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Common Plecostomus – What You Need To Know
AKA Common Plecostomus. These guys can get pretty large and in charge!
Classification Info
Scientific name: Hypostomus plecostomus
Family: Loricariidae
Max Size: up to 24 inches (~60 cm)
Water Type: Freshwater
Do We Love Them?
I would have to say they aren’t my favorite. They need a large aquarium which most people don’t have to house them in and they are poop machines. Don’t get me wrong, their personalities are great and they really love to munch on fresh veggies but for your everyday aquarist, I wouldn’t recommend them.
Overall the common plecostomus is generally most active at night as they are nocturnal fish but if you start feeding the fresh veggies some will come to associate you with food and adjust their schedules to being active during the day.
They are heavily armored and will do well with just about any fish except maybe the extremely aggressive ones like Flowerhorns or other types of cichlids. We had them with our Flowerhorn until she was about 4 inches and then she started chasing him around the tank so they had to be split up.
If you plan on getting a plecostomus for your tank, make sure you plan on upgrading the size or you can always opt for a pleco that doesn’t as large like the Clown Plecostomus or Bristlenose Plecostomus.
