Clown Pleco Missing From Day 1

[exime]

I had a fantastic common pleco that kept my aquarium walls nice and clean!

He finally died.. So I went to the store and she recommended a Clown Pleco.

I even brought in my water for testing - water is great.

I have a 20 gallon, cycled for years, real plants, 5 tiger barbs, 3 loaches, 1 gerami, 2 tetra, 1 fox.

All of my fish are small. The tiger barbs only bug each other really.

I've coaxed all of my plants, looked at every possible angle. I cannot find this clown pleco for the life of me. I went through all of the plants.

He can't get under the rocks.. there are only 3 and they are solid.

Is it common for small fish to disappear?

Is there anything else I can do before I go to the store for a refund?

I told her I needed a Pleco to clean the walls and now I am reading everywhere that the Clown Pleco does not ever come out. I'm angry she would recommend a clown pleco since they don't clean the walls.

Ugh!!

[alLexX]

you sure its not just hiding? my crayfish dug herself under a bridge decoration,crawled in side,and didnt come out when i lifted it up. fish are great hiders.

[exime]

I guess it could be hiding. I looked through my plants and didn't see him though.

The problem is that this only has a 7 day return policy.

So I can't just be patient and wait a month for him to come out. I have to tell them in the next 3 days.

[exime]

Ok so I was like totally OCDing so I decided to do a complete check. Stuck my entire arm in the tank and went through each plant and rock individually.

Finally found the bugger! What a little bugger! Best hiding job EVER.

[toddnbecka]

Typical, clown pleco's are nocturnal termites, almost never venture out from under cover by day. Completely worthless for cleaning up algae, they require wood on their diet like other Panaques, will actually die w/out it.

[samt1]

I've got a Clown Pleco and for the first weeks I didn't see him at all, thought he may of found a way out and made a break for the sea! lol
But in the last few weeks I have seen him a bit more, has come out some times in the day but I have a piece of bogwood which has made a sort of cave that he lives in, think he is a bit more active because I have 2 Zebra Loaches who like to hide a bit and they seem to want to hide under the same piece of wood! I bought a Moss Coconut thing at the weekend for some more hiding places so that should keep them happy. I'm not sure how big the Plec will get but he is pretty cool

[alLexX]

yay,i was right and they get about 4 inches long(thank you google).

[Big.Jon]

I had the same problem mine dug himself under a bridge and I could not find him at all, thought my cichlids ate him or something. I added a nice piece of drift wood in the tank and I have now even seen him in or on it during the day. He does seem to also like eating algae just not a lot.

[exime]

You guys are awesome thanks. I'm going to go pick up some Malaysian drift wood this week.

[fadetoblack06]

I also couldn't find mine either for a while ( a royal, a bristle nose, and a hi fin), I put in cucumber and raised the temp in the tank to 78 degrees F and now they're out all the time, accept the royal. I do see him sometimes when the lights are off at night or with my daughters night vision goggles.