What is this?

[windyhill2]

The LFS called it a 'Butterfly" Pleco & said it would be 4-5" max.
Any info would really be appreciated.
This picture was taken 2 months ago & it's grown about an inch since then.
Will try to get a more recent photo .
Thanks!

[Acanthicus]

Pterygoplichthys joselimaianus aka L 1
The body looks kind of short to me?. Here a picture to compare: http://www.l-welse.com/gallery/files/1/ ... 7_1200.jpg

[Birger]

Have a look through

Pterygoplichthys

specifically

Pterygoplichthys joselimaianus

Look closely at the sizes involved keeping in mind the measurements are in SL, meaning not including the caudal fin(tail fin)

Birger

[windyhill2]

Thanks Daniel & Birger, That's my fish! Is it really going to be 12"? It's in my 55 gal The LFS told me it was a small variety.
Is the joselimaianus considered a sailfin pleco?

[MatsP]

Your LFS misinformed you. The less cynical view of this would be that they just mistook the fish. Yes, they will grow big, and definitely outgrow the 6-7" max size that a 55g tank is ideal for.

--
Mats

[windyhill2]

Yes, they will grow big, and definitely outgrow the 6-7" max size that a 55g tank is ideal for.

--
Mats

How disapointing. Got it a couple months ago but I already love this fish. It's so much fun to watch & is not at all shy like some catfish I've had...
Any suggestions on something small with similar temperment, showy fins, color etc...? I'm not a big fan of the look of the bristlenose fish so other than those?

[sidguppy]

you can keep it for now, but once it'll go past 6" or so, you'll see it gets too big

there's 2 things you can do: upgrade the tank (and you'll need a huge tank for it...) or trade it in.

unfortunately there's a nasty choice:
-good looking L number
-good algae eater

most of the other fancy colorful L numbers (Hypancistrus, Gold Nugget Plecs etc) are not really good at cleaning up algae

Bristlenoses are good, but i agree, they're kinda bland. the few that look different (like the true Ancistrus dolichopterus) are difficult to keep and fairly fragile.
Chaetostoma is another choice for a very good algae eater, they don't bust out the tank and normally theyre fairly cheap
they need a lot of current/oxygen to be happy and the tank shouldn't be too warm though.
this is a nice example of Chaetostoma that do fine in a small tank:

Chaetostoma formosae

I think it's quite good looking, but YMMV

[sunfish]

If it's any concolation, L1 DOES stay a lot smaller than the common sailfin P. gibbiceps.

I really don't know why nobody likes bristlenoses. For your tank have a look at Hypancistrus, Peckoltia or the smaller Panaque. Hypancistrus can be pretty but are rather nocturnal. I'd have a closer look at

Peckoltia compta

. It is very pretty, quite common and also rather "brave".

Chaetostoma are fun, but they live in cold water rapids, so they need cool water with loads of oxygen and preferable a lot a current which does not make a good commnity tank.

[sidguppy]

depends on what you want to add, but a little extra powerhead is easily placed
those Hydor coralia for example work with a magnet exactly like an algae cleaner

they're tiny, use little electricity, but even a small one easily adds 300G/H extra current

that's a LOT if you have a 55G tank with 1 external filter.

and you can skip the heater!
aquarium heaters are THE most energy consuming gizmo's we have in our hobby

often the heater consumes 4 times as much as all the lights, filters and powerheads combined.


there are also quite a lot of other fish available these days that do fine in similar tanks.

Scleromystax barbatus, Aspidoras, Rineloricaria, Corydoras hastatus, Corydoras aeneus, C paleatus, some Auchenipterids and other catfishes do fine in room temperature tanks
several characins too; Moenkhausia spp, Aphyocharax etc

with energy (oil!) prices going the way they go at the moment, do not underestimate the importance of fish that can be kept in unheated tanks
;)

[MatsP]

I quite like bristlenoses myself, they are real characters - and they certainly have personality (and individual fish will be "different" - so you can't expect two fish to be the same).

Unfortunately, one of the really hard things in life is to recommend fish, curtains, clothes, wall paper or girl-/boy-friends to other people unless you REALLY know them WELL, because it's really about taste and we all know that this is very different between different people [and a good thing, that is too]. And of course, I may recommend the "perfect" fish to you, only for you to find that it's not at all available anywhere near you, or it is far too expensive for your budget, or something else like that.

If you have (another?) LFS that may have a few plecos in stock, go find out what they have - don't buy it immediately [if you are reasonably regular customer, most shops will "hold" fish for you for a few days], then ask here what we think about it. Try to find out the scientific name.

--
Mats

[windyhill2]

Thanks for the information.
The Chaetostoma Formosae would work (or is my tank too warm?)..eats algae, 4" etc.. & has a cute puppy dog face. To me anyway.
And I like the markings on the Peckoltia Compta alot as long as it can handle my high pH.
My tank is kept at 78-79 degrees, pH is 8.2, has 2 aqua tech 30-60 filters so there is alot of current. Stock: 1 angel, 2 silver dollars, 3 tetras, 5 rosy barbs, a blue gourami & my pleco.

MatsP: I can appreciate what you mean about peoples taste!

I will definately check with the forum I get another Pleco!