to establish until you added the first fish.

As the others mentioned, an unmarked pleco usually means "common pleco" and if that is the case, he will get to be a monster and will require more than a standard 3ft tank.

Welcome to the hobby and AC.

[pricey2k10]

Oh right i see, i think really i should of read up abit more before i got them then, i just saw what i wanted and piecked it out. There has started to have a build up of amonia on bottom of tank but still sticks to the glass in the day, how long would it take the average common pleco to grow to full size? would it be a matter of years or months?

[Bristley]

+1 on the comments from those above. Don't worry about having picked out what you liked/wanted first before you read anything. Almost everyone here has a similar story of how they first started into the fish keeping hobby (myself included).

Anyway, yes please post pictures, especially of the pleco you got. If you get a good side shot, one from the top of the fish, and one of its belly and mouth that will help to identify what type it is.

That being said it is most likely a common pleco like was mentioned above. A common really shouldn't be kept in anything smaller than a 75g (minimum IMO) but preferably 100g or larger. If you do indeed have a common pleco you should return it right away. If you have something like a bristlenose or rubberlip or other type of pleco that stays small then the 3ft would be fine.

Also, in my signature below are links to a couple things that you should read up on if you haven't already. One is the ebook which is extremely helpful and gives a good base of information from which to start from. The other two deal with cycling. For the situation you have at present you should read the one on cycling with fish.

I hope this helps and welcome to the AC, we're glad to have you aboard. thumbs2:

[pricey2k10]

+1 on the comments from those above. Don't worry about having picked out what you liked/wanted first before you read anything. Almost everyone here has a similar story of how they first started into the fish keeping hobby (myself included).

Anyway, yes please post pictures, especially of the pleco you got. If you get a good side shot, one from the top of the fish, and one of its belly and mouth that will help to identify what type it is.

That being said it is most likely a common pleco like was mentioned above. A common really shouldn't be kept in anything smaller than a 75g (minimum IMO) but preferably 100g or larger. If you do indeed have a common pleco you should return it right away. If you have something like a bristlenose or rubberlip or other type of pleco that stays small then the 3ft would be fine.

Also, in my signature below are links to a couple things that you should read up on if you haven't already. One is the ebook which is extremely helpful and gives a good base of information from which to start from. The other two deal with cycling. For the situation you have at present you should read the one on cycling with fish.

I hope this helps and welcome to the AC, we're glad to have you aboard. thumbs2:

thank you, that'l be a massive help

[annageckos]

Your tank is too small for the fish you have. It is best to upgrade it ASAP. Like everyone else stated, a common pleco will get way too big for even a 3ft tank, and is best to return it. They also produce a lot of waste. And it sounds as if your tank is not cycled. The fish you do have, 3 neon tetras, 5 male guppies and 1 albino corydora need to be in school. Well, the neons and the cory do anyway. Both are schooling fish and I would never keep less then six per species. I would suggest you get a test kit to test your water parameters. Get a liquid kit like API or tetra brand. You need to find out where in the cycle you are and how much ammonia (toxic) and nitrites (also toxic) have built up in the tank. You should be doing a few water changes a week untill the tank is fully cycled.