FishProfiles.com Message Forums

	common pleco question
mariosim Enthusiast Posts: 207 Kudos: 245 Votes: 20 Registered: 28-Jul-2004	does the term "common pleco" refer to specific type of pleco, or is it a generic term given to a shipment of unspecified ones? or is the name given to juvenile ones because they are too small to identify?
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:05
gauntlet Enthusiast Posts: 240 Kudos: 277 Votes: 8 Registered: 21-Jan-2004	The common pleco is a term given to the most common pleco sold at lfs. They can reach a size of 17.7". Common Pleco is there Common name.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:05
me is already in use Fish Addict Posts: 596 Kudos: 99 Votes: 25 Registered: 02-Dec-2003	I thought they could get to 2' also? their scientific name is like hypostomus plecostomus
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:05
iltat Mega Fish Posts: 1076 Kudos: 1216 Votes: 0 Registered: 14-Oct-2002	Biggest one I know of is about 18"-20", I've can't remember of them getting larger than that... PM/email/msg me if you have any questions/comments regarding me or my knowledge or if you want me to read a thread.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:05
Racso Mega Fish Some Assembly Required Posts: 1163 Kudos: 1442 Votes: 35 Registered: 19-Feb-2002	common plecos (Hypostomus plecostomus) do get big, and can get larger than 2' in LARGE tanks or ponds. But for most aquariums they will reach about 18 to 22 inches, and fast! I had one reach 18" in less than a year.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:05
Natalie Ultimate Fish Guru Apolay Wayyioy Posts: 4499 Kudos: 3730 Votes: 348 Registered: 01-Feb-2003	Hypostomus plecostomus is no longer a valid species name. It was changed years ago to Hypostomus multiradius. Anyway, that is not the common pleco. Or at least it isn't anymore... Within the last 15 years, Hypostomus species slowly became phased out as the common pleco. They are quite rare imports, so any common pleco you get is not going to be a Hypostomus species. Instead, the common pleco of recent times is Liposarcus pardalis, a related species that grows to a similar size as Hypostomus multiradius. They are the ones you see at the store labled as "Common pleco", and they are comercially bred in Florida and Southeast Asia. I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:05
Racso Mega Fish Some Assembly Required Posts: 1163 Kudos: 1442 Votes: 35 Registered: 19-Feb-2002	wow, cory, didn't know so much has changed with plecos. Thanks, now I have to go back and look at my pleco species and try and get them down again, and possible get my L-numbers back in order
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:05


	Jump to:

The views expressed on this page are the implied opinions of their respective authors.
Under no circumstances do the comments on this page represent the opinions of the staff of FishProfiles.com.

FishProfiles.com Forums, version 11.0
Mazeguy Smilies