Hypostomus Plecostomus - in The Aquarium

In The Aquarium

H. plecostomus is one of a number of species commonly referred to as "plecostomus" or "common pleco" by aquarists. The suckermouth catfish is named for its sucker-like mouth, which allows it to adhere to a surface, as well as to hold and rasp at food. These fish are sold when they are young and small, but they can grow to be a maximum size of 50 centimetres (20 in).

In the aquarium, this dark-colored, bottom-feeding, nocturnal catfish is often purchased for its ability to clean algae from fish tanks. Being nocturnal, they usually avoid light and like to hide in dark places, coming out to feed at night. However, in aquaria, they can learn to be active in the daytime. They can tolerate a range of conditions. In their natural habitat, this species feeds on algae, aquatic weeds and other plant matter and small crustaceans. While vigorous algae eaters when they are young and small, as they grow, they begin to phase out algae in favor of aquatic plants and other larger foods, and cannot thrive on a diet of only algae. Their diet should be supplemented with blanched leafy green vegetables such as romaine lettuce, kale, and spinach, as well as commercial sinking tablet food designed for herbivores, such as algae wafers, and small portions of meaty foods, such as whole table shrimp or krill. While respectable algae consumers when young, their large size and appetites actually make them impractical in this role except for very large aquariums. Indeed, the large amount of waste an adult produces may actually help feed algae and fuel more growth. Their role is better filled in the average hobbyists aquarium by invertebrates such as Caridina multidentata and various species of snails, or simply with regular maintenance with an algae scraping implement. Otocinclus spp. and Ancistrus spp. are related Loricariids, which are more suitable for algae-consuming purposes in the average hobbyists aquarium.