# Why isn't my pleco growing?



## evgeney96 (Jun 5, 2011)

a pic of him 1.5 years ago

















a pic today










Pretty much no difference.
I give him algae waffles every night and the occasional zucchini


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## GMYukonon24s (May 3, 2009)

Maybe your pleco is at it's max size.


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## musician71604 (May 5, 2012)

What size tank do you have him in? Sometimes their growth will be stunted if they're in too small of an aquarium.


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## evgeney96 (Jun 5, 2011)

musician71604 said:


> What size tank do you have him in? Sometimes their growth will be stunted if they're in too small of an aquarium.



55 gallons, he is a mere 3.5 inches in length


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## ADJAquariums (Jul 5, 2012)

what kind of pleco? some don't grow larger than that


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## nikonD70s (Apr 6, 2008)

he looks thicker and better in the after pic. not sure what kind of pleco it is. but like someone said. maybe its already maxed out? and some pleco's are really slow growers.


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## Snowflake311 (Apr 20, 2011)

That's a sail fin (Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps) pleco they can get HUGE 20" in the wild. I say 12" is average for these guys in a average home aquarium. They do take some time to grow. BUT feeding and what you feed can be the problem. I bet he is not getting enough food. That would cause him to be stunted. Or He could have been stunted from the start in the pet store. 

I thought about getting a Sail fin today it was 2" and had no tail poor thing. But did not get it because they can get big. 

Tank raised fish tend to be smaller then the wild caught fish. The tank raised fish can be a bit quick to stunt because they start off life in very tight poor conditions most of the time. If you don't want him I will take him. I want a stunted gibbi they are such pretty plecos.


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## Jeffww (Aug 6, 2010)

Low protein diets = small catfish. 

Catfish grow an almost an inch a month on a high protein diet.

Try feeding him a meatier wafer like NLS wafers or something.


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## sayurasem (Jun 17, 2011)

Aren't pleco somewhat an ancient fish? They live for a long time so maybe take times to grow?


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## CrypticLifeStyle (Jan 16, 2013)

I'd start giving him 2 wafers a day. I have one that seemed to stunt a couple months ago. I doubled his daily diet, and now growing fast. Bigger they get, the more they eat. Seedless organic grown cucumber is good too. Maybe a cholla stick too.


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## Magnum26 (Feb 25, 2013)

My plecs scoff 2 thick slices cucumber within 24 hours. 

Sounds like your plec needs more food.


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## gray_fox (May 9, 2011)

I feed mine Three cucumbers a day and he grows like a weed! He never seems to wait for them to sink either, just attacks them at the surface and drags them down lol! Before i started feeding him cucumbers, i was just giving him the waffers too and he also stayed small. As soon as i changed up the diet, it was like a fire was lit in the growth dept..... lol


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

Would be more concerned bout the chip's in the glass in first photo.
They look deeper than I would be comfortable with.


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## Barbgirl (Feb 24, 2012)

Also the plant in the first photo is not actually aquatic.


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## Magnum26 (Feb 25, 2013)

^ it is now... Lol


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## Ceri-rust (Feb 11, 2013)

Looks in poor condition, high protein is a must!


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