|
Belongs
to the Family Loricarridae
(Armour - plated catfishes). A very
beautiful species - even for those who regard plecos as an ugly but
necessary fish. Grows very large (more than 50 cm long) and is a
beauty to see with its dorsal fin in the erected position. Not very
tolerant of its own species, requires a big tank otherwise growth is
stunted and the fish is unhappy. Keeping more than one per tank
requires even more space. Gets very active in the dark though you
can regularly see him in the daylight (especially during feeding
time). Needs hiding places usually under rocks or driftwood. Eats
algae even when grown up. This particular species will not give way
to African cichlids not even to the biggest species. It happens very
regularly to see a sailfin pleco chasing an African in midwater
during the day. Believe it or not it is the cichlid that will give
up. Sailfin plecos do not interfere with spawning cichlids (at least
not up to now--they are currently about 23 cm long).
Minimum
tank size : 150 cm (one individual) 200 cm (two individuals).
Add another 50 cm for every additional fish. In small tanks the
growth is remarkably inhibited and the fish becomes lethargic and
underdeveloped. I initially purchased 5 individuals all the same
size. After two years, the ones in the 500 liter mbuna tank are
merely 13 cm long (two fish) while the ones in the 1300 liter tank
have exceeded 23 cm. This clearly shows that, for large fish, space
is important. Feed well at
night.
See next
page for more pictures. |
