Species Profile

Common Pleco

Hypostomus plecostomus

Also known as: Suckermouth Catfish, Plec

Plecospeaceful

Adult size

18″

Minimum tank

125 gal

Temperature

72–86°F

6.5–7.5

Schooling

Solitary OK

Water level

bottom

Diet

Algae wafers, sinking pellets, veggies, driftwood

Notes

Sold as a small algae eater but reaches 18-24″ and produces enormous amounts of waste. Outgrows every standard home tank. Get a bristlenose, clown, or rubber-lip pleco instead if you want an algae eater for a community.

Build a tank →Photo credits

Photo: Ayesha46 / Wikimedia Commons · Source · CC-BY-SA-4.0