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This page will give a completely detailed profile of the selected
fish, from A to Z. The profiled fish will be chosen randomly by Badman,
and will come from the complete genre of tropical fish. New profiles
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Pterygoplichthys (Liposarcus) multuradiatus
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Overview:
These peaceful and hardy fish have been in the hobby for a long time.
Growing quite large and showing a high level of intelligence, the Pleco
is sure to remain an aquatic favorite.
Quick stats:
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Listed tank sizes are the minimum
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| Size: |
Up to 20 inches! (50.0 cm) |
| Tank: |
48 inches when young, 72 + when adult |
| Strata: |
Bottom |
| PH: |
6.5 to 7.5 |
| Hardness: |
Soft to medium. dh Range 1.0-30.0 |
| Temperature: |
72 to 86°F (23-30°C) |
Classification:
| Order: |
Siluriformes |
| Family: |
Loricariidae |
| Genera: |
Pterygoplichthys |
Common name:
Pleco, Plec
Image gallery:
Additional
species photographs
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Distribution
Amazonia, in Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay.
General Body Form:
The Pleco is elongated and has an almost flat belly and a convex back
area. The most prominent feature is the large Dorsal fin, which has
one large ray and seven, soft rays, which can be easily seen when it
is extended. The tail fin is a mirror of itself with the lower edge
and upper edge both being identical. The mouth is ventral and large
and has on pair of barbells. They can grow quite large but usually stay
smaller in all but the biggest aquaria.
Coloration:
The overall coloration appears to be a dark Brown. The upper-side is
Brown with dark Brown spots and often has up to five wide dark transverse
bands. The belly is creamy white, without markings The fins are also
Brown, with rows of dark Brown spots between the rays. The nose has
a thin band connecting the nostrils.
Maintenance:
The Plecos are all twilight animals and are most active at this time.
Kept in a well large well planted community aquarium with pieces of
driftwood for scraping. A soft substrate is also beneficial as some
like to burrow. A diet high in vegetable matter is essential to their
health and can be supplemented with Romaine lettuce or boiled spinach.
Too much animal matter in the diet can cause digestive problems. They
generally leave small fish alone, but occasionally will eat any that
present themselves to them. They are hardy and undemanding in the water
parameters, but will do best in soft water with a temperature in the
mid seventies. The pleco is very long lived and will make a fantastic
addition to any tank.
Biotope:
Calm, slow moving waters of the amazon and its tributaries.
Breeding:
Breeding of members in the family Loricariidae has been done fairly
regularly. The aquarium should have tubes or clay pipes with a fairly
large diameter. The male will clean the site and will fan water over
the eggs and fry. At a temperature of about 70f the eggs will hatch
in about nine days. The fry will eat small flake food as well as baby
brine shrimp and algae scrapings. They are not the easiest to raise
and a bare bottom tank is best.
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