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I have mentioned in past posts that I am in the process of putting together a 220 Gal tank. I have a common Pleco that is going in that tank. I have a 25 gal. tank that is up and running right now. I would like to introduce a Pleco to that tank. Obviously I am concerned about potential size and space needed for these fish. Can anyone recommend a pleco that would thrive in a smaller tank? Thank you for any info.

How about BN pleco?

There are really a ton of pleco options.

I would look into:

BN as MrKipper noted
Pitbull pleco
Clown pleco

Check out the profile section of this site and also planetcatfish.

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tiger pleco (mines about 5 inches), one of the off color zebra plecos. I have a yellow & Black zebra and hes only about 2 inches and has been for over a year now

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

I guess my only question is, are there plecos all fairly hardy
like a common pleco?

Most of them are, but I would not get a zebra, exept you want a VERY expensive fish. Plenty of ancistrus species are sold as BN but are slighly different in color (like the starlight pleco)

I have a BN & as a small pleco, i recommend it to everybody.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

I will look into the bristle nose. Out of curiosity what is the life expectancy and growth rate of a Common Pleco? Also that of the Bristle Nose?

BN grow 12cm & Common Pleco grows 40cm.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

I do relaize the size they can get to. I just dont know how fast they grow.

Pretty fast. A BN can get to full size within a year or two.

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I'd say go with the BN for sure. They are an awesome little Pleco with a personality, an original look, and an appetite for algae. I have one in a 20 gallon and have yet to see a speck of algae since I got him. I've wanted to get another to try and breed them since I can actually tell the gender of the one I have, but they are expensive at $19.00 a Pleco. I don't know if that is unusually high for one though, it could be more or less depending on where you get your fish. But these fish are definitely a good buy and fun to watch.

A male BN that i have is about 10/12cm & i've had him for 2 years. Even the female grows at the same rate & i have one at about 8/10cm & i've been keeping it for a year & a half.

I cannot help you with the common pleco growth rate, as i only had one 6 or 7 years ago & gave it away when it was pretty small.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

Find a pitbull pleco. That sucker is bulletproof. I've got mine in a 30 gallon hex tank. Only the pitbull and my dwarf gourami made it through my idiot beginner phase. He loves his cucumbers every 3 days and is about 2 inches long. Pretty active too, even in the daytime.

Well I thank you all for your input. My Common Pleco that I have is currently 4 1/2" long right now. When I added him to the tank about three months ago he was about 2 1/2 inches long. He is growing fast that is for sure.

Another good one is the gold nugget pleco my brother has one in his tank he's pretty awesome looking.although pretty expensive for a pleco.

Est solarus uth mithas,My honor is my life

How about some common whiptails, as they don't seem to get really big?

I've had a rubbernosed pleco, also known as a pitbull and sold commonly labeled as dwarf pleco around here, for several years. Petey lives in a 29 allon tank and is perfectly suited for that size tank. A bristlenose would be good also. As for the bulletproof thing, lol. Well I've never had any problems with Petey and he made it thru my idiot beginner stage also, Still one of my fav's by a long shot. Get about maybe 4 inches, will take cars of the bottom well, and always fun to watch.

I'm seeing mixed answers here, mostly because you didn't specify if you were getting the fish to eat algae and clean up or to be a badass addition to your aquarium. If you're going with the former, bristlenose and bulldog AKA rubbernose (AKA a lot of other names... they have round noses) plecs are the way to go. If the latter, you have a host of choices which are merely decided by the weightloss plan you have for your wallet.

And gold nuggets are certainly not expensive for plecs. If anything they are cheap. As far as ornamental plecs go, anyway.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

I am interested in getting a smaller pleco for algae control.