Dumping My Pleco Into The River

[@GrantChasesFish]

I knew how big they got when I purchased mine. I’m making this video to inform people who may purchase this fish and not knowing how big they get.

[@alanwade7240]

Can you just put them in your pond

[@RedDemonIVKZ]

Hello I can see that your video is based on the common pleco I own 1 my self but there are other types of places that are small I know this as I own Bristilnose plecos

[@michelemarriott1724]

You are discussing the Common Pleco. It is a shame that LFSs don't tell customers how big they get. A much better choice is a Bristle-nose Pleco or a Clown Pleco.

[@lauradoop4153]

I didn't mean to spark a controversy. As a biologist, I also have a passion for ecosystems. I wish there was a solution for this problem. Invasive species are a continuous, if not ever emerging threat.

[@jamiejenkinson7029]

People seem to forget how many different types of pleks there are, only a hand full get to massive sizes the rest don't really grow past like 6 inches

[@lauradoop4153]

Many aquarium stores (not pet chain stores) will buy them back

[@GrantChasesFish]

I didn’t know that

[@cockatoode705]

Common plecos are absolutely worthless. I work at a fish store and we don't offer money and we'll sell an 18" one for $30 lmao.

[@lauradoop4153]

@@cockatoode705 ok criminal

[@Amin-zv8yi]

​@@lauradoop4153didn't know mentioning reality is a crime

[@houndgirl7365]

​@lauradoop4153 how? If anything they don't make a ton on the animal and the animal ends up going to someone who might need them. The same thing goes for reptiles given to reptile specialty shops they turn around and sell them. At least the person doesn't have to worry about it anymore who cares who profits off of it as long as they stay in captivity.

[@lovenlemons]

I work at a pet store and I always tell ppl how big they get. I’ve also had to refuse sales before because ppl have straight out told me that they don’t want a bigger tank so they buy a pleco and when it’s too big they release it into a body of water and go buy a new smaller one. They ask me why I won’t sell it and I tell them exactly what you stated here. Thankfully never got screamed at for it just got an “oh. I guess that’s fair then” or “well I’ll just get it at pet supply’s then” and they leave.

[@jasonsmith2439]

South Florida is over run by this species and it’s definitely hurting the ecosystem

[@guggstv]

This is a very common misconception. Plecos will not in fact clean your tank. They produce significantly more biowaste than they clean.

[@Lycramosa]

I've had people come in to the store I used to work at confused why their water parameters were off and fish were dying. They never did water changes, or test until then just topped off. They were like, I have a cleaner fish, why should I gravel vac or change water? XD...People, plecos and any other algae eaters/cleaner fish are not magical sponges that absorb everything bad nor do they consume fish waste and ALL types of algae.

[@Cherryblossoms110]

yep. snails are way better for algae control, and even then algae often isn't something you need to control

[@SRC267]

​@@Lycramosalittle critters do cleans tho, like daphnea, Moina, water louses, pond snails, etc.

[@Adnancorner]

That's a lie. I kept them in my tank for 5 years and my tank was squeaky clean, apart from some deep crevices in stone and corals everything was clean. Yes you need plants to absorb ammonia but still "they dont do anything but produce waste" is false.

[@Adnancorner]

@@Lycramosa well if they keep plastic plants ofcz the fish will die. You need a area for bacteria to colonize and clean the water and plants with fish. The plecos clean the glass, the inside of the tank.

[@SnakesBeSnaken]

Because of how large they get, I just love the idea of getting a huge pleco tank with a single pleco and a whole host of small tetras, like some kind of underwater dragon's lair.

[@hanifanzak]

Or you can put a single large pleco and a swarm of small species of plecos like bristlemouths and zebras.

[@iamironmansnap]

cool man

[@SnakesBeSnaken]

@@hanifanzak Too much pleco and too much focus on bottom tank species. Having a species that mostly sticks to the middle/ top and a species that mostly sticks to the bottom helps create a balance that wouldn't be there with more plecos, plus a small species or tetra wouldn't even be in the radar for a large pleco.

[@nightshade6755]

That's almost what I'm doing, I have a pleco in a 75 gal with some tetras and guppies. I love the small schooling fish then my pleco swimming out past them

[@Grimkahn1901]

I wouldn't advise it. Plecos become very carnivorous the bigger they get. So little tetras will be on the menu.

[@obliviouschad7141]

In my personal pond I used to have this sweet playful pleco that during feeding time learned if he put his mouth to the surface of the water he could slurp up the fish flakes. He was goofy and let me touch him, rest in peace my silly man ❤

[@Adnancorner]

I had similar experience. He use to sit on my fingers and try to clean them it was ticklish I still remember coming from school and playing with him. I missed that fish. died and in my tank.

[@crustaceanking3293]

also fun fact: plecos can survive out of water for up to a day. They have similar adaptations to lungfish where they can bury themselves in the dirt and temporarily mummify themselves to wait out dry periods, but revive when exposed to water. However, they can only survive like this for up to 20 hours.

[@10KC20MG]

That is a crazy fact, thank you for your contribution 🤩

[@goatingdayz]

That's awesome I have had my pleco for 2 years never knew that!!

[@tylermolnar]

well thats just not true your lucky if they survive a full day. they will be dead with in 2 for sure

[@crustaceanking3293]

@@tylermolnar I looked it up and you were right, I edited the comment accordingly. Thanks for letting me know :)

[@KA-vs7nl]

> can survive for many months out of water > can only survive up to 20 hrs Pick one

[@liampurvis]

Sounds like I'm going on holiday to America and visiting every river with hundreds of those guys 😂😂

[@hanifanzak]

Bristlenose plecos are recommended for smaller aquariums. They stay small and will eat algae all the time.

[@wadeboven6782]

As well as the clown pleco but they are quite lazy fellows

[@rudytheduck4776]

its because they prefer wood and meaty foods over algae.@@wadeboven6782

[@LukeKrepich]

​@wadeboven6782 I've had a clown for a few months and I almost never see him. Constantly hiding within the hard piece of the tank😂

[@unknowable4147]

I got some! Mine finally got sociable after getting used to me. Very cute and love to clean the undersides of whatever decorations I got in 😂

[@LooneyPort]

“Small” is relative tho. My bristly boy is about 5-6 inches

[@peace41101]

I work at petsmart. We warn people all the time but no one listens and sometimes we refuse to sell because of the information a buyer gives us

[@SailHatinSoap]

They DO tell you. It's on the tag on the tank with the price and information. Most people just don't care when they purchase. They get to 14+ inches.

[@Bumblesnitch]

Try 20+ inches.

[@SailHatinSoap]

@@Bumblesnitch depends on which one. Some breeds only get to 6 or 8 inches, some to 2 feet. Do some research on the breed of fish you want before you buy it. Those cute little sharks at petsmart get up to 14 inches as well. Don't blame the store because you didn't do your research

[@SailHatinSoap]

@@Bumblesnitch there's different kinds of plec just like there's different kinds of dogs. If it want a fish to eat algae in your freshwater community tank, there's many options. Do some research. Don't want algae in your tank? Clean regularly, gravel vacuum more often, and cut back on the amount of food you feed. Snails also make great algae eaters.

[@Bumblesnitch]

@@SailHatinSoap Brother I've been in the hobby for 20 years and sell plecos for a living working at a fish store. The video is about common plecos, which max out at around two feet. I'm well aware of the other species of plecos and their individual sizes.

[@AllOfNikkiA]

Lemme tell you, this guy had a 40 gallon tank and wanted 3 red eye albino plecos that get 24+ inches long. I told them how big they got and he still wanted them. My hands are pretty much tied.

[@ProjectLMZ]

Don’t have to worry because we live in Minnesota, water gets to cold!

[@FlyingLime]

Not to mention some species don't die when there's a drought. They just shrivel up till water is present again, and they're on their merry way. Lots of people get them to clean the tank. But if your tank has algae, it means it's a healthy aquarium. Algae is completely harmless to your fish, and even serves as a snack to most of them. Just scrape the algae off and do regular, frequent, high volume water changes (depending on the species of fish you have). People think getting a plecko will solve this, but it doesn't. They don't clean it very well or evenly, and end up increasing your bioload. Which only means you need to do more water changes. Snails aren't the best option either, they mass reproduce as well, and are a pain to get rid of, if you ever need to. Don't be lazy (not you, guy, just fish keepers in general). Clean your tank regularly.

[@mariahthebee06]

Is it just me, but are they actually super cute!😊

[@MegaBrainBoi]

If people really want something like a Pleco, may I recommend getting the bristlenose catfish or otherwise known as the Ancistrus Cirrhosus. They only get to about 3 to 5 inches so they are the smallest family of Pleco you can get.

[@beastynado]

For the big ones what's the best size fish tank for them?

[@c4onmylip]

​@@beastynado I'd say a 240. The commons get between 18 and 24 inches, they're huge.

[@beastynado]

@@c4onmylip how much gallon does that hold?

[@c4onmylip]

@@beastynado 240 gallons

[@ferdinand3und4zig]

Yeah, that's what we had when I was a kid. Two in a 240 liter tank. They also just had a lot of personality. Their bristles are unique per fish, little bit like they had different haircuts. Very cool animals. And a lot easier to keep.

[@AllOfNikkiA]

I work at petsmart and I tell people all the time how big they get. Customers wanna fight because they look small and think I’m lying. So I’m pretty much forced to give them a red eye albino which gets over 24 inches long for their 20 gallon tank… that’s on them, not me.

[@emilydotson3019]

We had one that we named Pleeko (I was like 10) and he outgrew our tank within like 6 months. Thankfully my grandmother had a pond that her and my papa built so he went to live with her. He was such a cool fish.

[@ferdinand3und4zig]

Where "The Pets gone to live with Grandma" actually isn't a euphemism. Had that too, although with a rabbit. We had Bristlenose plecos, two of them, and they definitely had the most personality in the tank. Definitely the fish I mourned the most. Though I don't remember their names anymore...

[@Yaboi_SD]

Him : nothing can can eat them Meanwhile my soft shell turtle : nice snack

[@katiezellers7106]

I work for a chain pet store and have had multiple fish customers become furious when I refuse to sell them a fish based on their set up or their lack if understanding of their set up. Im not even fully trained in aquatics and I know not to put a goldfish in less than a gallon of water with nothing in it. Had a lady scream at a coworker on christmas eve less than 30 minutes before we closed, because she wanted to mix 4+ ciclids of different species in a 10gal that she hadn't set up yet, she also said she used to breed ciclids, but she wanted to go cheap on the fish and got the tank for Christmas. Coworker rightly called her on it and she stormed off and karma bit her in the ass right away as she ran her cart into a stacker almost knocking her over. Also Ive learned people will come in acting like they know what theyre doing when it comes to fush but the second you mention how big they typically get they balk at it. Had someone tell me the pleco they just had me bag wasn't going to get to big if they kept it in a smaller tank. They did not buy a pleco that day but they did learn about nerite snails.

[@jasonsummerfield4505]

I’m in your exact same position at a pet chain store. Over the past few months I’ve been screamed at many times for refusing to sell people fish based on the information they give me. It’s actually insane how entitled people are when it comes to fish. They think just because they have money they deserve to have as many fish as they want. Truth is, I don’t give a damn. I treat the fish as I would selling any other animal, they deserve someone to advocate for them since they are subconsciously seen as lesser pets by most people. You are doing the right thing here, keep doing your thing, I’m right there with you.

[@Queen_elizabitch]

THANKYOU FOR REFUSING

[@Queen_elizabitch]

​@jasonsummerfield4505TYSM youre saving them

[@hannahm8504]

as a former chain pet store employee, this was a daily occurrence!!! i can't even count how many customers i refused, & had several separate occasions where i was yelled at cause they didn't wanna admit they were wrong. it surprised me how many people thought fish don't feel pain, they really are seen as objects. i'm a big animal lover, so it eventually became too much so i had to leave 🙁

[@YourFriendlyShapeShifterFriend]

They are the kind of people who kept teacup pig on their house because they thought it was a cute little idea...

[@cashview.shorts]

plus they can dig up banks of ponds and lakes which increases risk of soil erosion too

[@Osama_Zyn_Laden]

I would also say do not think that a pleco will just clean your tank on its own. They produced almost as much ammonia as a goldfish. So me personally, I wouldn't add them to my tanks. I've learned the hard way on that. Lost a few good fish.

[@teslapanda1412]

Impostor!

[@jacobstephenson5398]

Sounds like you don’t know what you’re doing

[@marvinnelson8839]

They’re so pretty

[@plecofan3200]

>hears the word "pleco" >instantly likes and subscribes

[@zachg5356]

I can get you tons of them. Up to about 20"

[@plecofan3200]

@@zachg5356 omg more plecos 🤑🤑🤑🤑

[@kiwiskinsuwu6066]

I love my bristlenose! She’s afraid of my tiny 1 inch freshwater crab, and he steals pleco wafers from her. Make sure to feed plecos or they’ll eat your more delicate plants! I have to stick a bunch of wafers in there now lol.

[@ethanmcleod8819]

Here in Florida they get so bad that they’ll flood up into creeks during heavy rain. There will be so many that you’d think you could walk across them an never get your feet wet.

[@mattkoch7473]

Unfortunately, they're invasive and harass the manatee. Bought 3 several years ago, knowing nothing about them. Was told they wouldn't get bigger than six inches... lol. They are now 11, 12.5 and 14 inches long. Well taken care of and run two filters for double the volume of the tank just to keep up with them... beautiful fish.

[@stormandynormandy7663]

Note that's only the common plecos the brislenose only grows to a max of 8 inches if your lucky.

[@ericmedina-verbeck827]

I worked at an aquarium and told the truth about EVERYTHING - cause it was my hobby too, so I had to figure it all out and then share that knowledge or else my little dudes would end up screwed! And when people wouldn't listen, well, I was lucky enough to work at a place that respected my knowledge ( and sales record) enough to let me make the judgement call, always. Please, listen to the employees and also do your research first - the little doods deserve better. So does the environment. Also, I think you need about a min of 90 -120 gallon if you really want to raise this thing and give it more than just a studio apartment. Size varies by species, but they get impressively massive.

[@joycewackerling9043]

Common plecos will prey on the other fish at night and rasp holes in the fishes' sides. Common plecos are omnivores and will require a meat based pellet or wafer. Mine went after my dojos one night. Luckily, the fishstore took back the plecos

[@c4onmylip]

They usually don't eat other fish unless they're scavenging. They'll suck the slime off of other fish though, shit's spooky looking if you've never seen it before.

[@Chriszapis]

I throw a Pleko in a local river one time. But i live in Brazil, and Plekos are native from here, so i think that's not to dangerous for the enviroment. Correct me if im wrong.

[@lupinb-par8010]

no animal, snail or algea eater, is going to clean the tank better than yourself. that's what i always tell people when theyre tryna buy "cleaner fish"

[@ny_cruz]

Wooow! That’s amazing. I feel like it’s like when I bought my snails I didn’t know they are prolific breeders😮. I’m thinking about buying shrimp but also saw that they breed a lot too. 😮‍💨

[@SailHatinSoap]

I used to refuse sale to anyone who didn't have a big enough tank. People literally lie to get them. PetSmart has a refusal policy.

[@lilythearcticfox]

Pleko's are still worth keeping because they're adorable!

[@reesereese9786]

The dumbest things ppl could say just wanting to start something when they know crap😂😂😂 it’s great honesty our society needs better leadership and education my gosh

[@GrantChasesFish]

Who are you talking about?

[@kitcat-xn1mn]

​@@GrantChasesFish either me or that commenter is having a stroke

[@FauxRegard]

There was literally not a single coherent thought anywhere to be found in that string of word vomit. I'd assume this is a bot but even they have a tighter grasp on basic sentence structure lmao.

[@reesereese9786]

@@FauxRegard dude it’s a joke and knowledge

[@phoenixessence8471]

I literally clicked on the link for this all set to rage at you for doing it. Such a pleasant surprise. Thank you for this PSA!!

[@KingZydo]

Plecos are also not necessarily good for tanks, it’s better if you just manually scrape the inside of the tank

[@rahulshah1408]

They are awesome fish. Full of personality.

[@TheMaddgodd81]

I work at Petsmart. I assure you, even if the Pet Care associate did not get trained correctly and so did not ask what size tank you had (to ensure you didn't set up a deathtrap for the poor animal) and tell you how large the fish could get, the information is printed clearly on the tag on the tanks. Please, everyone, make sure you read those tags; they have valuable information. And if you do go to a Petsmart to get a fish, or any animal, please understand why we always ask those annoying questions about tank sizes, experience level, and the like. We take care of these animals for a living; we want to make sure they go to a good home, where they will be well taken care of. And we will refuse to sell any animal if we feel that it would negatively affect the health and safety of our charges.

[@42seven]

"nothing can eat them" hold my drink

[@thefunnyfunpeople]

PEOPLE. PLEASE DO NOT DUMP ANY. ANY! I mean ANY fish or bought animal into a river or wild. This is a very big problem that will hurt our ecosystem

[@KellyeR1970]

We had a sucker fish that got to be around 24 inches long . This was in a 100-gallon chiclid tank. Even in the 100-gallon tank, it was just too big. We ended up selling him to the fish store we bought it at. They were actually thrilled to have it. The biggest issue for selling him was because he was a big bully. He would chase all the other fish, and they were too stressed. Definitely choose wisely and do your research on which sucker fish is going to suit your tank.

[@douggiles7647]

You should really stop saying that they help clean your tank too because they only eat algae or other fish's waste if you're not feeding them properly, so it gives the wrong idea. There are actually algae eating fish and invertebrates available for beginners but the plecostomus is NOT one of them, especially not common plecos.

[@GrantChasesFish]

They do eat some of the algae though

[@Bumblesnitch]

They'll pick on availability algae when they're younger but start needing more protein as they get a little bigger. Terrible cleaning fish in general.

[@locdshee18]

@@GrantChasesFish they eat the biofilm off stuff. great fish. and love the video. i just rehomed my sailfin for these reasons. plus i have other rarer plecos that are growing. just need to pull the chain on the zebra striped ones.

[@tansiwolf8281]

they are honestly one of my favorite fish lol main reason I used to keep a tank.

[@aimeeh5898]

I gave mine to my pet store . They were so happy to take him

[@dominicormston]

Whoa, that pleko drank the river...

[@senselessplace]

Good info :3 this is actually my favorite fish to see in aquariums XD

[@Blackopme]

They get really big - proceeds to show a tiny Pleco haha 😂

[@andrianaturcotte2705]

Thank you for properly educating on plecos

[@EMC1721]

I had one of these and an Oscar at the same time. They were HUGE and we kept them in a gigantic tank... it was awesome

[@disneybunny45]

When I worked at Petsmart, I told everyone who wanted a pleco that it was a bad idea and they should get a couple of corys or snails. The only ones I felt comfortable selling a pleco to were people with large, established tanks.

[@marshmallowbiscuit4553]

My grandma's pleco got to 2 and a half feet. She didn't know they got so big, but was happy to keep accommodating him. He was her baby and lived 9 years. She didn't name him though idk 💀

[@SilverTundra_410]

AWWW I LOVE PLECOS!! BTW peppermint plecos stay small, sailfin plecos grow

[@scapegoatiscariot2767]

Snails are a must. Snails will take care of a fish that's died and you can't see it. This prevents an ammonia Spike due to the dead fish. For those who have multiple fish, too many to keep track of, snails are the way to go. The babies can get in tight places other algae eaters cannot. If you get too many and would like to remove some, drop canned green beans or Hikari algae wafers, any solid food they will eat will do. They will gather up on it in 12 hours and you can scoop them out.

[@jessicagoodrich5248]

They don't tell you because you are a Google search away from finding the max growth size of any breed of fish these days. It use to be on the tag with the tank. They double in size because you buy them for the reason you said, to clean the tank. Eventually the tank will be so clean that you'll have to buy algea wafers to supplement the plecos food source. At this point it will slow down on growth tremendously. I have a 90 gal. tank. I'm not an avid keeper anymore, but I once was. I now have a Mango Pleco for this reason. They have certain breeds now that have extra large mouths that won't grow past 6 inches. But as for your common pleco, I once raised a Peter Plecostomus to be 16.5 inches long. They can and will get HUGE. There are free swimmers and bottom feeders. The common is a free swimmer. Very good cleaner ❤ I'm also a fan of crayfish.

[@rebekaht1182]

I work at a large pet store and this is one of the things i constantly have to fight customers on because they don't beleve me.

[@Shaddowxxi]

There's a lot of pleco species that stay pretty small. Bristlenose are probably the easiest to find for most people. Fully grown, they're like 5 inches.

[@clonejones7955]

I'm not a fish person but he looks like a little black shark.Theyre beautiful in a different way.

[@thenukethatblewupblackmesa7053]

Thats why i like sticking with mystery snails, and cory catfish. Theyre both very peaceful and perfect for community tanks!!

[@andyd2528]

I had one from a tiddler for about 5 or 6 years. It grew very quickly. In the end it was too big for the tank. It was well over a foot long. I didn't throw it in the river. I gave it to a specialist aquarium keeper that had some huge tanks. I had to smile when his wife said she'd never seen one that big. Fnar fnar.

[@shawnpeal1209]

Yeah, my mom had me help her build a small pond in the back yard when she was tired of her aquarium. Moved her goldfish and 'algae eater' into it. Fast forward 3 years, all the goldfish were long gone ... and draining the 'pond' found the very alive and healthy 'algae eater' about 12" long and about a pound in weight. Would love to say it got rescued to another environment, sadly only salt water bays here.

[@who_am_i_9]

that’s why at our pet store we tell people how big they get and won’t let people by them unless they have a big enough tank

[@kuroda130]

As some others have said, plecos are actually awful for cleaning aquariums. Yes they might eat some algae here and there but they poop so much they will actually make your tank dirtier and you'll have to do more frequent water changes. If you want to add something to your aquarium to help clean it shrimp are generally the best option. Some snails are okay but do research because some types breed out of control.

[@he4rt5]

feel like saying "pick snails" as a "kick rocks" alternative😂

[@RabblePack]

Spot on. The majority of fishkeepers do not have space for a 18-24" long shitting machine.

[@morganmclaughlin4488]

Had one that grew to be 14 inches long and lived to be 12 years old. He was massive. He used to swim to the top of the tank and let me drop food right into his mouth. He always liked to be pet. I miss him. 😢

[@kimara2336]

As a child we had one of these. It was the second fish for our 10 gallon tank we ever bought. 10 years later when we removed the tank we we went back to the fish shop and gave them the sucker fish for their indoor “pond”. It grew to about 6-7 inches, but stopped growing after that. I didn’t know they could get bigeger

[@HussainAhmed-rd5ed]

Someone dropped some in one of the river in Bangladesh. Now the whole river is full of this fish 😂😂😂

[@botpogo2085]

never try to throw away animals that are not native to an environment, because this will endanger the environment of the native animals, often fish, birds or other animals actually take over the habitat of local animals and ultimately cause local animal populations to disappear, btw good content to be reminder to all people to choose wisely for a pet👍👍

[@llandynlubs9203]

I used to have a pleco that survived the fish tank breaking so we kept him in a home depot bucket in our back yard for about a year

[@prkchoptv8663]

Facts. Someone got that idea way back 25-30yrs ago, they release that fish in one of the polluted river in the metro. True they multiply and grow fast and saw hundredssss big as house cat. idk if it level up the river but I notice their unique pungie stinky smell.

[@estevan1918]

Cory Catfish are an option for smaller catfish that are very small and stay around 1-2 inches even at max length. Theyre one of the easier and cuter to see, theres also glow species of them, Petco sells them. Im a fish person for the company

[@Mulm3h]

For those get confused, not all pleco grow to a very big size. Some are tiny and stay tiny also became collectible and at a very high price

[@omarluna5840]

I had one for nearly ten years. He grew a good amount.

[@brentmckinnon7762]

I love plecos and often people know how large they get but will still buy them with the intention of getting rid of it once it get too large. As for the snails, rather Trumpets Snails over mystery snails, trumpets serve as a double benefit in a tank, unlike the mystery snails, the trumpets will go into the substrate and aerate the substrate and keep it In a good condition, especially if it's a very sandy/ fine substrate.

[@jr_8712]

I had no idea how big plecos get when I got mine. It wouldn’t stop growing. Got over 14” in length in my 30 gallon tank. Miss my big boy.

[@lynbabysusu]

We were shocked to see how big they grow too! We had one in our indoor aquarium, then we moved it to the outdoor pond. Holy moly it got so big we thought a monitor lizard was in our pond

[@sydneybenson811]

If you want a Pleco that doesn’t turn into a giant. Look into Bristle Nose Plecos! Please also look into the proper care for them though. They’re so unique and beautiful! 🤍

[@iami5124]

They also create holes in the sides of rivers which can cause landslides and floods. they are edible, so if you like fishing and live in place with pleco problems you should investigate some dishes

[@ifizzlesizzle1]

There was a boom of aquarium industry in my community when i was young and a similar fish to that that we aptly called janitor fish was one of the aay popular ones. But as it waned, fish tank owners as well as fish sellers apparently dumped and abandoned the fishes in the nearby fishing lake. And as those fishes are not native, they became invasive, and grew massively and eventually, they kinda dominated the fishing lake. Fishermen learned how to cook the janitor fishes and it took them years to get the lake back to what it was.

[@ollieworth7341]

I got mine when I was little, prob around 6-7. Tiny little baby. After it ate everything else in my 30 gallon including my dwarf frogs I gave it to my neighbour and it still lives in that pond. I can reach in and grab it, it never hides and doesn’t bother the gold fish and koi. The thing is so big that my neighbour was thinking about expanding the pond because it’s outgrowing it

[@imhyperer-P]

I know not all stores do it, but there are stores that will go over care needs for the fish as well as ask questions to make sure you have the right size and type of kf aquarium vefore selling you the fish. But unfortunately not everyone actually cares for the care needs and some people will lie

[@ICommentOnRandomVideosIFind]

Spread the message!

[@eazyhero6256]

What that Aquariums are pure Animal abuse ?

[@guruj8827]

Yep best thing to do is flush it down the shitter I guess

[@VaunXox]

Spread the bunghole!

[@leehadley1971]

Wait, you have angelfish AND goldfish in the same tank? They require entirely different temperatures, not to mention the aggression from the angels. I hope that this is a temporary tank? You are 100% on point about the plecos, tho. Incase anyone was wondering, theres an albino type pleco that only gets 4-6 inches in size vs the normal bleck spotted ones that get up to 10-14 inches! Just food for thought. Great video. 👍

[@opatrick1961]

Snails in an aquarium can turn into a nightmare. Thousands of them everywhere, and the gravel will churn with them. Then you need a large fish that eats snails. The only thing that cured my snail problem was storing all my tanks and filters in dry storage over a PA winter.

[@missheard]

I bought one and it was a little over an inch long. I named him King because he loved sitting in the little hole in this rock that we had so he was the “king of the hill”. Anyways, after a while, all of my gold fish were coming up dead. There would be no damage to them and they would just randomly die. It wasn’t until I was sitting in the back room late one night and watched him ram into a gold fish and killed it. We went from a 20 gallon with him and six other fish to just him by himself. He started to grow so big that we continued to take things out the tank so he could move around without knocking it over. After a while, I went to do a water change and realized he had thorns all over his body and was almost as long as the tank was. The fish net no longer worked for him so we had to use a strainer and it got harder and harder as he grew. Finally, one night, we heard something that sounded like it hit the floor. I wasn’t going to check to see what it was. I minded my business 😂😂😂. When I woke up, King was dead on the tile floor. That was the very end of me ever owning fish again. He lived from when I was in the 7th grade until I was in my early 20s. Too long for the drama he caused 😂😂

[@nguyentrongnhan6908]

that’s what’s happening in Vietnam, now, they are in rivers, streams, channels, lakes, ponds, everywhere

[@rayney__]

when i used to work at a pet store i told everyone they got huge the number 1 response was”they don’t usually live long so it’s ok” wish i could’ve refused sale. even offered slightly more expensive tank cleaners that stayed small don’t understand some people

[@racheltunnell5787]

Hey y’all. Just to let you know is that there are different types of plecos. The “common pleco” is the one he is talking about. I think they can grow up to two to three feet. There is also a bristle-nose pleco wich in rare cases can get to 6 inches. So when you buy a pleco just look at the kind it is and look at it closely. Also there are Zebra, Gold Nugget, Rubber Lip, Royal plecos. So sure I say plecos are amazing! Just make sure you get the right one.

[@xmisoryeio]

I had a pleco I loved him he was so cool had him for 11ish years

[@alexander-mauricemillamlae4567]

We had a few of those. One time when I was about 3 years old and we were moving houses, my mother was emptying out the aquarium. Things were going well, she threw the decorations in the trash and put the aquarium in the semitruck we used to move, and didn't count the fish. UNTIL. Suddenly, a few minutes later, a loud kind of shriek or scream could be heard in the house. My parents tried to pinpoint it but couldn't find it for over 20 minutes; until one of them got the idea to check the trash. And there he was, screaming his gills off, sitting in his favourite decoration house. After the water had flowed out, he began screaming until found and put back into water. That f*cker lived for another 13 years after that event.

[@sydneeh571]

Some sailfin plecos have been known to reach as big as 24" long when given enough space and proper diet in the aquarium! Their MAIN source of food is actually driftwood, and the reason they stunt or dont grow to full size is due to them needing to survive on only algae in poor aquarium set ups. They also prefer highly aerated water with a strong water flow, and a sandy substrate. They also love harder waters that are cooler rather than warm, which makes them terribly incompatible with most tropical aquariums that they're put into.

[@vickyrandall4334]

As someone who wprked in a chain pet shop in UK for around 10 years, I can't tell you how many times I refused to sell a pleco because of the tank size. I was verbally abused by so many customers who simply did not believe me. I think people thought I was being paid to sell them different species when in reality, I was recommending species like certain snails or shrimp or smaller bottom feaders like sucking loach or otocinclus.

[@zunky5850]

9/10 pet store employees do tell you how big they get, the customers not paying attention or don’t care until it’s way to late

[@gregregor9689]

I used to fish the bayous in downtown Houston, and I’ve seen some reach 16-18 inches. In very small channels too.

[@annvandernest4971]

Not me having four Pleco eaters

[@escaperofreality]

Also there are small ones, that won't outgrow the aquarium. You have to inform yourself beforehand if they fit your tank. And most stores take the fish even back

[@charmh.422]

I was collecting water samples at this river and I kid you not, I saw a pleco and it was longer than my boots, this thing was huge. It was reported to fish and wildlife and they came and managed to catch it. For years pet stores weren't allowed to bring them in. But a man started breeding them locally and made it so that they only grow 4 to 5 inches in length. This locally raised pleco is the only one pet stores can carry and sell.

[@LilyHawlPlays]

Fr.. When I bought him he seemed cute. I had him for 3 years almost until I couldn't take care of him. I can't describe he's size, he was a big as my hand or so (tall not fat) and so I had to get a 20L fish tank just for him. Until he wanted more food than what my tank could give him and so we sold him back to the pet market.

[@theshipmasterbanished3902]

I like how when humans don’t want an animal anymore they put it back in the wild while never thinking of the consequences of doing so.

[@guesstime6445]

I remember we had that fish. RIP Oscar. Had to of been over 10 years old.