Caring for baby plecos

[Sara]

When I fly home to visit my family in a couple of weeks, I'll be picking up a couple of baby Queen Arabesque (L260) plecos from a local hobbiest who has been breeding them. They will be a few months old and between .75-1" when I get them.

I am planning on putting one in my 29 gallon and one in my 10 gallon, but am a little worried that I drop them in and never be able to find them again...

I'm wondering if plecos this young require any special care, or if anyone who has kept them at this age have any advice for me.

TIA!

 

[megladonsharky]

Make sure the nitrites are at 0... Make sure there is enough areation in your tanks...experts please come

 

[Jchillin]

Hi Sara:

I have two albino bristlenoses (@4months old) and a 6 month old sailfin. The albinos are approximately .75" each. I've had them for @ 3 weeks.

The plecos (as with most other bottom dwellers) require an established tank with excellent water parameters. Feeding is simple. They will consume just about everything laying on the substrate. You can supplement their diet with algae disks and wafers and an occassional veggie treat is always a nice touch (blanched carrots, zucchini and leaf veggies such as spinach or romaine lettuce). They will love you for it.

For an example of whether plecos eat veggies, see the attached link:

http://aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=50755

 

[fearlessfisch]

Well, I don't know if this would be special for babies, but also make sure you have driftwood available, since some plecos need it for digestion. I would start offering fresh veggies right away in addition to wafers to make sure the diet is nice and healthy.

Maybe you could set up a little cave that allows you to see inside...he will probably be drawn to a little safe place, and that way you will have a place to look first if he disappears in the big tank. Also do a check of the tank to make sure there are no places where a baby could get stuck (e.g., filter intakes, decorations with holes in them).

 

[fearlessfisch]

Very cute pics, jchillin. My baby albinos look just like that now.

 

[Sara]

Thanks for the quick replies, everyone!

JChillin, those pics are great! I will definitely be doing 'veggie nights' in my tanks! Your little guys look to be about the same age as the ones I'm getting.

fearlessfisch, I've got tons of driftwood in the tank, and that's a good point about a small cave. He could probably use his own space, and it would saving me from hours and hours of searching - trying to find a 1" pleco in a giant mound of driftwood