Hello. I am new to the aquarium hobby. I recently bought a common pleco and now I can't find it anywhere in my tank. There aren't too many hiding spots besides the inside of a big piece of drift wood. This may sound stupid but I am worried he died and could possibly be polluting my tank. Any suggestions??? Thanks.
Lost Pleco
- Thread starter TEC5154
- Start date
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Devilishturtles
Aquarium Advice Addict
Test your tank water. If he has died and is decaying in your tank, you will see a spike in your ammonia levels.
Did you check the inside of the piece of driftwood?
Plecos are nocturnal. Shut your lights off for a while and then inspect the tank for a while. You should see him swimming around if he is still there.
Good luck!
Did you check the inside of the piece of driftwood?
Plecos are nocturnal. Shut your lights off for a while and then inspect the tank for a while. You should see him swimming around if he is still there.
Good luck!
Menagerie
Aquarium Advice Addict
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Welcome to AA, TEC5154!! 
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Plecos are amazing~they can cram themselves into tight fitting spaces. Aside from testing the water parameters, I would pull out the log. If he's in there and alive, he will come out
Welcome to AA, TEC5154!! [/center:ab9a0249bb]Plecos are amazing~they can cram themselves into tight fitting spaces. Aside from testing the water parameters, I would pull out the log. If he's in there and alive, he will come out
whitetiger_CJ
Aquarium Advice Freak
just make sue that the fish is not on the wood when you take it out. This happened to me, and I was suprised to see my pleco flopping around my room.
Chilly Willy
Aquarium Advice Regular
Not once but twice I had a pleco dissappear. Both times I pulled my tank apart to never find them. I swear I went crazy for a week looking all around the outside of my tank for them.
I'm not the reddest apple on the tree but I think I bought magically plecos. I'd sell you one if I could find the darn thing.
I'm not the reddest apple on the tree but I think I bought magically plecos. I'd sell you one if I could find the darn thing.
Wizzard~Of~Ozz
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yes, Plecos can flop quite a way, they have a redundant organ that lets them breath air, so he can flop until he dries out.
I'ld say pull the log out aswell.
I'ld say pull the log out aswell.
Long ago, when I had a 10 gal. My pleco would hang out on the lip of my HOB filter, one day I couldn't find him. Mind you, he was quite on his way to outgrowing the tank by that time (probably 6-8"). Well I found him in the filter just hangin out just fine and dandy.
Wizzard~Of~Ozz
Aquarium Advice Addict
tec, was he alive?
leah_fishies
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2008
- Messages
- 5
Lost pleco : (
Hey guys- I hope its ok to post here, I was wondering if anyone could help at all. ..I have a coldwater tank (5 goldfish, fantails etc). And I recently bought a little pleco (a real small one, say an inch long at the most), But I haven't seen him for over a week and half now. I've lifted up the two logs in there and looked all around but no sign, I went through a little of the sand with a small net but no sign, hasnt been on the walls/glass or plants and I've tried turning the lights off and searching/waiting- no sign either.
Would he be hiding under the sand at all, where I couldnt see him? ..or, could the fish have eaten him at all?? (there's no bones, and the waters perfectly clean). ..he also used to stay on the filter for the first couple of weeks and it just seems like all of a sudden he's dissappeared on me...or found a new place to rest.
Any ideas at all? I'd really appreciate any help at all. Thanks so much X X X
Hey guys- I hope its ok to post here, I was wondering if anyone could help at all. ..I have a coldwater tank (5 goldfish, fantails etc). And I recently bought a little pleco (a real small one, say an inch long at the most), But I haven't seen him for over a week and half now. I've lifted up the two logs in there and looked all around but no sign, I went through a little of the sand with a small net but no sign, hasnt been on the walls/glass or plants and I've tried turning the lights off and searching/waiting- no sign either.
Would he be hiding under the sand at all, where I couldnt see him? ..or, could the fish have eaten him at all?? (there's no bones, and the waters perfectly clean). ..he also used to stay on the filter for the first couple of weeks and it just seems like all of a sudden he's dissappeared on me...or found a new place to rest.
Any ideas at all? I'd really appreciate any help at all. Thanks so much X X X
