{"id":1137,"date":"2021-12-24T13:43:16","date_gmt":"2021-12-24T13:43:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/?p=1137"},"modified":"2023-11-05T15:00:50","modified_gmt":"2023-11-05T15:00:50","slug":"pleco-catfish-lifespan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/","title":{"rendered":"How long do plecos live? + 7 Tips To Increase Your Pleco&#8217;s Lifespan"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"1137\" class=\"elementor elementor-1137\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-bf54b26 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"bf54b26\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;2f1b80b&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image_tablet&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_image_mobile&quot;:{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_speed&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;%&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:50,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;jet_parallax_layout_type&quot;:&quot;scroll&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_direction&quot;:null,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_fx_direction&quot;:null,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_z_index&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x&quot;:50,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_x_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y&quot;:50,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_y_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size_tablet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_bg_size_mobile&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_animation_prop&quot;:&quot;transform&quot;,&quot;jet_parallax_layout_on&quot;:[&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;]}]}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-cfa298b\" data-id=\"cfa298b\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d5c2a54 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d5c2a54\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.17.0 - 01-11-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>Pleco catfish are one of the most popular fish in the aquarium hobby. They are often praised because most plecos eat algae, and are relatively peaceful fish.\u00a0<\/p><p>Unfortunately, plecos are often mistreated in the hobby, due to pet stores that claim they are easier to care for than they really are. In this article, you&#8217;ll learn the real lifespan of plecos, and it might surprise you.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1a0b017 bristlenosepleco elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1a0b017\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.17.0 - 01-11-2023 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Pleco lifespan<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-abcd716 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"abcd716\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Plecos are one of the longest living commonly available fish species. In the optimal conditions, they may even get older than a dog or cat. But how old do most plecos get on average?<\/p><p><strong>The average lifespan of a pleco is 10 to 20 years. On average, big pleco species live longer than small species. How old a pleco gets highly depends on its living conditions such as tank size, water parameters, stress and diet. In bad conditions, they may only live 5 years.<\/strong><\/p><p>One of the reasons that plecos have a rather long lifespan is because the grow very slowly and only mature after a few years of age. Many pleco species take 2 to 3 years to fully mature and <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/breeding-pleco-catfish\/\">start breeding<\/a>.<\/p><p>As stated above, there are many species of plecos. Not all species have the same average lifespan. Here are four of the most common pleco species listed, with their lifespan.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3f6b19b bristlenosepleco elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3f6b19b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Bristlenose pleco lifespan<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-859a24a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"859a24a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Bristlenose plecos are the most popular type of catfish. They are often sold as the ideal algae-eating fish. Yet, when you buy them, they&#8217;re probably <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/raising-pleco-fry\/\">only a few months old<\/a>. So how long can you expect your pleco to live?<\/p><p><strong style=\"font-style: inherit;\">On average, bristlenose plecos or Ancistrus plecos live around 10 to 15 years. In optimal conditions, they may even get more than 20 years old. How old they get depends on their tank, water parameters, and nutrition.<\/strong><\/p><p>Bristlenose plecos are less mistreated than the common pleco, but still many people seem to be misinformed.\u00a0<\/p><p>Common mistakes are keeping them in a tank too small, wrong tankmates, or feeding an unbalanced diet. The bristlenose pleco can also become way bigger than often claimed. Sometimes it can reach over 7 inches in length, and 8 inches is possible. If you want to learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/bristlenose-pleco-size\">how big Bristlenose plecos get<\/a>, make sure to read our post about it.<\/p><p>If you want to learn how to make sure your pleco can live more than 15 years, make sure to keep reading.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c1c6e3d bristlenosepleco elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c1c6e3d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Common Plecostomus lifespan<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d81872f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d81872f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The common pleco is along with the bristlenose pleco one of the most popular pleco species in the aquarium hobby. Unfortunately, this fish is one of the most mistreated fish in the aquarium hobby. Many people also don&#8217;t know how old they can get&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Common plecos get around 20 to 25 years old in captivity. In optimal conditions, they can even get over 30 years old. Since they are often mistreated, their lifespan in captivity is often lower than in the wild. In the wild, they easily get over 30 years in age.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In reality, common plecos can get over 15 inches (!) in size. They will grow too big if your tank is not a huge tank, which drastically diminishes its quality of life and lifespan.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e6d43cb bristlenosepleco elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e6d43cb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Clown Pleco lifespan<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c6d31d1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c6d31d1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The clown pleco is a fun and peaceful fish that&#8217;s on the smaller hand. This makes them a good choice for many people who have a smaller tank. This also results in a little shorter lifespan.<\/p><p><strong>The average Clown Pleco Lifespan is 12 to 15 years, depending on conditions such as tank size, water parameters, and diet. In ideal conditions, Clown Plecos can live well over 20 years.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><p>One of the most common mistakes with clown plecos is not providing them with the right diet. In the wild, this pleco is a wood eater, so their diet only consists out of wood and the biofilm growing on it. If you feed clown plecos a meat-based diet without wood, it will not live as long as it could.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-68b588f bristlenosepleco elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"68b588f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Zebra Pleco lifespan<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c4efb9b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c4efb9b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>If you have been looking into plecos, there&#8217;s a big chance you came across the zebra pleco. It&#8217;s one of the most noticeable species, yet it&#8217;s very expensive and more suited for advanced fish keepers. Luckily these plecos can also reach a fine age.<\/p><p><strong>Zebra plecos reach an average lifespan of 15 to 20 years. Due to their slow growth and maturity, their average lifespan is quite long. In optimal conditions, Zebra plecos can get over 20 years old. How old zebra plecos get depends on their diet, water parameters, and tank size.<\/strong><\/p><p>Because this pleco is so expensive and not commonly available, this species is mostly kept by advanced fish keepers. This makes them often well cared for, and certainly not as often mistreated as the former three.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-777088b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"777088b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">How to make your pleco live longer<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a55090 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5a55090\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>One of the things that make plecos so popular is <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/are-plecos-hardy\/\">how hardy they are<\/a>. The most common species can often live in a wide range of water parameters and aren&#8217;t picky with their food.\u00a0<\/p><p>Yet, if not cared well for, it will certainly not reach the age it should. Here are some tips to ensure your pleco can reach its full lifespan.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-74f25bc bristlenosepleco elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"74f25bc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">1. The Ideal Tank Conditions for Pleco Catfish<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-53564c2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"53564c2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Your tank is one of the most important things for the life of your pleco. If a tank is too small or not looked after, your pleco will be stressed and live shorter.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6db9112 bristlenosepleco elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6db9112\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><li>Choosing The Proper Tank Size<\/li><\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1bf4214 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1bf4214\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Most pleco species need a tank of at least 25 gallons. If your tank is too small, your plecos growth will stagnate and it will not have the place it needs.<\/p><p>A pleco often stays still, hiding in its favorite place. So you might think it doesn&#8217;t need a big tank. A pleco does need a big tank. This is mostly because the plecos can get quite big. Certainly when talking about the common pleco or bristlenose pleco, choosing a tank &#8216;too big&#8217; isn&#8217;t a luxury.\u00a0<\/p><p>Obviously, every pleco needs a different tank size. They all differ in size and needs. Here are the four species pointed out above and their minimum tank size:<\/p><ul><li><strong>Bristlenose pleco:<\/strong> 25 gallons<\/li><li><strong>Common pleco:<\/strong> 150 gallons<\/li><li><strong>Clown Pleco:<\/strong> 20 gallons<\/li><li><strong>Zebra pleco:<\/strong> 25 gallons<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f0fb8fa bristlenosepleco elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f0fb8fa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><li>A Strong Filter<\/li><\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5c34741 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5c34741\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Pleco catfish are one of the biggest waste producers. Yes, they poo a lot. In order to keep the tank from becoming dirty and water parameters crashing, a good filter is necessary. Even if you perform regular water changes.<\/p><p>In their wild habitat, plecos live in streams and rivers where there often is a lot of oxygen in the water. Another thing a filter does is is imitating this wild habitat by creating flow through the aquarium and thus adding extra oxygen to the water.<\/p><p>A good rule of thumb is choosing a filter that at least filters 5x the tank volume per hour. In a 25 gallon tank, this would mean a filter that filter 125 gallons an hour.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b1efde7 bristlenosepleco elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"b1efde7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><li>Providing hiding places<\/li><\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6621bf4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6621bf4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Hiding places such as wood, <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/7-best-plants-for-plecos\/\">plants<\/a> or stones are crucial in every pleco tank. Plecos are mostly nocturnal and like to have the ability to hide. This means that when not given hiding places, a pleco will be stressed and possibly show <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-aggression\/\">signs of aggression<\/a>.<\/p><p>It might seem that by adding hiding places a pleco will hide more. Actually, it&#8217;s the quite opposite. The more hiding places are offered to a pleco, the more it will feel comfortable coming out of its shelter.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-adfae3e bristlenosepleco elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"adfae3e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2. The Right Water Parameters<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a6c993c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a6c993c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Plecos are hardy fish, but if you want to keep them in the ideal conditions you have to pay attention to the water parameters in your tank.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-75e9d18 bristlenosepleco elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"75e9d18\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><li>Performing regular water changes<\/li><\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bb33fac elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bb33fac\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Water changes are a must in every aquarium. In order to keep your tank clean, you have to do at least once a week a water change of 30%.<\/p><p>Many people think that because they have a filter, water changes are unnecessary. Nonetheless, these things are quite different and to both should go attention.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8ddd625 bristlenosepleco elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8ddd625\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><li>The right temperature for plecos<\/li><\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8557871 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8557871\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>All pleco catfish need a tank heater to feel comfortable. Depending on the species, water temperature should be between 72 and 86\u00b0F (23-30\u00b0C).\u00a0<\/p><p>Read everything about <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/water-temperature-pleco\/\">pleco water temperature<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-49c1e3c bristlenosepleco elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"49c1e3c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">3. Nutrition<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-161471f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"161471f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>If you have a pleco yourself, you know that they&#8217;ll eat almost anything. However, plecos need a well-balanced and specialized diet to thrive and be healthy.<\/p><p>Many catfish are often sold as the ideal algae eat and clean fish. As a result, it&#8217;s often thought that they need no additional food and can live entirely off algae. Plecos always need extra food apart from possible algae. Otherwise, they will starve from hunger.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f6e3810 bristlenosepleco elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f6e3810\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><li>The diet of pleco catfish<\/li><\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1c6b933 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1c6b933\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Plecos are often sold as algae eaters, that don&#8217;t need much additional food. This causes the common misconception that plecos don&#8217;t have any special needs in terms of food.<\/p><p>In the wild, there are three main types of pleco catfish: the carnivorous plecos, the omnivorous pleco catfish, and the herbivore species. Most species are omnivore species, meaning their diet should consist of both plant-based food and meat-based food.<\/p><p>As a result, only algae are not enough for plecos to survive on. They simply won&#8217;t get enough nutrition from it. Additional food should be given, such as algae wafers, vegetables, and other sinking pellets.<\/p><p>Vegetables are a great way to provide your pleco with extra nutrition. Learn more about it in <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/feeding-plecos-vegetables\/\">Feeding Plecos Zucchini, Cucumber, and other vegetables<\/a>.<\/p><p>Read our full guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/what-do-plecos-eat\/\">what plecos eat<\/a> by clicking the link.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cc0cf55 bristlenosepleco elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cc0cf55\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><li> Placing wood in your tank<\/li><\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8efcead elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8efcead\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The diet of many pleco species consists out of driftwood and the biofilm growing on it. Bristlenose plecos, clown plecos, and common plecos all like scraping on wood because i&#8217;s beneficial for their digestion system.<\/p><p>Apart from providing an extra food source, driftwood is also the perfect natural hiding place by imitating their natural habitat, and it lowers the pH of your tank.\u00a0<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/driftwood-for-plecos\/\">Why Plecos Need driftwood \u2192<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1b32f25 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1b32f25\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Conclusion<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-84221f0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"84221f0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Most plecos reach an average lifespan of 15 to 20 years if cared for properly. In the ideal conditions, plecos may get way older than 20 years old.\u00a0<\/p><p>Common pleco: 20 to 30 years<\/p><p>Bristlenose pleco: 15 to 20 years<\/p><p>Clown pleco: 12 to 15 years<\/p><p>Zebra pleco: 15 to 20 years<\/p><p><strong>Here are 7 tips for making your pleco live longer:<\/strong><\/p><ol><li>Choose a sizeable tank (&gt;25 gallons).<\/li><li>Install a strong filter (5x tank volume).<\/li><li>Provide (natural) hiding places.<\/li><li>Perform at least once a week a 30% water change<\/li><li>Pay attention to the water temperature. Different species want to live in different water temps.<\/li><li>Feed a varied diet, only algae are not enough.<\/li><li>Provide drift6wood since it helps the digestive system.<\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pleco catfish are one of the most popular fish in the aquarium hobby. They are often praised because most plecos eat algae, and are relatively peaceful fish. Unfortunately, plecos are often mistreated in the hobby, due to pet stores that claim they are easier to care for than they really are. In this article, you&#8217;ll &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">How long do plecos live? + 7 Tips To Increase Your Pleco&#8217;s Lifespan<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1386,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How long do plecos live? + 7 Tips To Increase Your Pleco&#039;s Lifespan | Keeping Catfish<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A guide with the lifespan of pleco species (how long they live). Discover how to increase the lifespan of your pleco.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How long do plecos live? + 7 Tips To Increase Your Pleco&#039;s Lifespan | Keeping Catfish\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A guide with the lifespan of pleco species (how long they live). Discover how to increase the lifespan of your pleco.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Keeping Catfish\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-12-24T13:43:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-11-05T15:00:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/HOW-BIG-DO-BRISTLENOSE-PLECOS-GET.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1872\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Thijs\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Thijs\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Thijs\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2fadde910b38ba49e9d65d52776d583e\"},\"headline\":\"How long do plecos live? + 7 Tips To Increase Your Pleco&#8217;s Lifespan\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-24T13:43:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-11-05T15:00:50+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/\"},\"wordCount\":1751,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Care\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/\",\"name\":\"How long do plecos live? + 7 Tips To Increase Your Pleco's Lifespan | Keeping Catfish\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-24T13:43:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-11-05T15:00:50+00:00\",\"description\":\"A guide with the lifespan of pleco species (how long they live). Discover how to increase the lifespan of your pleco.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Plecos\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/category\/plecos\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Care\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/category\/plecos\/care-plecos\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"How long do plecos live? + 7 Tips To Increase Your Pleco&#8217;s Lifespan\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/\",\"name\":\"Keeping Catfish\",\"description\":\"Tips for Keeping Catfish In Your Aquarium\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Keeping Catfish\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/keepingcatfish-1-e1652029789702.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/keepingcatfish-1-e1652029789702.png\",\"width\":396,\"height\":80,\"caption\":\"Keeping Catfish\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2fadde910b38ba49e9d65d52776d583e\",\"name\":\"Thijs\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/55d1318cd9c55207aab82d413fd68bff?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/55d1318cd9c55207aab82d413fd68bff?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Thijs\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/author\/thijs\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How long do plecos live? + 7 Tips To Increase Your Pleco's Lifespan | Keeping Catfish","description":"A guide with the lifespan of pleco species (how long they live). Discover how to increase the lifespan of your pleco.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How long do plecos live? + 7 Tips To Increase Your Pleco's Lifespan | Keeping Catfish","og_description":"A guide with the lifespan of pleco species (how long they live). Discover how to increase the lifespan of your pleco.","og_url":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/","og_site_name":"Keeping Catfish","article_published_time":"2021-12-24T13:43:16+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-11-05T15:00:50+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1872,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/HOW-BIG-DO-BRISTLENOSE-PLECOS-GET.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"Thijs","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Thijs","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/"},"author":{"name":"Thijs","@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2fadde910b38ba49e9d65d52776d583e"},"headline":"How long do plecos live? + 7 Tips To Increase Your Pleco&#8217;s Lifespan","datePublished":"2021-12-24T13:43:16+00:00","dateModified":"2023-11-05T15:00:50+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/"},"wordCount":1751,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Care"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/","url":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/","name":"How long do plecos live? + 7 Tips To Increase Your Pleco's Lifespan | Keeping Catfish","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2021-12-24T13:43:16+00:00","dateModified":"2023-11-05T15:00:50+00:00","description":"A guide with the lifespan of pleco species (how long they live). Discover how to increase the lifespan of your pleco.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/pleco-catfish-lifespan\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Plecos","item":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/category\/plecos\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Care","item":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/category\/plecos\/care-plecos\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"How long do plecos live? + 7 Tips To Increase Your Pleco&#8217;s Lifespan"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/","name":"Keeping Catfish","description":"Tips for Keeping Catfish In Your Aquarium","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#organization","name":"Keeping Catfish","url":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/keepingcatfish-1-e1652029789702.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/keepingcatfish-1-e1652029789702.png","width":396,"height":80,"caption":"Keeping Catfish"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2fadde910b38ba49e9d65d52776d583e","name":"Thijs","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/55d1318cd9c55207aab82d413fd68bff?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/55d1318cd9c55207aab82d413fd68bff?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Thijs"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com"],"url":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/author\/thijs\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1137"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1137"}],"version-history":[{"count":200,"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11786,"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1137\/revisions\/11786"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keepingcatfish.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}