Pleco Behaviour

[slevin3]

Is something wrong with my Pleco? I just got him a week ago from the pet store, and he spends his entire time in the corner of the tank hiding behind a plant (live). Sometimes he chills on a leaf where I get to actually see him. Sometime he'll come to the front for a few minutes before darting back to his corner. He seems either really shy or really scared. I've never had a pleco before so I don't know if this is normal. My dad had a huge one in is 300 gallon tank and that guy would be so active and would always be out in the open. (Sorta what I was expecting, they look awesome)

 

[spoonman]

Do you have a place for him to hide? My plecos pretty much hide inside castles and tunnels all day and come out at night. If you dont have anyplace for him to hide you may be stressing him out. Most are nocturnal.

 

[slevin3]

Just Under the filter, and behind the plants. That's where he hides most of the time. I'll get him a cave.

 

[meegosh]

I think spoon nailed it in his last sentence. Most plecos are nocturnal so they will hide out for most of the day. When I had one years ago it would hide in the caves all day long. The only time it would come out is when I threw an algae wafer in or the lights would go off.

 

[hbeth82]

I've heard that plecos (at least the common plecos) need driftwood in the tank - is this true?

 

[spoonman]

There are a few pleco species that prefer driftwood, but none that I know of that cant live without it.

 

[MichaelsLilGray]

driftwood is a nice additive with a pleco... it helps with there digestion.

 

[Fishyfriend09]

Is something wrong with my Pleco? I just got him a week ago from the pet store, and he spends his entire time in the corner of the tank hiding behind a plant (live). Sometimes he chills on a leaf where I get to actually see him. Sometime he'll come to the front for a few minutes before darting back to his corner. He seems either really shy or really scared. I've never had a pleco before so I don't know if this is normal. My dad had a huge one in is 300 gallon tank and that guy would be so active and would always be out in the open. (Sorta what I was expecting, they look awesome)

My pleco was like this when i first got him, he was really shy for quite a while but finally settled in and now really stands his ground when someone else tries to steal his algae wafer. As for being nocternal, mines isn't, i see him at pretty much any time of the day and he has loads of hiding spaces.

 

[DragonFish71]

Our common pleco is always out and about for everyone to see. He swats the JD's with his tail if they go near his algae wafers.

Our bristle nose and our chocolate we hardly ever see until the lights go out.

As for driftwood, it also helps them keep those raspy teeth sharp.

 

[kaz_quiksilver]

ive got 3 plecos in our tank and all three of them spend all day hiding around or under the bog wood ! altho they are easily tempted out at feed time !