# Common Pleco growth rate?



## gillmanjr (Jan 27, 2017)

I was wondering what your experience was with growth rates of common plecos?

It appears that mine is growing like a proverbial weed. I added it 3 weeks ago and I swear he is noticeably larger already.


----------



## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

Yeah he's going to keep growing like that until he's 24 inches or bigger. You're gonna have to invest in a 300 gallon tank or larger if you want to keep him.


----------



## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

caldwelldaniel26 said:


> Yeah he's going to keep growing like that until he's 24 inches or bigger.


Common pleco gets no where near this size. It is nothing but exaggeration. For at least the last 20 years, the common pleco in the hobby is _Pterygoplichthys paradalis_. That is what is commonly sold. Buy them from the box stores, a i have, and that is what you will get. Planet catfiush lists a maximum 13.8 SL which would equate to about 15" TL. And that would be a very exceptional specimen.https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=88
About the largest i have ever owned or seen was 13 1/4" long and weighed in at 207 grams.








The only difference between my 13 1/4" and a supposed 24" pleco is that mine is actually sitting beside a measuring tape! How about somebody prove that they actually get that large with a picture beside a measuring tape? Shouldn't be too hard if they actually did get 2 ft. long!
I currently own 3. Two purchased september 2010 and the other march 2011. So all around 7 years from purchase at the small size they are sold at. Since I weigh and measure all my fish once a year, I have documented their growth very well over this time. I believe these are fairly typical:
2011 (about 1 year from purchase)
Pl.3 8 1/4" 81 grams
Pl.4 7 1/2" 75 grams
Pl.5 6" 34 grams
2012 
Pl.3 9 3/4" 97 grams
PL.4 8 5/8" 99 grams
Pl.5 8 5/8" 77 grams
2013
Pl.3 9 7/8" 96g
Pl.4 9 1/4" 103g
Pl.5 9" 92g
2014
Pl.3 10" 104g
Pl.4 10" 118g
Pl.5 9 5/8" 117g
2015
Pl.3 10" 98g
Pl.4 10 1/2" 167g
Pl.5 10" 130g
2016
Pl.3 9 7/8" 103g
Pl.4 11" 182g
Pl.5 114 g
As well, it needs to be pointed out that the size of a fish is not just how long it is. A 5 lb. snake is not bigger then a 200 lb. St. Bernard just because it is a little bit longer. Plecos are long and skinny (also a reason their lengths get exaggerated!). A 13" pleco is similar weight to a 7 1/2" cichlid. Around 200 grams. Could it be considered larger then a 7 1/2" cichlid? Sure because it is much longer but it is no where near the size of a 13" cichlid that weighs in at 2-3 lbs.


----------



## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

I know you have a penchant for being the most abrasive and obnoxious know-it-all on this forum... But that aside, I've seen MANY MANY common plecos exceed 15" and I've seen one that was over 2ft long! Just because your specimen is smaller doesn't make your statement gospel. Anyway, a 75 gallon tank is not big enough for a common pleco...


----------



## gillmanjr (Jan 27, 2017)

I didn't know they got that big, I thought 12". Are there any cool Pleco species that stay smaller? I just want something that is going to clean my tank.

Also, I thought I was the know-it-all on this forum?


----------



## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Bristlenose.

SC what species are the bigger ones we see in the hobby and even in the "shocker" pictures like the one Fmueller shows us periodically?


----------



## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

gillmanjr said:


> I didn't know they got that big, I thought 12". Are there any cool Pleco species that stay smaller? I just want something that is going to clean my tank.
> 
> Also, I thought I was the know-it-all on this forum?


Lol, you come in a close second my friend. But yeah like DJ said, a bristlenose pleco would be the right size for your tank, they usually stay in the 6" range


----------



## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

gillmanjr said:


> I thought 12".


That is about the size they typically get. If they really did get 2 ft, somebody will be able to demonstrate it. I've got all the time in the world.....but I truely beleive sizes like these are based on somebody eyeballing a fish and making up a number; not on an actual measurement.
As far as commonly available mass produced plecos there is pretty much 4-5 available. Common pleco (_P. paradalis_, sailfin pleco (same genus but gets even larger), ruber lip pleco and BN pleco. BN pleco is the smallest. Rubberlip can get a little larger the a BN is still fairly small. There maybe a couple more that are mass produced but most of anything else is wild caught and not too common at all, in comparison. Sailfins and Commons (_P. paradalis_) would probably out number the other large plecos thousands to one.


----------



## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

BC in SK said:


> gillmanjr said:
> 
> 
> > I thought 12".
> ...


I am a pipefitter by trade so I know how to read a measuring tape... I'm sorry BC I guess there's just a whole lot of liars and measuring tapes that need to be thrown away because little ol you in Saskatchewan Canada have never seen a pleco bigger than the one you have. I'm sure if you did a google search you could find a large enough common pleco to fit the bill. You're the one who said I'm lying so the burden of proof is on you.


----------



## joselepiu (Jul 22, 2017)

ding ding...
:drooling: :drooling: :drooling:


----------



## joselepiu (Jul 22, 2017)

do you believe in coincidences??? :-? :-? :-? 
i encounter this vid while watching my weekly vids...  :wink:  ...

watch at 5 mins 59 secs

how big do you think it is??? :-? :-? :-? ...


----------



## BlueSunshine (Jul 13, 2014)

gillmanjr said:


> I was wondering what your experience was with growth rates of common plecos?
> 
> It appears that mine is growing like a proverbial weed. I added it 3 weeks ago and I swear he is noticeably larger already.


The bristlenose pleco is what you seek. They do a great job of cleaning. The common pleco will get to big for what you want. I also don't think they do a very good job of cleaning, get lazy as they get larger.


----------



## joselepiu (Jul 22, 2017)

BlueSunshine said:


> gillmanjr said:
> 
> 
> > I also don't think they do a very good job of cleaning, get lazy as they get larger.


+1... :thumb:


----------



## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

joselepiu said:


> do you believe in coincidences??? :-? :-? :-?
> i encounter this vid while watching my weekly vids...  :wink:  ...
> 
> watch at 5 mins 59 secs
> ...


I would think it is well over a foot long, though it is difficult to say exactly, with out something right beside it of a known length. Regardless that is definitely not a common pleco (P.paradalis) :lol: .
It's like talking about the length of a convict cichlid......and using peacock bass, emperror cichlid and dovii to argue they get over 2 ft. becuase they all belong to the family cichlidae.
Something rare and probably wild caught is not common. Can't lump it with the commercially produced commonly available species.....when it is another species altogether.


----------



## gillmanjr (Jan 27, 2017)

BC in SK said:


> joselepiu said:
> 
> 
> > do you believe in coincidences??? :-? :-? :-?
> ...


There is something you can use in that video...the PVC fittings that he swims right past. Those fittings lying down on the bottom look to me like 1.25" or 1.5" PVC couplings. Regardless of the diameter of the pipe, sch40 PVC couplings typically have slip sockets that are about 1-1.5" deep (so they are roughly 2-3" long). So that Plec looks like he's in the 12-15" range.


----------



## Mr Chromedome (Feb 12, 2013)

Okay, here's the thing. In the US, at least, the term "Common" Pleco is applied to at least 5-6 species from genera _Hypostomus_ and _Pterygoplichthys_ in stores, which do not follow the common names of PlanetCatfish. The original "Common" Pleco actually was _Hypostomus plecostomus_. However, at least a couple of species are pond bred, with more than one species invasive to the waters of southern states. _Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus_ is called the Vermiculated Sailfin on PC, but people in Texas just know it as a common Pleco when they catch it out of their native rivers. So use of the word "common" should be recognized as not being restricted to one species. After all, it is a "common" name. 

The second thing: NONE of the species in either of these genera are listed at PlanetCatfish as reaching a size greater than about 20 inches, and the most "common" among these are in the 11-14 inch range. However, the Sailfin, _Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps_, which is frequently sold as a "common", is given as nearly 18 inches SL, and _disjunctivus_ is given as 17". We are still far short of the claimed 2 feet, but certainly big enough to be of concern for the average hobbyist.

Now, for the OP: The growth rate seems to be directly connected with what and how much they have to eat. Plecos in the wild eat 24/7, because they have to keep their gut full, and they have very long guts. In aquaria they often get less food, but more protein from processed foods.

I placed a 2" _Pterygoplichthys joselimaianus_ in a 125 that had an aufwuchs type layer of algae over almost the entire tank, and covering a large piece of driftwood (half a stump, to be precise). It took perhaps 6 weeks at most for him to completely remove all that algae to the level of being spotless. He grew for about 3-4 months, from 2" to about 6", but has virtually stopped there, probably from a lack of the proper nutrients.


----------



## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

I agree completely about average sizes and whatnot listed on planet catfish, but there are some that exceed those numbers. I've personally witnessed many other fish, besides plecos, growing larger than the norm. I think plecos in captivity have the potential to exceed their normal growth range because of diet, lack of competition and in some cases a longer lifespan. Had I not seen the pleco next to a tape measure, at 24-1/2", I may not have believed it either...


----------



## gillmanjr (Jan 27, 2017)

I've had mine for a month now and my tank is nowhere near spotless. My tank was a relatively new setup when I got him and I have a light that is only half the width of the tank so algae wasn't even covering everything when I got him. And still a lot of it is remaining after a month. So mine must not be doing a very good job of cleaning.


----------



## joselepiu (Jul 22, 2017)

gillmanjr said:


> I've had mine for a month now and my tank is nowhere near spotless. My tank was a relatively new setup when I got him and I have a light that is only half the width of the tank so algae wasn't even covering everything when I got him. And still a lot of it is remaining after a month. So mine must not be doing a very good job of cleaning.


lazy pleco...
   ...


----------



## Cyphro (Mar 23, 2018)

BC in SK said:


> That is about the size they typically get. If they really did get 2 ft, somebody will be able to demonstrate it. I've got all the time in the world.....but I truely beleive sizes like these are based on somebody eyeballing a fish and making up a number; not on an actual measurement.


I had one that was 20 inches in the 80s, that's why I don't get them any more. Even 6 inches of boring plecostamus is way too much for anything but a pond. It was pretty easy to measure because he was too big to fit in the tank depthwise which was 18 inches. I'll hop in the time machine to prove this as soon as I can be bothered to care what some guy on the web believes LOL


----------



## Ichthys (Apr 21, 2016)

P. disjunctivus (one of the Commons) is given at 70cms on Fishbase, P.multiradiatus (another Common) is given at 50cms. These are Standard Lengths, excluding the tail fin. A Dutch public aquarium (I forget which, and have no pictures) recently removed from a large aquarium 2 multies (if I remember right) that were in excess of 30", and a P. gibbiceps in excess of 24". They were very old fish.

In my experience an inch per month is a good average growth rate in a big tank with plenty of food (including high protein which they will always prefer if it's there) and plenty of water changes.


----------



## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

_Petrygoplichthys paradalis_ is what is commonly available. They are commercially produced and sold on a very large scale. Sold at every pet shop. Go to the box store and buy a common, and that is what you will get, for at least the last 10-20 years or longer. IMO, 10-13" is a pretty common and typical size in aquaria. As I mentioned previously, planet catfish lists them at 13.8 SL, which would equate to a little more then 15" TL. That is a maximum; so that would be a much larger then average specimen.
I don't disagree with what Chromedome has said, but rather I don't think it is all that relevant. Sure common names apply to more then one fish. You can call the the other plecos, "common pleco", but they are not mass produced, nor commonly available. Call them "common", but they are not common :lol: _P. multiradiatus_? Never seen one, and likely never will. _P. disjunctivus_? I do not believe I have ever seen one in real life nor do I believe I ever will. I understand they were commercially produced in the past, but I don't think they are today. Seen them in a few older threads from the 2000's listed under large pleco , with specimens that I would guesstimate to be around 14", so maybe there are a few old fish still around. They can be distinguished by the pattern on their belly as well as having completely different proportions then _P. paradalis_ (stubbier and much heavier with proportions usually more like a gibby). Then there is the sailfin pleco (P. gibbiceps). Yes, I have personally seen specimens that I would guesstimate to be well above 15". Yes, there listed as getting close to 20" TL. And unlike a skinny _P. paradalis_, they are much thicker and heavier fish. Now, how or why you would confuse a sailfin with _P. paradalis_? Even as a juvie, they have a very distinct spotting in comparison. I suppose any fish can be confused, but that is true with cichlids as well. 
Why are we even talking about plecos that are not even commonly available? Thousands upon thousands of _P. paradalis_are mass produced and sold. I've owned many over the years; seen many for sale at the pet shop and seen many in other people's tanks over the years. I would be willing to bet the OP has _P. paradalis_. In pictures, videos on the internet, the over whelming vast majority in people's tanks are _P. paradalis_, none of which appear to me to be all that large.


----------



## Ichthys (Apr 21, 2016)

The UK gets it's farmed fish largely from Singapore. For many years now our 'Common' Plecs have been pardalis and multiradiatus in equal measure, and occasionally disjunctivus.


----------



## Mr Chromedome (Feb 12, 2013)

If you want to see _P. disjunctivus_, go to Texas. They are in many rivers down there, have been for decades.


----------



## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Mr Chromedome said:


> If you want to see _P. disjunctivus_, go to Texas. They are in many rivers down there, have been for decades.


Right.
Just not at your LFS, because there pumping out _P. paradalis_ by the thousands :lol: .
I realize there are different markets....but I'd really need to be convinced that the real _P. multiradiatus_ is commercially produced and sold on a mass scale. It's in the hobby but most sources claim it is rare. This is reflected by the fact that there are very few pictures of the fish on the internet. The one that fish base uses....is also the one planet catfish uses. If you google _P. multiradiatus_ https://www.google.ca/search?q=pter...h8IMKHU9RCZUQiR4ImwE&biw=1600&bih=769#imgrc=_ there are virtually no pictures of the fish! The first 2 are _P. paradalis_ (the first video has a claim of 40 cm, and maybe it is, but with a comparison to the gravel and other fish in the tank hard to see the fish as really that large). The top row, 4th pic from the left as well as the second row, 2nd from the left, I think might be the real deal. They at least have spotted dorsal fins. Third row, third picture from the left is the fish base/planet catfish picture. Third row, 5th from the left fits the half-circle belly pattern description that this fish is supposed to have, so that may very well be _P. multiradiatus_. Other wise lot's of pics of gibbys, _P. paradalis_, and _P. disjunctivus_. You'd think if it were a commonly mass produced fish, there would be a lot more pictures? OR maybe _P. multiradiatus_ is just another trade name for _P. paradalis_?


----------



## Mr Chromedome (Feb 12, 2013)

_P. gibbiceps_ is often sold as a Common Pleco in the US. As I noted before, the common names given by Fishbase and Planetcatfish are irrelevant to the commercial market. (Personally, I consider common names a waste of time.) And there are more species than just _pardalis_ being farmed "by the thousands". There are roughly the same number of Planetcatfish members who report owning these two species. Locally here in the Midwestern US, I see far more _P. gibbiceps_ than _pardalis_ in the stores as Common Plecos. The big spots on the body are pretty much a dead giveaway. And the _disjunctivus_ in Texas were escapees from a fish farming operation there. I agree, they are not generally available in stores these days, yet I still see large specimens in aquaria every now and then. Also, at least one species of _Hypostomus_ is farmed, as not all commons in the stores have the long dorsal of _Pterygoplichthys_. What you see in a given region depends on which fish farms supply the stores there. Often a remote area like Saskatchewan is going to get fish primarily from one wholesale operation. I know this is true with most big box stores.

I also frequent a general forum, where people are always asking for ID of their common pleco. Again, I see more _gibbiceps_ that were sold as Common Pleco than I do other species. People like the polka dots.

I don't know squat about _multiradiatus_. Haven't see a lot of photos that could be assigned to them, either. I do know that it used to be common to have egg balls of various large Plecos dug out of riverbank burrows in SA and shipped to the US, where they were hatched and raised by fish farms. When you do it this way, there is no telling what species you are going to get. I don't think anyone is doing this now, but I haven't talked to people in the business for some time.

As to the size issue, I have never seen a 24" "Common" Pleco. I've seen some fairly large specimens in zoo water environments, not actually aquaria but animal exhibits with large bodies of water. I do know that fish grow as long as they are alive, and they live a lot longer in aquaria than they do in the wild. So specimens that exceed the reported "maximum" sizes do occur - but very, very rarely. So telling someone that a fish can get to a size that it has less than a .1% chance of reaching is really not advisable. It may be true, but at least qualify the statement. Besides, for most aquarists, saying it can get 12"-15" is enough to get the message across.


----------



## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

I think I've made it pretty clear which pleco I am talking about when referring to common pleco (_Ptergoplichthys pardalis_). I think it more then likely that, that is what the OP has. Seems rather odd that everyone wants to talk about everything but , what the OP more then likely has.


Mr Chromedome said:


> _ Locally here in the Midwestern US, I see far more P. gibbiceps than pardalis in the stores as Common Plecos. The big spots on the body are pretty much a dead giveaway. _


_
That could be. No doubt, there not a rare fish. Mass produced as well, though here, I generally don't see any where near as many as the regular common (P. paradalis). I think they are generally sold as sail fins though certainly more then one pleco is sold and called a sail fin. I've got a "Gold spot sail fin" P. joselimaianus but refer to it simply as a "sail fin". I see these for sale (P. joselimaianus), once in a while, as well, but there always sold as sail fins.


Mr Chromedome said:



I also frequent a general forum, where people are always asking for ID of their common pleco. Again, I see more gibbiceps that were sold as Common Pleco than I do other species. People like the polka dots.

Click to expand...

Well, you are encountering it to be identified, because the fish is not fitting what the poster is expecting a common pleco to look like!
More often then not, I think it is a problem of labeling. And that is true of all fish; probably even more so for cichlids. The box store has one sliding card per fish, and often the same type of pleco in more then one tank. Between the buyer and the young person working there, it is up to them to determine which card refers to what fish :lol: What I have often seen over the years at most pet shops, they will sell out of a fish in a tank, and many months later, the fish is still listed on the tank. After the initial fish are sold, different fish continue to get sold under that name. I purchased my first RD/midas as fire mouths . As an 11 years old, I knew exactly what I was buying, but the person working at the pet shop did not. Because I purchased my RD/midas as fire mouths doesn't mean they should be referred to as fire mouths. And I don't think every pleco sold as a common should necessarily be called a common either.
Regardless of how we look at common names, I definitely agree with this statement:



Mr Chromedome said:



So telling someone that a fish can get to a size that it has less than a .1% chance of reaching is really not advisable. It may be true, but at least qualify the statement. Besides, for most aquarists, saying it can get 12"-15" is enough to get the message across.

Click to expand...

_


----------



## gillmanjr (Jan 27, 2017)

Since this thread is still active I thought I would update everyone on my pleco. His growth rate has slowed significantly. I started this thread because he seemed to have been growing very rapidly when I first got him. But now it seems as if he's hardly grown at all in the last several months. He's either not getting enough food or he's getting picked on by the mbunas and I think it may be a combination of both. Not sure what to do about it...


----------



## Cyphro (Mar 23, 2018)

That is pretty typical, fish grow quickly as juvies then they slow down a lot. They never stop growing though.


----------

