Plecostomus | Common Plecostomus

Scientific Name: Hypostomus plecostomus Common Name: Plecostomus, Pleco Fish, Suckermouth Catfish, Armor-Plated Catfish Adult Size: 24 inches Life Expectancy: 10+ years Habitat: Peru, Brazil Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallon Ideal Tank Conditions:  Temperature Range: 66 - 79° F pH Range: 6.5 - 8.0 Water Hardness: 1 - 25 Temperament: Peaceful Diet & Nutrition: Omnivore but the bulk of their diet is algae. They will eat undesirable algae and will generally not harm plants. Also feed supplements including algae wafers, green foods and sinking pellets to make sure they don't starve. Some supplements that can be offered include vegetables like blanched spinach, lettuce, and peas as well as live worms, small crustaceans, and insect larvae. Breeding & Spawning: Reproduction in aquarium setting extremely difficult. This fish is bred in large quantities in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Florida. They are bred in large commercial fishery ponds where a spawning pit is fanned out in the side of