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Common Pleco

Hypostomus plecostomus (Spesso identificazione commerciale generica per vari loricaridi giganti bruni)

The *Hypostomus plecostomus*, known worldwide as the "Common Pleco" or "Algae Eater", is the biggest commercial misunderstanding of global aquariology. Invariably sold at 3-4 cm (1-2 inches) in length as a tireless algae eater for small home aquariums, this armored catfish hides a mammoth reality: it is a prehistoric giant that easily exceeds 40-50 cm (16-20 inches) in length in captivity (with a longevity of over 15-20 years). Its body is an impregnable tank: it is covered with thick rough bony plates instead of scales, has a flat wedge-shaped head and a very powerful downward-facing sucker mouth. It has a very rustic mottled or spotted brown coloring. As an adult it becomes lazy with algae, turning into a colossal omnivorous scavenger and, unfortunately, the most polluting producer of feces in the entire aquarium.

Family
Loricariidae
Origin
Sud America (Ampia diffusione: bacini amazzonici e fiumi della Guyana, acque dolci lente e rapide con fondo roccioso e legnoso)
Tank use
Used in 0 tanks
Temperature

22 °C - 28 °C

pH

6.5 - 8

Water type

Freshwater

Tank level

Esclusivamente zona Inferiore e Vetri. Rimangono incollati col ventre ai tronchi o ai vetri.

Adult size

45 cm

Description

Invincible Armor against Central American Bricks:

It is the Roommate of the Madmen. Having its skin transformed into very hard spiny bones (*Loricariidae*), it is literally the only fish tolerated in the famous "Monster Fish Aquariums" alongside relentless killers like the Jaguar Cichlid or the Midas. The large predators will try to bite it, but they will break their teeth against its back bristling with flat spines slipping away, while the annoyed Pleco will deal them a violent tail whip armed with spikes seriously injuring them and claiming its cave forever in total respect of terror.

Care and observations

The Scam of the Infant Glass-Cleaner:

You went to the store and bought the classic 1.5-inch long "black sucker fish" to clean the algae of your 15-gallon tank with Guppies. You made a resounding mistake. This fish is a water dinosaur. In 3 or 4 years that cute little fish will become a submarine as wide as a human forearm measuring ON AVERAGE 18 INCHES long and will weigh a couple of pounds. It is the most abandoned fish in the world in rivers or returned crying to shopkeepers because it breaks all the aquarium glass by thrashing around. Buy it ONLY if you already own tanks over SIX FEET and 125 Gallons.

The Manure Producing Machinery (Filter Clogger):

Forget the myth of the fish that cleans and keeps your aquarium beautiful. Initially it will clean the green on the glass, but in sub-adult age it will stop struggling. It will attach itself to the wood, wolf down the food for normal fish, and eat cellulose from the branch. The result? Digesting very badly, the Plecostomus is capable of continuously expelling strings of cylindrical feces literally THREE FEET long that dangle and cover all the sand and rocks. It will dirty your aquarium 10 times more than it cleans it of algae.

The Night Vampire of Discus and Angelfish (Lethal Incompatibility):

Being lazy, big and always hungry, at night the Pleco looks for easy protein. If you put it in the tank with slow, round and flat fish like Discus, Angelfish or even harmless Goldfish, the Plecostomus in the dark will crawl towards them sleeping, attach itself laterally with its huge rasping mouth and begin to suck away all their mucus and live skin. In the morning you will find your expensive and magnificent cichlids full of horrible white circular infected sores on the side that will quickly lead them to death.

Fish profile

Temperament
Tendenzialmente Pacifico ma Estremamente Territoriale con i Consimili. Passa il giorno dormendo o nascosto; di notte si scatena sul fondale. Ignora completamente i pesci di mezz'acqua, ma lotterà brutalmente a testate e colpi di coda corazzata con altri Plecostomus adulti per il dominio della caverna o del legno principale.
Diet
Onnivoro Predominantemente Erbivoro (Spazzino Ligneo). Da giovani divorano le alghe morbide. Da adulti le ignorano totalmente aspettando il mangime. Richiedono pastiglie da fondo (wafer) al 70% di spirulina, verdura fresca ancorata sul fondo (zucchine tagliate a metà o patate) e legno da rosicchiare H24. Se affamati, la notte si attaccheranno ai fianchi dei pesci lenti e piatti (Discus, Scalari) per succhiargli il muco cutaneo, provocando ferite letali.
Tank level
Esclusivamente zona Inferiore e Vetri. Rimangono incollati col ventre ai tronchi o ai vetri.
Minimum group
1
Adult size
45 cm
Minimum tank
500 L
GH
4 dGH - 15 dGH
KH
n/a
TDS
n/a
Conductivity
n/a
Sex ratio
Singolo Esemplare (Wet Pet da Fondo). Non formano mai branchi da adulti. Mettere due maschi jumbo in meno di 2 metri sfocerà in ferite gravissime a causa delle spine sulle branchie e sul corpo. Dimorfismo difficilissimo (maschi con odontodi o "peletti" più pronunciati sulle pinne pettorali).
Feeding frequency
1 volta al giorno, rigorosamente e SOLO al momento dello spegnimento delle luci (sono pesci crepuscolari/notturni, di giorno il cibo verrebbe rubato).
Bioload
Estremo (Fuori Scala). Un Pleco da 40 cm produce filamenti ininterrotti di feci lunghi anche metri, impestando la sabbia di detrito lignino e intasando meccanicamente i prefiltri in un paio di giorni.
Flow
Corrente da Moderata a Veloce. Amano stazionare proprio sotto l'uscita della pompa di movimento aggrappati ai vetri.
Jump risk
Covered tank required
Reproduction
Covatori in Caverna Profonda (Impossibile in Acquario Domestico). In natura il maschio scava un profondo tunnel di un metro nell'argilla dell'argine del fiume, dove la femmina depone. In cattività, in acquari di vetro, non avviene praticamente mai (salvo nei laghetti tropicali artificiali in fango).
Compatibility
Mantenimento per 'Monster Tank' (Compagno dei Giganti). Il Pleco jumbo è la guardia del corpo ideale per vasche abitate da mostri sudamericani: l'Oscar, il Mida o il Giaguaro (anche se feroci) non riescono letteralmente a scalfire o mordere le placche d'osso del Plecostomus, che li respinge a codate uncinate. DA EVITARE categoricamente con Discus o Uaru per il gravissimo vizio notturno di succhiargli il mantello.

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.