# Big Al - Pleco



## Fish_Man

Just wondering if anyone has purchase plecos from BA and what you think of their quality and price?

Not the common pleco =)


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## acropora1981

I've purchased gold ancistrus from them on many occasions. Usually healthy, but not always. Though I don't think I've ever had a specific problem with their plecos. Price was 10.99 or so, kinda steep.


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## Lee_D

Which Big Al's? If your thinking Bushy Nose, make sure you check the tank before you buy. I will occasionally see tanks with bushynoses in them with the skin pealing off thier backs. Not sure what disease it is but most of the fish will be infected. I bought some once at it cleaned out my tank.

Lee


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## Fish_Man

acropora1981 said:


> I've purchased gold ancistrus from them on many occasions. Usually healthy, but not always. Though I don't think I've ever had a specific problem with their plecos. Price was 10.99 or so, kinda steep.


Thanks for the info. Not really sure how much plecos cost....

I saw a gold royal pleco at BA Scarborough for $20 or $30ish not 100% sure

Closest BA would be the North York one for me.. so that BA


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## Fish_Man

Lee_D said:


> Which Big Al's? If your thinking Bushy Nose, make sure you check the tank before you buy. I will occasionally see tanks with bushynoses in them with the skin pealing off thier backs. Not sure what disease it is but most of the fish will be infected. I bought some once at it cleaned out my tank.
> 
> Lee


I have a common pleco and it has a slight discolored patch on the side of him. Is that skin peeling?


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## Cory

There are TONS of pleco breeders here in Toronto you can purchase these guys from for cheaper than Big Al's and they will be far less likely to be diseased. The disease Lee_D described sounds like columnaris to me and that's a real bad one, can wipe out an entire tank of previously healthy fish in days.


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## Bio-Gold

Any names of breeders i can contact?

i'm looking for some royals


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## Bwhiskered

Bio-Gold said:


> Any names of breeders i can contact?
> 
> i'm looking for some royals


You won't find royals at a local breeder. They are not spawned as a rule in aquariums. Most grow slowly but up to 15" or more. Some times you can find one at a good price on one of the forums like http://www.canadapleco.com/forum.php


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## Fish_Man

Still waiting on Mat for a L333


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## vrb th hrb

I'll probably get flamed for it, but i've never had an issue with fish from big al's.

currently have 5 plecos in my tank from there, all in good health *knock on wood* The oldest being my L14 at over a year. I've had bad luck with Bushynose from big al's in the past, and better luck with juvies than with larger sized plecos. 

where abouts are these gold royals again......


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## Fish_Man

vrb th hrb said:


> I'll probably get flamed for it, but i've never had an issue with fish from big al's.
> 
> currently have 5 plecos in my tank from there, all in good health *knock on wood* The oldest being my L14 at over a year. I've had bad luck with Bushynose from big al's in the past, and better luck with juvies than with larger sized plecos.
> 
> where abouts are these gold royals again......


Do you think they are over priced at BA?

Also, I find it more of a hassle waiting for people for the meet and pick up when I can just walk into the store anytime and buy it.


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## Bio-Gold

Last time I went to Big Als Scarborough I saw a bunch of Royals. They were priced at 28.99 or something around there...Over priced in my opinion. They were around 2 inches long.


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## Fish_Man

Bio-Gold said:


> Last time I went to Big Als Scarborough I saw a bunch of Royals. They were priced at 28.99 or something around there...Over priced in my opinion. They were around 2 inches long.


How much do Royals go for if its from a breeder?


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## Bio-Gold

Bwhiskered said:


> You won't find royals at a local breeder. They are not spawned as a rule in aquariums. Most grow slowly but up to 15" or more. Some times you can find one at a good price on one of the forums like http://www.canadapleco.com/forum.php


A previous person just posted this...


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## Fish_Man

Bio-Gold said:


> A previous person just posted this...


Ah ok thanks.


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## Zebrapl3co

For standard hobby plecos, you can get them at BA, but Lucky Aquarium also have a good varieties as well. I've heard dragon aquarium (Mississaga) have good selections too.
The price is all about the same. Lucky and Dragon may be a bit cheaper. You can't really ask for cheaper ones unless you are willing to buy in bulks. Or some one like Carlos imports them directly.
Canadapleco have some really rare ones imported, these are usually in the exotic range or the highly demanded ones as the normal standard ones aren't worth while.
Royals, are rarely breed and I don't think there is a breeder in Canada. They may be cheap, but keep in mind that they are a demanding fish as they need lots of wood for them to chew and suck on. It helps them digest propertly. If the absence of wood, they will grow up funny and most usually starve to death because of the malnutrition.

*Never pay again for live sex! | Hot girls doing naughty stuff for free! | Chat for free!*


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## Fish_Man

Zebrapl3co said:


> For standard hobby plecos, you can get them at BA, but Lucky Aquarium also have a good varieties as well. I've heard dragon aquarium (Mississaga) have good selections too.
> The price is all about the same. Lucky and Dragon may be a bit cheaper. You can't really ask for cheaper ones unless you are willing to buy in bulks. Or some one like Carlos imports them directly.
> Canadapleco have some really rare ones imported, these are usually in the exotic range or the highly demanded ones as the normal standard ones aren't worth while.
> Royals, are rarely breed and I don't think there is a breeder in Canada. They may be cheap, but keep in mind that they are a demanding fish as they need lots of wood for them to chew and suck on. It helps them digest propertly. If the absence of wood, they will grow up funny and most usually starve to death because of the malnutrition.


Guess I"ll be visting BA and Lucky's

Thanks


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## vrb th hrb

I've always found them to be a bit pricier at big als. but at times you can find deals. got my juvie royal there for 20, got my 5-6 inch adonis there for 50, my 2inch L114 for 35. which I thought were all really good prices for said fish.

I did over pay for my L91, 45 bucks, as I saw them a month later being sold by bcarlos for 20 i think, but hey. 

since they know me there by face they always try and knock a fiver off the price. I dont know, people always have issues with big als, be nice to the staff, be knowledgable about the fish you want, and I always try and get my fish scooped by the same couple guys, again for the deals, and so I know they arent 12 year olds who are going to unecessarily stress out my fish.

if your looking for good quality plecos at a good price, watch rich over at canadapleco, and bcarlos who post on here. always high quality imports at good prices.


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## Fish_Man

Hopefully I'll find a deal at BA NY... still have a store credit there for $40 and don't know what to use it on


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## dl88dl

It does not matter which lfs you buy from as long as they look healthy and no sunken in stomach they should be ok. Also ask how long they been in that tank. Lucky's plecos seem to be very healthy and they have many to choose plecos from too


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## vrb th hrb

dl88dl said:


> It does not matter which lfs you buy from as long as they look healthy and no sunken in stomach they should be ok. Also ask how long they been in that tank.


two very good points about choosing plecos.

if they are active, out looking for food i've found that to be a good sign as well.


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## Zebrapl3co

dl88dl said:


> It does not matter which lfs you buy from as long as they look healthy and no sunken in stomach they should be ok. Also ask how long they been in that tank. Lucky's plecos seem to be very healthy and they have many to choose plecos from too


Em, even though I recommend Lucky because they have a more selection of plecos, I highly suggest you quarenteen any fish from them for at least 2 weeks. Heck, I would quarenteen fish from anybody.

*Never pay again for live sex! | Hot girls doing naughty stuff for free! | Chat for free!*


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## dl88dl

Zebrapl3co said:


> Em, even though I recommend Lucky because they have a more selection of plecos, I highly suggest you quarenteen any fish from them for at least 2 weeks. Heck, I would quarenteen fish from anybody.


+1 number one rule in fish hobby is to quarantine any new fish but how many people actually do it


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## Fish_Man

That is true 

I don't always quarantine my fish either.

How many people that don't quarantine their fish and have had a problem which wiped out the whole tank or the tank needed to be treated with meds?


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## vrb th hrb

Fish_Man said:


> That is true
> 
> I don't always quarantine my fish either.
> 
> How many people that don't quarantine their fish and have had a problem which wiped out the whole tank or the tank needed to be treated with meds?


I have never quarantined a fish, ever.....  I know I'm rolling the dice, but I run UV.... so i think that helps. I had an issue with ich back when I was keeping goldfish, I think alot had to do with the fact I was buying from maybe 4-5 different stores too.

Maybe i'm taking a big risk, but imo you can tell in the store if a fish is diseased or not. Look for signs of clamped fins, flashing etc etc.

At least externally, alot of internal fish issues are of course much difficult to id

Been lucky recently..... *crosses fingers*


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## dl88dl

I just pickup some L190 and they are about 2" TL and they are on special for $13 each tax incl. I normally don't buy much from this lfs but all the L190 are doing good in my tank. I got it from Gold Garden Pet Shop on Steeles & Kennedy.
BTW they also have some 3"+ for $23


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## Bio-Gold

What's the stock like? I wanna try and get some tmr if they have them still.


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## CanadaPleco

also check http://www.canadapleco.com lots of people selling plecos there, usually a lot better quality then what you find at BA, the plecos that have been in a tank for a few months are always better off then anything at BA.


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## dl88dl

Bio-Gold said:


> What's the stock like? I wanna try and get some tmr if they have them still.


They got about 20+ 2" and 15+ 3". Cheapest so far for a lfs


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## Bio-Gold

dl88dl said:


> They got about 20+ 2" and 15+ 3". Cheapest so far for a lfs


Were they the dull eyes or the ones with the red eyes?

Might just have to drop by there tomorrow.


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## TBemba

Only Dull eyes are that cheap


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## dl88dl

Bio-Gold said:


> Were they the dull eyes or the ones with the red eyes?
> 
> Might just have to drop by there tomorrow.


The ones I got seems to be L190 but they are still small to tell and they are hiding behind my driftwoods and also Sam listed them as L190. The dull eyes are L191. Not sure if the 3" were L190 or L191 I did not pay too much attention to them.


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## Fish_Man

CanadaPleco said:


> also check http://www.canadapleco.com lots of people selling plecos there, usually a lot better quality then what you find at BA, the plecos that have been in a tank for a few months are always better off then anything at BA.


Been checking it every few days, not many new post going on


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## Holidays

I am waiting for the zebra pleco to be real cheap  heh anyway, I bought a clown pleco from BA mississauga about 4 or 5 years ago. I had lots of driftwoods so I never see it. Once I see it, it was missing an eye, I think the dubs did it. But other than that it was healthy and BA has 5 days live guarantee...so its kinda safe


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## Bio-Gold

dl88dl said:


> The ones I got seems to be L190 but they are still small to tell and they are hiding behind my driftwoods and also Sam listed them as L190. The dull eyes are L191. Not sure if the 3" were L190 or L191 I did not pay too much attention to them.


Possible to take a picture of the one you bought?


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## dl88dl

Holidays said:


> I am waiting for the zebra pleco to be real cheap  heh anyway, I bought a clown pleco from BA mississauga about 4 or 5 years ago. I had lots of driftwoods so I never see it. Once I see it, it was missing an eye, I think the dubs did it. But other than that it was healthy and BA has 5 days live guarantee...so its kinda safe


BA 5 days live guarantee is not that great if it dies before 5 days you only get back half in credit of what you paid in full.



Bio-Gold said:


> Possible to take a picture of the one you bought?


I just got them yesterday and they are too skittish to come out...it might take couple of weeks and some will take months.


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## vrb th hrb

Fish_Man said:


> Been checking it every few days, not many new post going on


it's pretty slow over there this time of year, once everyone starts hibernating again for the winter things will start to pick up


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## Holidays

dl88dl said:


> BA 5 days live guarantee is not that great if it dies before 5 days you only get back half in credit of what you paid in full.


I gotta a replacement fish before...I remember a couple of panda cories died and they replace them. It was in BA mississauga, they just wrote N/C no cost on the bag.


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## Fish_Man

Holidays said:


> I am waiting for the zebra pleco to be real cheap  heh anyway, I bought a clown pleco from BA mississauga about 4 or 5 years ago. I had lots of driftwoods so I never see it. Once I see it, it was missing an eye, I think the dubs did it. But other than that it was healthy and BA has 5 days live guarantee...so its kinda safe


That's a nice long drive to the BA in Mississauga


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## bcarlos

Looks like I'm a little late to this post 

There are advantages to buying from LFS vs. importer (such as myself), though they are few and far between. If you are looking for something relatively common, than LFS is the way to go. BA is certainly the better of the other big box LFS in the GTA. If I were shopping for a pleco and determined to deal with a LFS, I would stick to Lucky's. Dragon also has some good stuff on occasion, but definitely watch to make sure the fish you are buying is healthy and active.

Importers like Rich (CanadaPleco) and I focus, for the most part, on fish you will either a) never find in a LFS or b) never find in a LFS at our price. If you're looking for something other than your common bristlenose, I encourage you to visit my site -- www.flyfishimports.com -- and take a look at my stock list.

Coincidentally, I do have 3" royals (L191's, which are way cooler than L190's IMO, especially when they're larger) for $15 ea. And if you take a few, I may even cut you a better deal


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## Holidays

Fish_Man said:


> That's a nice long drive to the BA in Mississauga


Yah I worked in sauga so usually I picked up the fish after work. BA has agassizi cory on weekly special, I think I might pick a couple of them up next week.


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## Fish_Man

bcarlos said:


> Looks like I'm a little late to this post
> 
> There are advantages to buying from LFS vs. importer (such as myself), though they are few and far between. If you are looking for something relatively common, than LFS is the way to go. BA is certainly the better of the other big box LFS in the GTA. If I were shopping for a pleco and determined to deal with a LFS, I would stick to Lucky's. Dragon also has some good stuff on occasion, but definitely watch to make sure the fish you are buying is healthy and active.
> 
> Importers like Rich (CanadaPleco) and I focus, for the most part, on fish you will either a) never find in a LFS or b) never find in a LFS at our price. If you're looking for something other than your common bristlenose, I encourage you to visit my site -- www.flyfishimports.com -- and take a look at my stock list.
> 
> Coincidentally, I do have 3" royals (L191's, which are way cooler than L190's IMO, especially when they're larger) for $15 ea. And if you take a few, I may even cut you a better deal


I've been check both you and Rich's sites for plecos  The only problem I have is both of you are pretty far away but I think both of you drop by T.O. sometimes am I correct?


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## bcarlos

Fish_Man said:


> I've been check both you and Rich's sites for plecos  The only problem I have is both of you are pretty far away but I think both of you drop by T.O. sometimes am I correct?


I make frequent drop-offs in Mississauga. Almost every weekend. Give me a shout anytime!


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## Bio-Gold

bcarlos said:


> Looks like I'm a little late to this post
> 
> There are advantages to buying from LFS vs. importer (such as myself), though they are few and far between. If you are looking for something relatively common, than LFS is the way to go. BA is certainly the better of the other big box LFS in the GTA. If I were shopping for a pleco and determined to deal with a LFS, I would stick to Lucky's. Dragon also has some good stuff on occasion, but definitely watch to make sure the fish you are buying is healthy and active.
> 
> Importers like Rich (CanadaPleco) and I focus, for the most part, on fish you will either a) never find in a LFS or b) never find in a LFS at our price. If you're looking for something other than your common bristlenose, I encourage you to visit my site -- www.flyfishimports.com -- and take a look at my stock list.
> 
> Coincidentally, I do have 3" royals (L191's, which are way cooler than L190's IMO, especially when they're larger) for $15 ea. And if you take a few, I may even cut you a better deal


Damn, I just went and bought a Royal L190 at that place mentioned in the thread (Gold Garden Pet Shop). It was $12 and around 1.5 inches? I managed to snap a picture of it.


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## Fish_Man

Bio-Gold said:


> Damn, I just went and bought a Royal L190 at that place mentioned in the thread (Gold Garden Pet Shop). It was $12 and around 1.5 inches? I managed to snap a picture of it.


Looks nice!


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## TBemba

I hope you plan on getting a really big tank. I hear they get really big 

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=151


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## dl88dl

Holidays said:


> I gotta a replacement fish before...I remember a couple of panda cories died and they replace them. It was in BA mississauga, they just wrote N/C no cost on the bag.


You got lucky...Whitby BA goes by the book


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## Bio-Gold

TBemba said:


> I hope you plan on getting a really big tank. I hear they get really big
> 
> http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=151


Yup, but it'll probably be a while until it'll outgrow the tank. Sure enough when the time is coming, I'll definitely have something setup.


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## bcarlos

Bio-Gold said:


> Yup, but it'll probably be a while until it'll outgrow the tank. Sure enough when the time is coming, I'll definitely have something setup.


Many, many years (10+) before it reaches anywhere near max size.

Congrats on the pick up! Make sure you provide him with plenty of drift wood to munch on.


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## bigfishy

Some of them have spots in their body, so I think they are small L330 instead of L190


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## CanadaPleco

Fish_Man said:


> I've been check both you and Rich's sites for plecos  The only problem I have is both of you are pretty far away but I think both of you drop by T.O. sometimes am I correct?


I am in the city usually a couple times a month.


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## MsGardeness

Both Rich and Brandon have unique and high quality fish!


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