Identify my Pleco, please!

[aok]

I've gotten myself in quite the Pleco-predicament, I don't have a clue what kind it is or if it is male or female.

It's the typical story, I got it at Petsmart when it was a tiny little thing and I didn't know anything about it and was never told, so I've been a Pleco owner for a couple years now. It sadly had to grow up in a 20g tank for the longest time but it is now in a 55g and hopefully I don't have to get rid of it, but I will if it is for the better. Anyways, here are some pictures, any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Pleco1415]

Looks like a sailfin Pleco to me. Pretty sure it's male judging by the way the dorsal fin extends.

[ImACoolguy]

If it is a sailfin, which looks like a match to me, be prepared.




Caleb

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[Gillie]

Originally Posted by Pleco1415

Looks like a sailfin Pleco to me. Pretty sure it's male judging by the way the dorsal fin extends.

Finnage is not a sure way to sex plecos, besides the obvious fact that it is still a juvie, there is no way to sex it right now, unless the tank was deviously decorated to make the fish look small.

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[aok]

Originally Posted by Gillie

Finnage is not a sure way to sex plecos, besides the obvious fact that it is still a juvie, there is no way to sex it right now, unless the tank was deviously decorated to make the fish look small.

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He is about 8" long, how long do Plecos take to reach full size? I have had it for about 2-3 years.

Going with the idea that it is a Sailfin, should I be looking to get rid of it? I'll try the LFS first and see what happens. Thanks for the help so far!

[Gillie]

Originally Posted by aok

He is about 8" long, how long do Plecos take to reach full size? I have had it for about 2-3 years.

Going with the idea that it is a Sailfin, should I be looking to get rid of it? I'll try the LFS first and see what happens. Thanks for the help so far!

Well then that changes things a bit. I'd like to say male because of the more slender body, but it may still be too young to tell. Sailfins are a long lived fish and most long lived fish are slow to mature, even the small zebra pleco takes 4-7 years. Unless you have 100+ gallon tank laying around, then you will want to consider rehoming it as they grow to 20"

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[aok]

Originally Posted by Gillie

Well then that changes things a bit. I'd like to say male because of the more slender body, but it may still be too young to tell. Sailfins are a long lived fish and most long lived fish are slow to mature, even the small zebra pleco takes 4-7 years. Unless you have 100+ gallon tank laying around, then you will want to consider rehoming it as they grow to 20"

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He has been returned to my LFS. They have yellow bristlenose Plecos and they say they are smaller, is this true or should I get some Otos? They're all in quarantine for another week or so, so I have a while to choose.

[ImACoolguy]

Oto's are much better unless you just like the pleco species. Oto's make much less waste and actually eat a good deal of algae. One thing people have problems with them though is life span. A pleco has a much longer span.


Caleb

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[aok]

Originally Posted by ImACoolguy

Oto's are much better unless you just like the pleco species. Oto's make much less waste and actually eat a good deal of algae. One thing people have problems with them though is life span. A pleco has a much longer span.


Caleb

Sent via TARDIS

How many Oto's are recommended for a 55G? I don't really care too much about having a Pleco or not but the yellow bristlenose definitely looks interesting!

[ImACoolguy]

Oto do a better job than pleco's. IMO...

5-6 would be fine they are small fish.


Caleb

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