My Plecostomus + pictures

Well, it's the only fishy that's left in my tank. I'm wondering since he eats algea, should I continue to put fish food flakes in it? Or would he be fine without them?

Also -- I need a name for him. The only fish I named from when I got them was Nelly (Rainbow Fishy Pond.. :( )

What should I name this little guy? I want something short & easy, but unique and interesting. I'm not sure how long he's going to be around, but he's been around for a long long time.


Anyways, here's some pictures. (:
http://img2.photobucket.com/albums/v...icture_024.jpg
http://img2.photobucket.com/albums/v...icture_015.jpg
http://img2.photobucket.com/albums/v...icture_014.jpg
http://img2.photobucket.com/albums/v...icture_013.jpg
http://img2.photobucket.com/albums/v...icture_012.jpg
http://img2.photobucket.com/albums/v...icture_011.jpg
From above:
http://img2.photobucket.com/albums/v...icture_008.jpg
His home, that really needs to be cleaned. I'm afraid to thought because I don't want to get rid of all the algea.
http://img2.photobucket.com/albums/v...icture_006.jpg
http://img2.photobucket.com/albums/v...icture_005.jpg
http://img2.photobucket.com/albums/v...icture_003.jpg

I name all my pleccies Moe. Not really sure why, hehe.

Aww!! Your Fishy is adorable, I never knew you had fish!

Plecos need a bit of a varied diet. Ours at the store love a bit of zucchini rubber-banded to a rock to make it sink. We do that about once a week. They also munch on any wood that's in our aquariums. :) I don't know if he'd eat fish food or not....I'll ask at work.

They live a long long time, so you may have him for awhile yet. :) I'd name him Oswald. :D

he's cool. my gramdpa has three. one is over two feet long! and the other is a footand a half and the third is still small he's about nine inches. i would name him. Fletcher

He's cool looking! I also like the name Oswald.

Nice pics

Kfamr, your fish is beautiful! You are a great photographer!

I have been thinking about getting an oscar. Their eyes follow you. They move around the tank so they can see you better.

Thank you for showing us your great pictures!:)

Thanks everyone.

Does anyone watch Hey Arnold? Do you remember the one episode where they had that big fishing tournament or something? Do you remember the name of that huge old fish that Jerald and Arnold caught???

I can't remember but that's what my little fishy reminds me of lol

Yup I watch Hey Arnold, lol Im trying to remember...was it BIG Sezier? (SP)

Yeah! I think it's spelt Cesar or somehting like that.:p

WOW those pics are fantastic!!!

I have a fish too, a goldfish named Fish, lol. Everytime I try to take pics of him they don't turn out. :(

I really really like the photo's though! :D

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Originally posted by Kfamr
Yeah! I think it's spelt Cesar or somehting like that.:p

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Yeah! :p

Plecos are vegetarians. They eat algae out of the tank, of course. They also like raw lettuce, cucumber or zuchini. You can also buy algae wafers at the store, and feed him a couple at night before you go to bed. They eat best at night. The algae wafers are great, because then you can clean the tank without worrying about getting rid of all his food, and you don't have to leave a light on to grow algae all the time. They also need a piece of drift wood in the tank, on the bottom. They rasp on the wood with their "teeth" and ingest bits of wood. This helps them digest their food properly.

Plecos get HUGE, so plan on buying him a larger tank, if he is in a fairly small one now. My friend has one that is almost as long as her 55 gallon tank. She has to put on welding gloves and grab him to take him out of the tank to clean it. :eek: Plecos are a very ancient species of fish. They haven't evolved much in eons. They are cool. :)

Thanks Twisterdog. :)

Can I get drift wood at the pet store?

I was told they adjust their size to the size of the tank (if they aren't already huge when put in) We've had him for a while so i'm not sure he'll get much bigger. We'll see.

I took some more pictures of him, i'll post them later. :p

Still thinking of a name.... any suggestions?

Wow, your pictures turned out wonderful! What a pretty home and fish.;)

I can't think of any names at the moment, but if I think of anything, I will let you know.

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Originally posted by Kfamr
was told they adjust their size to the size of the tank (if they aren't already huge when put in) We've had him for a while so i'm not sure he'll get much bigger. We'll see.

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That's a pretty common misconception about fishies and reptiles, but they do start to grow VERY slowly after awhile, so you prolly won't have to worry for awhile yet! :D

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Can I get drift wood at the pet store?

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Yes, you can. I bought a piece for my pleco for about $5, I think, and it was pretty cool looking, too.

Fish do grow slower in a small tank, but they do continue to grow. I personally think it is better to get them a larger tank and let them reach a more natural size, than to keep them in a tank too small for them and stunt their development. Some fish we normally think of as "small" aren't really meant to be small at all. Common feeder goldfish, for example, can reach HUGE sizes, if allowed to live and grow naturally.

My pleco's name was Pete. :)

My pleco's name was Pleco. I am unoriginal. :)

We bought some algea tablets last night. He's a a big bucket right now while we re-decorate my room. I bought a new filter, new rocks, new plants (a certain puppy thought they'd be a good chew toy, and got them off of my dresser:rolleyes:)

I put one of his big rocks in there with him so he could hide in it if he wanted. He also has one of his plants in there. I hope he'll be fine for now.

I had one of those a few years ago. We named it Kirby after the vacuum since he sucked on the side of the tank :p

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Originally posted by PepperRSM
I had one of those a few years ago. We named it Kirby after the vacuum since he sucked on the side of the tank :p

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That's cute!! How about Hoover then??? :)

Kirby ... that's pretty cute!

My son loved the movie "The Brave Little Toaster" when he was younger. He loved Kirby the vacuum. Everytime I would get the vacuum out to vacuum the house, my son would run over, throw his arms around it and scream, "Kirby!!!! I missed you!!! I love you!!!!", then proceed to have a long talk with Kirby, while sitting on him. I finally just started vacuuming after he went to sleep. :)

It's difficult to say with 100% certainty withouth seeing the entire fish nor know its size or age, but it appears to me you have a "Network" or "King Tiger" or "Scribbled" pleco, more specifically Hypancistrus L66. They have a pretty distinctive pattern so I'm betting that's what he is. If so, he won't get any larger than 5", so as long as he is in a tank of 20 gal minimum size you won't have to worry about him outgrowing your tank. They eat a meaty omnivorous diet, so sinking algae wafers are fine but be sure he gets plenty of high-protein stuff such as sinking shrimp pellets and frozen bloodworms. These type are NOT wood-eating, although he will appreciate hanging out under a nice piece of driftwood. Be sure his water is warm (about 80°) and that there is a good current in the tank (can be achieved by turning your filter flow on high). Like most plecos he is nocturnal but you still may see him often in the daylight if he is comfortable with his surroundings.

Here is a wonderful site for learning about all things catfishy.

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Originally posted by PepperRSM
I had one of those a few years ago. We named it Kirby after the vacuum since he sucked on the side of the tank :p

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Aww... I remember Kirby! [Both the fish and the vaccuum!]

I LOVED that movie!