Ancistrus loves CO2??

[TankGirl]

Here is my adorable fish who won't stay out of my CO2 diffuser:

Any idea why he would insist on hanging out in such a CO2 rich environment? No matter what I place in the bottom of the tube to "block" it he shoves it aside and hangs out in there for much of the day. His tentacles wave in the current - it is quite amusing!

 

[grimlock3000]

Pleco 1, TankGirl 0

 

[Menagerie]

8O
Now, that's a sight!!

 

[TankGirl]

The funny thing is my husband keeps coming to me with a worried look on his face, "Honey, DO something! Make him get out of there, he'll suffocate!"

 

[BASSNMAN]

No harm, no foul.

 

[Scottcenfla]

I'm not sure if this is a explanation or not. Here in Central Florida we have artesian springs that flow from the aquifer, some at the rate of 500k gallons a min. A few of these create small rivers that we canoe and enjoy the constant temps all year round.

Pleco's have found their way into these ecosystems and are now established. The strange thing is that they are found all the way up where the water boils from the ground. There is none or minimal oxygen at this point, no other species of fish can survive that far upstream. Downstream a half-mile or so is a different story as some oxygen has dissolved by then.

No doubt a cool photo

 

[TankGirl]

That's what I think, Scottcenfla, that he likes the current, sortof like the hillstream loaches do. There is definitely a very concentrated area of brisk current in the diffuser, as it has a powerhead on it.

To paraphrase another aquarist about this situation, maybe this is the sign that he's "going bad," kindof like kids sniffing glue. First he sniffs CO2, then he's going to be munching on cyanobacteria.. what's next? Hydrogen sulfide? He must be hanging out with the wrong crowd. I think those rad tentacles make him think he's cooler than most, which, of course, he is!

 

[BrianNY]

I often find mine stacked in a line on the airline tubing of the sponge filters. Plecos can hang on with their sucker mouths and love the current.