Hi.I have pleco that is 14 in.long in a 55g.tank that is about 8 years old.I have wondered how many alge disks I should give him,he likes to eat fish flakes at the top of tank,I give him 4 disks,is that enough,he's obviously living but is he getting enough?thanks woollady

Aside from the algae disks, your pleco is supplemented by natural occurring algae in your aquarium, along with any uneaten food particles.

Quite honestly, I feed none of my plecos and they have flourished quite well. My plecos range from 5-12".

ya I have never fed mine ither however I have only ever had one but I rased it from about and inch or two now it's a good 6 inches long the fastest growing fish I have ever had

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How long does it take for plecos to get big (5+in)?

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I get 2 inch plecos and grow them to 12inches in a year. 15inches in 2years. Most common plecos grow too big for your regular tanks. They need BIG tanks or ponds. I have 4 Gibbicep plecos and 4 albino golden plecos living in my 45000L pond. They range from 6inches to 15inches.

A better alternative is to get bristlenoe catfish (Ancistrus sp) to do the algae cleanups in your tanks. They only get up to 3-4inches MAX.

U can feed plecos and bristlenoses with blanched squash as well.
Algae wafers are just too expensive....

kev