Plecos

Plecostomus typically grow between 1" to 24" inches in captivity; however, some Loricariidae species can grow much larger, reaching up to 40" inches long. Plecos usually inhabit slow to fast moving waters in the wild, such as creeks of large rivers, a great example is the Amazon River, Xingu River and many other river systems throughout South America. Some hobbyists find plecos useful for keeping aquarium glass clean, but they will not remove all kinds of algae, some plecos are meat eaters, some plecos are omnivorous and some plecos get their food from digesting the microbes and fungi within the wood. A tank too small for plecos will harm their health as they need room to move, explore, and hunt for food, more emphasis on the front to back of the aquarium. For this reason, you should provide plecos with a tank that has ample space along with plenty of hiding places for plecos to feel safe and secure, such as pleco caves, wood, etc. Plecostomus are mainly nocturnal, so plecos can be more active during the evening hours but you will find that many actually do roam around the aquarium any time of the day. Plecos also require established and mature aquariums, so make sure to research plecos needs carefully before you consider buying one. There are currently 1,623 species of pleco (Loricariidae), with several new species of pleco being discovered each year.