Gigantic Placo found in a bayou

[insomniaclush]

A few months ago my girlfriend and I were over @ the cingular building on 610/galleria feeding the fish and turtles behind this building. And I saw this very large placo @ that time hanging out around the stones. So just yesterday there we were feeding the animals again and there was the placo but now this guy is like 2ft or more long. I guess he calls that little corner his home. I wanted to catch him for my pond but I just couldn't be that guy, plus he must love it there given his size and everything.

[Delock]

Re: Gigantic Placo found in a bayou

yeap....I know right where you talking about.  it's not uncommon to find plecos in buffalo bayou from 610 to downtown.

[CichlidFan]

Re: Gigantic Placo found in a bayou

Welcome to the box, thanks for sharing your sighting with us, might you be able to get a picture of him?
That would be cool.

CF

[semper]

Re: Gigantic Placo found in a bayou

there was actually a big article on the chronicle a few years back

on the destruction these plecos cause in our bayous

[dblondfemme]

Re: Gigantic Placo found in a bayou

wow...they must not be related to the plecos in my tanks....I can barely get them to move....let alone be destructive lol.

[Delock]

Re: Gigantic Placo found in a bayou

wow...they must not be related to the plecos in my tanks....I can barely get them to move....let alone be destructive lol.

The destructive part is borrowing holes into the sides of the bayou.

[insomniaclush]

Re: Gigantic Placo found in a bayou

Welcome to the box, thanks for sharing your sighting with us, might you be able to get a picture of him?
That would be cool.

CF

Next weekend depending on the water level I'll hunt him down and snap a few shots!

[fishlady]

Re: Gigantic Placo found in a bayou

welcome to the box insomniaclush....cool about the fish in the bayou....good luck on getting cichlidfan a photo of the big guy.....
of course we'd all get a thrill out of seeing it too i'm sure.......

but again welcome to the box........

[wolfbane]

Re: Gigantic Placo found in a bayou

Plecos are very bad for the ecosystem of our bayous, that article a few years back described the habitat damage they caused, and , if I remember right, called for the destruction of the plecos. I have seen some in my nearby creek/bayou too.

[insomniaclush]

Re: Gigantic Placo found in a bayou

Ok i hear you guys
and I understand when one foreign animal is introduced into a different ecosystem can cause havoc.
So question is, next time I see this guy should I try to catch him? I do have room if that makes any difference.

[Mzungu]

Re: Gigantic Placo found in a bayou

I don't see a problem, if you have room for him. Just make sure to quarantine him!! Who knows what the bayous around here are carrying... :?

I've caught non-native plecos before, and still have them. I think as long as you don't plan on releasing them into the wild later on, it's perfectly fine.  :)

[jeb102385]

Re: Gigantic Placo found in a bayou

ihave heard storys of people pulling them out of the amazon and them being five feet long

[Mzungu]

Re: Gigantic Placo found in a bayou

ihave heard storys of people pulling them out of the amazon and them being five feet long

Where have you heard this??

[Zulaab]

Re: Gigantic Placo found in a bayou

The largest common pleco I can find out about, comes in around 2-2.5ft range...  a 5ft size I am sure is attainable in a river system, but I would say you would only find one or two fish that size... I would imagine most would stay around that 2ft size.

[insomniaclush]

Re: Gigantic Placo found in a bayou

I agree
The largest one I've ever had in one of my tanks was 14 inches in length, though in a very large tank and I had him for 10 years...