# rubberlip pleco?



## Lydia (Feb 6, 2005)

would it be alright to put a rubberlip pleco in a 15 gallon?


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## chrisinha (Jan 24, 2005)

i looked at planet catfish's catelog but there's no info on what size it reaches. you should post this either on the catfish/bottom feeders forums or at planet catfish!


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

most likely no, considering most plecos outgrow tanks three times that size.


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

Rubberlip plecos do not grow as big as reg. plecos...


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

still the smallest I know of is 6 inches when full grown... 15 gallons is pushing it


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## flynngriff (Jan 19, 2005)

Chrisinha is right, it's not easy to find info on these little guys!

I looked everywhere I could find, and didn't have any luck finding out their max size. I did look at a few other plecos from the same genus, and they all grew to between 4-5 inches. I'd guess that the rubberlip would be around that as well.

It would definitely be pushing it in a 15 gallon tank. I wouldn't put one in less than a 20 gallon, and I'm pretty bad about overcrowding...


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## neb123 (Feb 3, 2005)

rubber lip plecos stay small, only about four inches, it should be fine in a 15 gallon if you buy a small one and let it grow into the tank, ive had one in my 30 gal for about 2 months now, hes only an inch and a half or so and my tank is spotless


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

That or get 3 otos, I've had 3 in my 55g, no losses either when I got em. They are supposed to be sensitive but mine are thriving.


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## Lydia (Feb 6, 2005)

i saw on the description at the store that it gets to be 4 inches, and they are pretty reliable....i just wanted to make sure there wasnt any special thing about them that i should know....i was considering getting some cuz they were cool lookin and i didnt see any otos....would it help any that the tank is fairly heavily planted? i read somewhere that you can put bigger fish into a heavily planted tank, but i dont know if thats true...


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## MyraVan (Jan 19, 2005)

> i read somewhere that you can put bigger fish into a heavily planted tank, but i dont know if thats true...


That is completely FALSE. You've got it slightly confused. You can put more "inches of fish" in a heavily planted tank. Like, if your tank is a 10 gallon, then the "inches of fish" rule says that you could only put 5 zebra danios in it, since they're 2 inches long as adults. But if you have lots of plants, they will absorb some of the ammonia the fish produce, so you'll be able to keep more zebras in your tank than just 5. However I'm not sure just how many more. I haven't seen a rule that says how much fish it's sensible to have in a planted tank... (Can any experienced fishkeepers tell me how many zebras one could keep in a heavily planted 10 gallon tank???)

But that still doesn't mean that you can keep larger fish in your tank. For example, the concencus seems to be that say, an adult bushynose pleco is too big for a 10 gallon tank, and no amount of plants is going to change that!


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## Lydia (Feb 6, 2005)

sorry....i didnt really say what i meant....thats pretty much what i meant....what is the concensus for a rubberlip in a 15 gallon though?


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## MyraVan (Jan 19, 2005)

I don't have any plecos, but earlier this year when I was looking for an algae eater for my 20 gallon unheated tank, one guy on Planet Catfish first recommended a Chaetostoma (the scientific name for a 
rubberlip pleco), but then, re-reading what I'd written, he wrote "Also, without heavy currents, the tank might be a bit small for Chaetostoma." Since my 20gal tank "might be a bit small for Chaetostoma" I'd say that your tank probably is too small for one, at least too small for an adult one to be happy in.

(In case you're wondering, I got some hillstream loaches. They don't eat very much algae, but they are cool fish anyway.)


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

5-6 Zebras in a heavily planted 10 gallon tank. You really can't keep more fish in a heavily planted tank as one would think. They still need adequate room to move about and territories to claim. You can get away with a heavier bio-load (assuming all things are equal) and thus maybe more robust fish types.


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

I would not get the pleco


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## Lydia (Feb 6, 2005)

Simpte @ Tue Mar 08 said:


> 5-6 Zebras in a heavily planted 10 gallon tank.  You really can't keep more fish in a heavily planted tank as one would think.  They still need adequate room to move about and territories to claim.  You can get away with a heavier bio-load (assuming all things are equal) and thus maybe more robust fish types.


zebra whats? and i have a 15 gallon tank, not a 10......so i should probably just ignore the fact that it is heavily planted when i decide what size/kind/quantity of fish to buy? or maybe just allow for a little bit more, but not much?


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

Why not get some Otos as I mentioned before? They are very cute and personable and only get 1.5"
If you dont have an algae problem I wouldnt add anything


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## Lydia (Feb 6, 2005)

Lexus @ Tue Mar 08 said:


> Why not get some Otos as I mentioned before? They are very cute and personable and only get 1.5"
> If you dont have an algae problem I wouldnt add anything


if i can find some, i will get some....i do have an algea problem....not a particularily bad one, but a problem nonetheless....either way, i am definately going to add more fish....whether or not they are algea eaters....i will look at otos, though.....do yoiu happen to have a link to a site with a picture of an oto that would be alright to put in my tank? and also should they be kept in groups? because i dont really want to get more than 3 of them....otherwise they wouldnt have anything to eat!


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

Most people say groups but I have 3 in a 55g. I think 3 would be fine. 
Check this site out http://www.otocinclus.com/


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## Lydia (Feb 6, 2005)

they are really cute! their shape reminds me of that of a common pleco....if i can find some of those, i might get those


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