Plec advice - eating.

[Tomiam]

Hiyas all,
Ive recently purchased a Clown (5cm) and a Bristlenosed Plec (6cm), about 3 or 4 days ago.
The Bristlenose seems to have settled in pretty much ok. He is moving around in view a fair bit, sucking on the bog wood & glass. The algae wafers I put in go mostly untouched by him, although he has had a nibble at a few. A chuck of cuecumber attached to a piece of slate got his attention and he ate some of that yesterday.

The Clown plec however... very elusive. Ive not seen him/her eat anything except move across the bogwood sucking it. It just stays out of view and Im getting worried that its not getting enough food intake.

They look healthy, when I see them out and swimming they seem ok and I guess that if they were really hungry then they would attack the algae wafers within a minute or two.

The bottom of the tank, which is sand, has become very messy though. Its as though these two plecs are munching on the bogwood and permanently pooping! Lots and lots of tiny brown sausages, although I can not see them pooping when I look. (Ewwww that sounds bad.. )

Question would be: Is this normal for Plecs? Do they get most of their needed nutrients from sucking bogwood and glass? Am I worried about nothing.

Thanks in advance

 

[tmcgee]

Hey there Tom,

Well first of all I wouldn't worry just yet. If it has only been three or four days then you new fish still are prob adjusting to their new environment. As far as the Clown Pleco is concerned though, I have one and I hardly ever see it. They are very nocturnal so don't expect too much out of them. I do however have a piece of driftwood in my tank and he devours it. I constantly battle that "brown stuff" you are talking about. I guess it is just an evil of owning one of these beautiful fish. Just remember, if they are truely starving, they will come out and fish the other fish for the algea wafers or whatever you are feeding your bottom dwellers. In the wild they have to search for their food so they don't have the luxury of being fed on a regular basis. HTH

T

 

[maxwell1295]

My clown plecos LIVE on the driftwood...and yes, they are pooping machines!

 

[Tomiam]

Thanks for the replies tmcgee & maxwell1295! That makes me feel a lot more confident, especially with regards that the Clown is doing ok and Im not doing anything wrong

Ive placed a 'slab' of cuecumber in there tonight for them to feed on.
A slight adjustment to one of the canister filters spray bar return (150 gal tank) and Im trying to have the poop washed towards one end of the tank for easy extraction every other day.


Keep safe and thanks again

 

[Zagz]

The clown is also probably eating at nite whe you don't see him. I have a gold nugget pleco and he never comes out to eat, only after lights out.

 

[JustOneMore20]

My bristlenose spends all day hid behind my driftwood. I see him at night usually, when I put an algae wafer in there. Drop a couple in at night for the plecs. It will probably be gone by the next morning.

Mine will sometimes come out when I'm not by the tank. He always goes to hide when I get too close though. He's a shy guy.