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The Trinidad Pleco – Not an Algae Eater for Every Tank

Common PlecoHello, Jason here with some lesser known facts about a very commonly purchased fish. Also known as the Common Pleco, the Trinidad Pleco, Hypostomus plecostomus, may be one of the most frequently offered algae-eating “sucker fish” in the aquarium market. It is sought after by many freshwater aquarists to solve their algae problems. But, the fact that is that though these fish can be effective algae eaters in a tank, they grow too large for most home aqauriums.  A full grown Trinidad can grow to a length of 24 inches. That is about the same length as a 20 gallon tank. They have a pretty rapid growth rate, so it does not take them long to outgrow most tanks. Realistically, they should have a tank that is a minimum of 150 gallons, and even a tank of that size may not give these fish enough room to turn and move about freely. Read More »