I gotst another question?

[quikksilver8]

I know a pleco is not a cichlid, but does anyone know how fast they grow, i hope fast. What would their growth rate be?

[skiitswitch]

it kinda depends on how much ffod they get and how big the tank is - but in general, they don't grow very fast at all IME

[Seedy]

Depends on species...Really Really depends on species...the common pleco can get out of hand pretty quickly though...

[crazyfishlady]

I bought my common pleco at about 1 1/2" 3 years ago. Now 10" long.

[Poet8102]

Yeah I bought a common pleco and a "tiger pleco" (not really sure of the exact species name) at the same time. "Tiger" may have grown about a half of an inch, while the common has doubled in size.

[aharris]

I had Ptergloplichthys(sp?) gibbiceps aka Marble Hi-Fin plecos. I had them in a 55g tank, and it seemed like I was trading them in at the five to six inch mark every half a year or so. We went through 3 or 4 Waldos before we moved.

[Odysseus_____]

It's been my experience that some plecos grow faster than others... I bought a common pleco from walmart about 2 1/2 years ago.. he was maybe 2" long at most.... Well, he's a 13-14" monster now...

Here he is next to 2 M. auratus that are about 1.25" each.
http://www.cichlidforums.com/postimages/2004-05-13/46093-001.jpg

[Chris Garrett]

Yeah, but your tank sure looks clean though.Let's see...a pleco that stays small for a while or one that grows to a massive size in a short time?Well,I'd think the guy that grows alot is the one that eats alot too.The small one that don't eat is the kind that gets the bad rep for being lazy right?I bought 2 plecos around 5 months ago and one has grown from 2" to around 3" and the other one was 3 1/2" and is still the same size.He hides from the cic's and only comes out when I feed the pleco drop tabs.I like the common $1.99 pleco,when they out grow the tank give it to a local bait shop.