What's up with my Pleco?

[blang]

I purchased a BN Pleco for my 15 gallon tank less than a week ago. He does nothing besides sit behind the thermometer. I have plenty of algae and driftwood in the tank. I have given him wafers and zuchini and I don't think he is eating anything. I have gone into the room at night to see if he has moved and he hasn't. I thought maybe he was stuck so I bent the thermometer a bit figuring he would run but he didn't move. He is breathing and sometimes slides down or up an inch or so but that's it.

What's his problem? All my other fish are fine and no one seems to be bothering him at all. Please help.

 

[hforney]

How long have you had the BN? I added a BN to my tank about 3 weeks ago. The BN did nothing but hide inside a piece of driftwood for the first couple of days. I had to use a flashlight to find him. After about a week the BN would be busy at night attacking what little algae I have in the tank. Lately the BN has been seen during daylight hours. I am just guessing maybe they need time to get adjusted to a new tank.

 

[chrism]

hmmm not 100% sure, but i guess he's fine. although it is odd behaviour! do you leave the zuchini in over night? Are the any signs that it has been nibbled at?

What temperature is your water? I keep mine at 26ºC it could be that your water is a little cool? You could always try moving the heater see if he goes behind it again!

does your driftwood provide caves for him to hide in? Its a rare occasion that my plec isnt on my driftwood!

 

[blang]

1. I put the zuchini in right after I turned out the lights. Should I leave it out until tonight? There were no nibbles.

2. Temperature is 76 degress F.

3. He hides behind the thermometer not the heater.

4. I have a cave that he once slept in and I only saw him on the driftwood once.

Maybe he doesn't like his new home

 

[Menagerie]

Give your new finned friend some time.
What other fish are in the tank?

 

[FawnN]

He is just adjusting to his new home. Mine didn't eat or move for about 1 1/2. AFter that, he was zooming around cleaning everything.

It's normal for them to take some time to feel comfortable and secure in their new environment.

Keep monitoring him though.

 

[blang]

2 platys
1 dwarf platy
2 mollys
3 red-eye tetras

 

[SerLunchbox]

i just got my new rubbermouth pleco for my tank. He stays hidden all the time now but as forementioned, he is just hiding and adjusting. Give him time, hell, i don't see all my kuhli loaches either (mostly cause they are burried into my substrate and only come out for food now).

 

[An t-iasg]

I put the zuchini in right after I turned out the lights. Should I leave it out until tonight? There were no nibbles.

I just got a pitbull pleco. I put a small slice of zucchini in for him, about 10 pm. The next morning, it didn't look nibbled on either. At about 5 pm, I saw him on it, but it still didn't look "eaten". I bet your pleco did nibble on the zucchini. Like the others have said, give him some more time to get used to the tank, and keep giving him the wafers and zucchini.

 

[smallfry]

Not to hi-jack this thread....but in all my reading/research I'm beginning to think that my common pleco is "special".

He has NEVER shown shyness of any kind. He eats all DAY, loves light, swims around the gravel vac when I'm in the tank for water changes, He eats at night too. But he is the most extroverted pleco I've ever seen or heard about. During the day he can usually be found plastered to the front of the tank (exposing his underside to my living room). 8O Cucumber/zuchinni chunks are his favorite toy. He "rides" them around the tank.

 

[chrism]

3. He hides behind the thermometer not the heater.

Ooops my bad!

Sounds like everything is perfect, sure he'll be fine

 

[Chilly Willy]

Have you thought about taking him to theropy? Maybe he is having issues about being away from home and need to talk it out.

I can do it for you but I'm sort of expensive. I can refer to a friend of mine who's slightly cheaper.

I think I missed my calling in life.

 

[smallfry]

 

[blang]

Actually, do you give a discount on two? I have a platy who is depressed because he is no longer "BMOC" since I added the two Mollys.

I guess that is what happens when you have all boys (I think the pleco is a boy)!!

 

[TankGirl]

IME common plecs (at least the ones I have kept) are much less shy and skittish than BN or rubberlips, rubberlips perhaps being not quite as shy as my 3 BN. I almost never see my 3 BN in my 55, and they have been there for 7-8 months now! My big male is often inside my CO2 diffuser where I can see him, but the others zoom away as soon as anyone comes near.

They apparently did not eat anything for several weeks when I got them, so don't worry. Now a half-slice of zuchinni is GONE overnight - hardly even any dark green skin left to tell the tale.

 

[blang]

Well, Spot has been coming out a little more during the day. I don't see him working hard and all and my tank doesn't seems to be getting cleaner. I also don't think he is eating anything that I put him for me. However, this morning he was pooping so he must be eating something.

If I give him broccoli, do I give him the leafy part?

 

[TankGirl]

Most people give the thick broccoli stem, but I don't see why they would not enjoy the leafy part too.

 

[blang]

Spot is now coming out all of the time but not working hard at all. I still have quite a bit of green algae all over the place which has been in the tank for a couple of months. Should I clean this off or wait for this lazy fish to do his job?

 

[Menagerie]

If you don't see streaks of clean areas through the algae, Spot is simply not an algae lovin' pleco.

Most people give the thick broccoli stem, but I don't see why they would not enjoy the leafy part too.

Messy clean up?

 

[blang]

I wonder what the LFS would say if I told them that I wanted to fire Spot and hire another Plecco? They already think I'm kind of crazy so maybe they wouldn't be too surprised.