L129 Scribble Pleco

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PrettyFishies

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Mar 7, 2003
Messages
1,689
Location
Durham, NC
Hey all,

I just got a nice scribble pleco from www.exoticfinds.net over the weekend. He seemed to acclimate fine, but he doesn't come out (as far as I can tell) during the day or night. I don't know if he's eating. Anyone have this species? What behaviors have you observed?
 
He is still adjusting to his new surroundings. It's not suprising that it doesn't come out during the day. They are nocturnal species and usually are active at night.
 
Congrats on your purchase....they're great fish. L-129 is what I ordered and ended up with the L-316 instead. I had the same problem as you and I consulted a Loricarid expert and it's normal for Hypancistrus to hide during the day...they are very nocturnal in the wild. Try to rig up a cave that he can hide in, but that you can see into. Mine hides in my shipwreck. I can see him...he usually stays right on the rim. I feed mine 3 different things. Hypancistrus are maily carnivores so I feed Hikari sinking carnivore wafers, TetraMin sinking tablets, and sinking Spirulina wafers (they do like spirulina occasionally). I drop the tablet in after the lights have been out for a while, and the only way I know he's eating is: 1. he's been in there for months and he's still alive..... 2. when I see him in his shipwreck I can see his little tummy is round and not sunken in.... 3. Sometimes, after lights out, I go in with a flashlight and catch him out eating his tablet. :D

I'm going to add some moonlight to my 29 eventually so I can see him more, but I love peeking at him in his shipwreck. He comes out when I do my PWC, but only because he gets mad at the water current being poured on his shipwreck. He's fun to watch then because he scrambles around the tank looking for somewhere else to hide.

*EDIT* my pleco expert told me that, with Hypancistrus, hiding is normal behavior. If they're hiding during the day, they're healthy. If they're out a lot , something's wrong....the complete opposite of other fish. Not long after I got mine he started hanging out a lot up by the heater and I worried non-stop because he didn't even run when I turned on the light in the morning, but, eventually, he went back into his shipwreck and I breathe easy now. Get yourself a cave that you can see into and set your tank up with moonlight. They are very neat to watch.
 
I think there would be some territory issues. They might want the same cave You could try it if you have a decent sized tank and plenty of places for them to hide.

How's your L-129 getting along? I'll bet he's a cutie!
 
Where is he hiding? Do you look for him after lights out with a flashlight? Sometimes, mine won't even come out if lights are on in the room. I turn off everything and shine the flashlight on the tank and there he'll be eating the tablet I put in for him. You might want to move everything and check on him. I'm sure he's okay (they're grat hiders) but check anyway. Get him a cave that you can see into.
 
Till I get or construct a cave, what food can I place in the tank to lure him out at night? Zucchini? and how do you prepare that anyway?
 
crazyred said:
Hypancistrus are maily carnivores so I feed Hikari sinking carnivore wafers, TetraMin sinking tablets, and sinking Spirulina wafers (they do like spirulina occasionally). I drop the tablet in after the lights have been out for a while, and the only way I know he's eating is: 1. he's been in there for months and he's still alive..... 2. when I see him in his shipwreck I can see his little tummy is round and not sunken in.... 3. Sometimes, after lights out, I go in with a flashlight and catch him out eating his tablet. :D

They are not big veggie eaters...they are carnivorous. Your best bet is Hikari sonking carnivore wafers and Tetra Min tablets.....mine was scarfing one down night before last and I caught him red-handed with the flashlight.
 
Well, the Scribble has become more active. I can see him out, a bit, at night now. He found a nook under the DW that is the perfect angle to prevent me from viewing him. But he does move around at night now and I can catch him w/ my flashlight. I have a bad algae problem and would love a bristlenose, but I need to find a cave for him so there are two major hiding places. I have a 20 gal tank, should I even try with such a small tank?
 
In your case I would try to solve the algae problem without adding another fish. what is your lighting and plant situation? Algae usually has a direct cause. Too much nutrients or too much lighting. You can solve it without using a BN. If you just want to try a BN put half of a cocmut shell in there with a door cut-out for a cave. Ther estill might be aggression if they want to fight for the cave.
 
I add:

2.5ml of Flourish 2x a week
10ml of K 3 x a week
Was doing Iron 1x a week
Light is ON 6:30-10:30, off 10:30-1:30, ON 1:30-8:30
 
That might be too many nutrients depending on how many plants you have. Your lighting schedule is a little odd...the lights go off at the peak lighting time of the day. In nature the sun is highest and most intense between 10 am to 2 pm. I myself turn my lights on at around 7:30 am and off around 10:30 pm. I add Leaf Zone, Flourish, and Flourish Excel twice a week and I have no algae at all except the occasional spot of green crunchy stuff that no algae eater will touch. I usually just wipe it off with one of those tank scrubbers.

How often do you feed the fish? Overfeeding a tank can cause algae problems too. Here's a couple of links on algae and how to get rid of it:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/algae_types.php


http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_algae.htm
 
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