Pleco.'s

[PEMfish]

They never go limp, its in the hard armor they are covered with ( like some insects ), except there belly. Witch is a why I ask the season. They like to hang on the glass at night and thats when the room temp is lower, making the glass cold. So how to warm up...? Well that hot bar dangling in the back is enviteing... ... OUCH! Hot! And sense there belly is unarmored they don`t like it exposed, ( Ummm, plecostumus )and the burn gets infected, . Good thing I`m a night person or I would never have seen him on the glass ( because there nocturnal And with the not showing there bellies ). He would have been a goner, witch would have been a shame, hes a real nice specimen.

[bigbratt]

I have a Pleco in our 135g now that is approx 18" and he eats pretty well anything the other fish eat...flake, pellets, shrimp pellets, he sort of lays on his back and just sucks it up at feeding time. I have 4 of them in the tank and they all seem to get along great and don't fight or anything with the other fish. He is like an amoured tank, he's one solid musle, really hard to catch.

Here's a pic of him, doesn't really show his size very well though.
fish2 068 - Copy.JPG

[michael_cb_125]

I have caught plecos in florida. Trying to catch bait with a throw net, you just catch hundreds of them, especially in certain canals. I have found skeletons of them around three feet. Gah, they are wierd fish.

[mps9506]

Originally Posted by sirrealism

hi paul, I have had several big ones and yes they will get all of 18" in a tank "no mater the size of the tank" for the common ones. some of the excotic ones will get very big 2. I hplanitcatfish.com

Good advice.
I have seen many common and sailfin plecos come to my store from people that were told or thought the same thing. A lot of times they come in deformed with the last 4 or 5 inches of their vertebrae grown at a right angle to the rest of their body.
If you are looking for good algae eaters look for otocinclus, or flying foxes.
That being said there are some VERY cool unique looking plecos out there that stay much smaller than the common plecos. The quoted link is very good for finding which ones are good aquarium specimens and which ones NOT to keep in groups

[tippMANn98]

i caught a 2.5 foot pleco in a lake by my old house in Central FL

[mps9506]

Good ole non native species :P I've heard Oscars and peacock bass have become quite common down their as well.

[PEMfish]

Originally Posted by bigbratt

he sort of lays on his back and just sucks it up at feeding time.

Ha! I`v never heard of them doing that.

Originally Posted by bigbratt

He is like an amoured tank,

And he knows it too.


Never knew they were in floida.

[sirrealism]

There are lots of oscars and peacock bass here!!!! its to bad to because they wipe out the native fish!!!!! IF YOUR FISH GET TO BIG OR YOU CANT KEEP THEM ANYMORE DONT JUST DUMP THEM IN THE LAKE OR RIVER! find some one to take them or trade them in. hell I kept a lot of tropical fish in my 2500 gal pond "with heaters" and they have lived there for years. I had a 22" clown knife in there with some really big plecos a bunch of gromies some large loaches. just be responsible for your pets!!! sorry all I just feel strong about this

[mps9506]

Originally Posted by sirrealism

There are lots of oscars and peacock bass here!!!! its to bad to because they wipe out the native fish!!!!! IF YOUR FISH GET TO BIG OR YOU CANT KEEP THEM ANYMORE DONT JUST DUMP THEM IN THE LAKE OR RIVER! find some one to take them or trade them in. hell I kept a lot of tropical fish in my 2500 gal pond "with heaters" and they have lived there for years. I had a 22" clown knife in there with some really big plecos a bunch of gromies some large loaches. just be responsible for your pets!!! sorry all I just feel strong about this

I couldn't agree with ya more!
Same goes with marine... Hence Lionfish being found on the east coast, and a plethora or indo pacific species (fish and inverts) being found in the Carribean and east Florida now...

[PEMfish]

Amen.