Pleco info please!

[Bri1218]

Hello everyone!*
I have had a pleco, I believe it is a common, for about a year. I went to the pet store and asked for someone who knows about this fish. For some reason I listened to the uneducated person tell me I can keep him in a 10g tank with other fish including goldfish! Yes I realize I made a bad decision on not researching this particular fish enough. Ok so I have a few questions on what I should do from here.
I will post a picture as soon as I figure out how! He is black with a greyish/off white spots/markings all over. He is also about 6inches give or take.
What size tank does he need?
What fish can he be housed with? My goldfish died and against my advice my mother added 6 freshwater fish. I have no idea what they are, but are still little. Should I just keep my pleco in a tank alone?
What type of food or treats are necessary? Right now hes eating tetra veggie algie wafers, one a night. Actually the pleco on the bag is what mine looks like.
Please any advice or suggestions, I am open to all! Thank you so much!

 

[imtcurveball]

Hello everyone!*
I have had a pleco, I believe it is a common, for about a year. I went to the pet store and asked for someone who knows about this fish. For some reason I listened to the uneducated person tell me I can keep him in a 10g tank with other fish including goldfish! Yes I realize I made a bad decision on not researching this particular fish enough. Ok so I have a few questions on what I should do from here.
I will post a picture as soon as I figure out how! He is black with a greyish/off white spots/markings all over. He is also about 6inches give or take.
What size tank does he need?
What fish can he be housed with? My goldfish died and against my advice my mother added 6 freshwater fish. I have no idea what they are, but are still little. Should I just keep my pleco in a tank alone?
What type of food or treats are necessary? Right now hes eating tetra veggie algie wafers, one a night. Actually the pleco on the bag is what mine looks like.
Please any advice or suggestions, I am open to all! Thank you so much!

If he's a common he will need a larger tank or rehoming. I would post a picture of your fish and me or someone else can tell you what they are.

 

[Bri1218]

If I did this upload correctly heres Dickey

 

[Musicfreak]

I'm no expert but he does look like a common pleco, I have mine in with a few different types of fish. I really don't think he is at harm unless they are aggressive fish. As someone else suggested post photos of the other fish so we can help ID them and then we can give you some more information.

Also a bigger tank is needed, if that can not be done then rehoming. I have never had to rehome a fish some I'm not sure on ideas to help you out with that. Last I knew the minimum tank size needed is at least 50 gallons but I could be wrong.

 

[Bri1218]

Ok thank you. I will try to get a picture of the other fish on here today.

Is a 50g tank large enough for him? I read somewhere they needed 120g tank or larger. Why do pet stores sell this fish to people?? I love him, so rehoming isnt going to happen. Ill save up to buy a large enough fish tank if I need to..

 

[GallonGal]

55+ gallons are usually recommended, but the bigger the better!

 

[abrinn23]

Common pleco's literally get HUGE, like upwards of two feet at max size. They have a huge bioload even at a small size so good filtration is needed. Once it starts growing I believe they need at least a 125g aquarium

 

[absolutangel04]

If I did this upload correctly heres Dickey

I agree with the others that your pleco does indeed look like a common.
First of all, it is really great that you have been researching and trying to find out what is best for your fish.
In my opinion, 125g is about the smallest that is good for a common pleco because they get so massive. Some people will say smaller, and that is a matter of experience and opinion. But, the point is, he should be in a tank much much bigger than a 10g if you are able to acquire one. If not, you can always think about re-homing him to somebody who has a larger tank. Many fish stores will take in fish to be re-homed.
As for the other fish your mom got, if you get pictures, we would be happy to help you identify them. If you can't then you can try to describe them to us. But, pics would be best.

 

[Bri1218]

Ok thank you everyone. I will be getting the largest tank I can afford on my next paycheck and saving up for an even larger one he will be happy in. 3 (grey with a black strip on tail), 2 (grey body with two black strips near head), 2 (greyish body with red/orange fins/tail and black top fin), and 1 (yellow/orange body with black fins) Here are pictures, sorry not the best quality.

 

[abrinn23]

How big is he now? Honestly in my experience they are very slow growers so no need to rush into something. That could do more harm than good

 

[Bri1218]

Hes about 5 or 6 inches.

Why do pet stores sell this fish if it gets so much larger than a normal fish tank owner can handle??

I know it sounds weird but I really love Dickey and I can afford to get a 55g tank but goodness 100+ gallon tanks are so expensive! Can you build them and save money?

 

[abrinn23]

Some people build plywood tanks that can easily be 400 gallons and more for apparently a grea price but I'm not a good source of info for that You can get other varieties of plecos that will do great in a 55

 

[absolutangel04]

Hes about 5 or 6 inches.

Why do pet stores sell this fish if it gets so much larger than a normal fish tank owner can handle??

I know it sounds weird but I really love Dickey and I can afford to get a 55g tank but goodness 100+ gallon tanks are so expensive! Can you build them and save money?

I also wish that pet stores did not sell them. Frankly though, pet stores sell them because people buy them.

If you have the space for a bigger tank, I would make sure you check CraigsList or the newspaper or garage sales to look for used tanks at an affordable price.

 

[Bri1218]

Ok. I will look more into building a tank.

What diet should I be feeding him or what other accessories should be in his tank?

When I get the larger tank the other fish my mother brought home will stay in the 10g since they are her fish and Dickey is mine. Am I able to put large goldfish or koi in his new tank? Or should he be alone in his tank?

 

[absolutangel04]

Depends on how large the new tank will be. Goldies get pretty massive, so they need pretty big tanks as well. You can certainly have tankmates with the pleco, you just need to research a bit into what goldies need to see if that is the right tank for them or not. Koi are typically best left in ponds IMO.

 

[Bri1218]

Ok thanks.
I live in a 2nd story apartment, so I think I can only have a 55g or less. Will my pleco be ok if he is alone or does he need 'friends'?