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FAQs on Foods/Feeding/Nutrition of Loricariids,
South and Central American Suckermouth Cats
Related Articles: Loricariids,
Otocinclus, From
Pan-ack-ay to Pan-ack-zee, A Detailed Look at the Bizarre But Beautiful
Panaque Catfishes by Neale Monks
Related Catfish FAQs: Loricariids
1,
Loricariids 2,
Otocinclus, Loricariid
Identification, Loricariid Behavior,
Loricariid Compatibility,
Loricariid Selection,
Loricariid Systems,
Loricariid Reproduction,
Loricariid Disease, Catfish:
Identification,
Behavior,
Compatibility,
Selection,
Systems,
Feeding, Disease,
Reproduction, Algae
Eaters,
Most Loricariids are principally nocturnal... or at least
reclusive, out of the light... |
 |
Re: Several Questions (Water chemistry; Ancistrus), now fdg.
6/7/09
Thank you, and as far as feeding goes, can I put the Plecos food in the
same place as the cories at feeding time, or do I need to feed them in
separate areas?
<If the Corydoras are the only other bottom feeders, then they will
happily feed during the daytime. So you can then leave out algae wafers,
courgette, catfish pellets and so on for the Plecs (or Bristlenose Cats)
to eat during the night. No problems keeping them together then.>
Do I need to put the Plecos food close to their caves?
<Plecs feed at night, and will scoot about the tank feeding wherever
they can. In fact, once settled, you'll often see Plecs coming out of
their caves in the evening, in anticipation of you feeding them.>
Thank you again.
James
<Cheers, Neale.
Re: Tank Volume, now
Loricariid fdg. 1/6/09
Thanks again, and on the
bristlenose Plec, do I wait until I get algae to put him in or does he eat
regular food as well?
<Algae should only be a minor component of its diet;
mostly it needs algae wafers and soft vegetables. So pop the catfish in as soon
as you want.
You'll actually get better results when algae eaters scrape
clean surfaces than by expecting them to mow back established clumps of hair
algae or whatever. Cheers, Neale.>
Florida Gar and Pleco, comp., nutr.
of Loricariids 7/24/08
Hi all--
I love your site, and have spent many hours reading in the last few months
since I discovered it. However, I've had an issue come up that I have not
been able to find an answer to. I have a seven-inch Florida Gar in a 125
gallon tank, with six larger-sized silver dollars and a Pleco. I am not sure
of what type he is, but he is definitely not the "common type". He is brown,
with a short, wide, compact body, about seven or eight inches long.
<Do bear in mind some of these fish will get extremely large; Gar will
exceed 60 cm and potentially 90 cm in captivity if they are among the common
species traded, such as Lepisosteus platyrhincus, the species usually sold
as the "Florida Gar".>
Lately, we have noticed him interacting with the gar in a way we had not
previously observed. He appears to be sucking on the gar. I know from
reading your site and others that this is a bad, bad thing.
<Has been reported between these species, and yes, is damaging to the Gar.
When the skin is abraded, the mucous is lost and it becomes much easier for
secondary infections to get started.>
We chase him away and offer algae disks, which he goes for (lately, he's
seemed overly ravenous, often eating four times the amount of disks that he
used to).
<People tend to underfeed Loricariidae. Understand this: they are constant
grazers and mud sifters in the wild, and don't understand the "two meals per
day" notion many aquarists prefer. You need to give them vegetable foods
such as courgette, sweet potato or carrot that they can nibble on through
the day, plus bogwood for fibre.>
My question is this: is the Pleco suffering from some type of nutritional
imbalance that we can remedy?
<Likely not an imbalance, but quite probably not enough fibre, so that the
fish feels hungry because it isn't full. These catfish are adapted to
feeding on a bulky rather than concentrated diet.>
If he's just being rude, and that's definitely possible, we can take him to
the LFS. However, due to their lack of adequate space for larger fishes, and
the fact that hideously overprice any fish that aren't tetras or mollies,
therefore forcing the fish to be there in less than ideal conditions for a
long period of time, I fear for his life. This would be a last resort.
Please help! Thanks.
--Melinda
<Seemingly no simple answers here, but very likely these fish will need to
be separated. Perhaps try offering a better (more vegetable-rich) diet, but
if that doesn't help, you will need to rehome one or other fish. Cheers,
Neale.>
Re: My Florida Gar and his Pleco Friend,
comp., fdg. -- to Neale 8/9/08
Hi Neale--
Melinda here again.
<Hello!>
You responded to my email a few weeks ago regarding our Pleco (have since found
out he is a rhino Pleco) and our Florida gar.
<Hmm... Pterygoplichthys scrophus, rather a nice catfish! Not common in the
trade, and I think quite a handsome beast.>
The Pleco was getting a little too friendly with Fluffy (the gar), and seemed to
be trying to snack on him.
<Can happen; not commonly, but does happen.>
You suggested feeding a variety of fiber-rich veggies, but predicted we'd
eventually need to separate the two. Well, Dino (the Pleco) had no intentions of
eating any of my tasty veggie offerings. In any case, we have separated them.
<Let's see if this helps. If not, then back to the drawing board. I suppose you
could try offering her some meaty food. My Panaque is ostensibly a vegetarian,
but she enjoys raw mussels in the half shell, partially shelled shrimp and other
such delicacies. You may be able to tempt your cat to eat these things instead
of her tankmates...>
Thank you for your advice.
--Melinda
<Good luck! Neale.>
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Gold nugget not eating
4/20/08
Hello,
I recently bought a gold nugget plec from wildwoods online. He arrived and
seemed to be ok, but when I put him in my tank he slid up to the glass he seemed
to have a sunken belly - I have tried to ask on forums, but users there are
saying this is a bad sign, that he is unhealthy and that he is probably going to
die. Its been around two days since I got him and he won't eat. I was wondering
whether the reason he had such a sunken stomach is because wildwoods were
sending him by post and didn't feed him anything due to ammonia build up? I've
tried to feed bloodworms, various balanced veg, pellets, wafers - all sorts of
food, I'm getting worried because he is not eating and he always hides. I caught
him once, moving around a bit but then he hid again. This is my first time
having an L number and I have no idea what to do. I'm getting worried, cannot
sleep because I know he has not eaten for days. He is in a 400L Juwel rio tank,
which also houses 6 small angel fish, two clown loaches, one baby bronze Cory,
and two guppies. I did a water test today and the results are:
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0.25
Ammonia: 0
pH: 7.8
Temperature is 28 deg
Thank you for any help you can give me.
<The issue is water quality: until you get (and keep) nitrite at 0, this catfish
will become steadily weaker. Baryancistrus spp. are sensitive to poor water
quality. Review the articles and FAQs here at WWM re: water quality and
filtration, and then act accordingly. Baryancistrus are among the more
carnivorous plecs, and will need a mixed diet including not just softened
vegetables but also algae wafers, bloodworms, and the occasional piece of
chopped seafood like mussel and prawn. In good conditions, it is certainly
possible to get Loricariidae back from the sunken eyes, hollow belly stage. Have
done this myself. But requires dedication, a varied diet, and optimal water
quality. Cheers, Neale.>
L-25 Scarlet Pleco feeding
12/9/07
Hello WWM crew,
As always, greatly appreciate the services you guys/gals do. Very respectful.
Anyhoo, quick question. I'm picking up a L-25 Scarlet Pleco for my 170 gallon
tank soon and have read that they required meaty foods. The thing is, on another
catfish site, it is stated that the meaty foods should be fully cooked, mainly
mussels and shrimp/prawns. Is this correct? Or should I just blanch or feed it
raw to them? My plan was to feed them Hikari Algae wafers, raw vegetables, and
shrimp/mussels. Sounds like a good diet for these fellas? Thanks a lot in
advance. Andy.
<Hello Andy. First off, thanks for the kind words. And may I just say that
Pseudacanthicus sp. 'Scarlet Plec' is a superb fish. Big Loricariids are
terrific pets, and looked after properly last for decades. Now, Pseudacanthicus
generally are less exclusively herbivorous than, say, Hypostomus or Panaque spp.
So yes, you need to offer this fish a mixed diet. Alternating one night with the
use of algae wafers with the next night offering meaty foods such as shelled
mussels and unshelled prawns sliced longitudinally so they can happily scrape
out the innards (even my Panaque loves these!). Mussels are cheap but highly
nutritious, containing a gut-full of algae that provides additional vitamins and
minerals, so make a very useful staple. If you can't buy them in your local
supermarket, most Asian food markets will have them. Small Pseudacanthicus enjoy
bloodworms. Pseudacanthicus tend to be a bit indifferent to vegetables, but by
all means try things like courgette (zucchini), sweet potato, and tinned peas.
Cucumber and lettuce are often recommended and eagerly eaten by Plecs generally,
but have zero nutritional value. I'd also offer bogwood in the aquarium; while
only Panaque seem to digest the stuff, most Plecs seem to consume a certain
amount as a kind of dietary fibre. I hope this helps, Neale.>
Re: L-25 Scarlet Pleco
feeding 12/9/07
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! Once again, thank you very much for the useful info., but
there is a point you missed from my question :) Should the meaty foods be
offered raw, slightly blanched, or fully cooked? Another popular catfish site
stated to offer all meaty foods fully cooked. What do you think? Feeding fully
cooked prawns to the fish doesn't make much sense to me. Fully cooked mussels on
the half shell is widely available here in CA. Are these ok?
Please let me know. Anyhoo, thanks a lot for the info. Always good to learn
more. Thank you very much and have a save and happy holiday season. Andy
<Andy, glad the message was useful. Seafood can be used either cooked or raw. It
doesn't matter. The main thing is (I hope obviously!) that it hasn't been cooked
in some sort of sauce or fat. So plain boiled mussels and prawns, like you'd
find at most grocery stores, are fine. My prawns in tomato sauce or mussels in
garlic butter would be bad! The main thing is you don't overfeed your fish, and
depending on the size of your catfish, chop the seafood up accordingly. An
inch-long mussel or portion of a larger item of seafood should be ample for one
day's meal for a foot-long catfish. Cheers, Neale.>
Pleco Fecal Matter Build Up
11/5/07
Hello, the website is great! question for you.
I have 2 3" Plecos (leopard looking) that suck and eat all meaty leftovers
(shrimp, silver sides). The thing is, there poop is all over the place and I'm
constantly cleaning the tank because of these guys.
Is there another type of Pleco or fish, snail or something that will eat their
poop? or should I just get rid of them? I have no algae and it was recommended I
have these guys from the LFS with my community tank. If you can help that would
be great. I understand since its meaty food that they are eating, their poop
will not dissolve/liquefy as if it was herbal food.
is that true? k. My tank:
100gal fresh,3 silver aros, 2 tin foils,2 silver dollars, 2 clown knifes 2
parrot fishes, 2 leopard Plecos
< Your Plecos are probably eating the algae and other plant matter to keep your
tank clean. Unfortunately the fecal matter from your Plecos is pretty much void
of nutrients so nothing else will eat it. It is probably the vegetable matter
and not the animal matter that is causing the extensive fecal "worms". Your
Plecos will only be getting bigger and making things worse. I would recommend
that you trade these two Plecos in for a couple of Plecos that stay relatively
small and possibly make clean up a little bit easier. Next time you submit a
question we would appreciate it if you would use the spelling and grammar checks
on your computer prior to sending in your question. This way we can spend more
time answering questions and less time correcting the grammar.-Chuck>
Plecostomus Nutrition - 10/07/2007
Hi, Crew
I have a 55 gallon tank with 4 cichlids in it: 2 parrots and 2 Severums and
leopard Pleco (L83). My question regarding Pleco feeding.
It's hard to feed Pleco with algae tablet since cichlid steel it easy all the
time. I try to feed it with raw vegetables: cucumber, lettuce. Is it enough for
Pleco? How long should I keep peace of vegetable in the tank? What kind of
vegetable or other food can you recommend for Pleco?
Thank you for your help,
Mark
<Greetings Mark. Cucumber and lettuce are NOT enough for your catfish. The
correct diet would be something like this: Some vegetables from the following --
carrot, potato, sweet potato, tinned peas, Sushi Nori and curette. Also a small
piece of bogwood; these catfish eat the wood and use it as a source of fiber.
Catfish algae wafers and small pieces of seafood (such as mussels and prawns)
should be fed at NIGHT, when the cichlids can't see them. Severums are
herbivorous cichlids, so MUST be given green foods as well. Peas, blanched
lettuce, Sushi Nori, and chopped spinach are ideal. Soft aquarium plants such as
Elodea are good too, and can be bought very cheaply and simply left in the tank
for a few weeks. Blood parrots will certainly eat some plant material. Virtually
all cichlids eat algae and soft plants given the chance. Vegetables like carrot
and potato can be left in the water until they're gone. They won't pollute the
water. Soft vegetables like curette can be removed after a day or two if you
like, because they tend to make a mess. But they won't harm water quality
either. Hope this helps, Neale>
How much to feed a
Plecostomus 7/29/07
Hello,
<Hail and well met.>
I have read/written to your site and found it very informative and helpful
before.? My question - I have a 12.5 inch Plecostomus. I bought him when he was
one inch long and I had a 10 gallon tank.
<Almost certainly not a Hypostomus plecostomus but something like
Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus or Pterygoplichthys pardalis, the two "common
plecs" of the trade right now. Easily get to around 45 cm long, potentially
significantly more, up to 70 cm being the record.>
Since then, he has moved from the 10 gal to a 20 gal and now a 55 gallon tank.
<Very good. A 55 gallon tank is about right for one of these fish: they grow
very fast.>
He is about 4 years old.
<Four down, another twenty to go. These catfish live a long time if properly
cared for. Most *aren't* properly cared for, though.>
I think I have him with an appropriate amount of fish (calculating by fish inch
per gallon of water) in the 55 gallon tank.
<Inch-per-gallon estimates are rubbish. If I lined up 200 inch-long guppies that
would be about the length of a Great White Shark. Do you think a tank big enough
for 200 guppies would house a Great White Shark? Me neither. What matters is a
bunch of factors as well as length: things like the mass ("weight") of the fish,
its activity level, its territoriality, etc. As it happens, your catfish is fine
in a 55 gallon tank.>
He has quite the personality and moves all around the tank.
<Yep, they're nice fish.>
I enjoy watching him.
<That's the basic idea of the hobby! Otherwise it's just work...>
At 12.5 inches in length, he appears very large to me.
<Then you should see how big they get in the wild! Your specimen is about half
the size of the largest specimens. In an aquarium, it'll get a little larger,
but 18"/45 cm is about the tops for a tank-reared specimen.>
My tank is algae free.
<I bet.>
How do I know he is getting a sufficient amount of food?
<A healthy plec should have a gently convex stomach and the eyes should be
bulging out of the skull. A starving plec will have a concave stomach and sunken
eyes.>
I feed him algae wafers and give him cucumbers once or twice a week.
<That's pretty good. But try different green foods. Lettuce, melon rind, spinach
are all good. Something with some protein, like tinned peas, are also worth
adding. Once or twice a week put a whole prawn or mussel in the tank; they'll
latch onto these and scrape them away to nothing by morning. They also love
rooting about for small invertebrates like bloodworms and krill, but
faster-moving fish will generally eat these before the plecs get a chance.>
Is there any basic "rule" to follow on the amount of food to supplement him with
due to his size?
<Not really, no. You have to go by instinct. Pterygoplichthys are omnivores, so
you want to vary the diet as much as possible. There should always be some
greens in the tank and also some bogwood (they seem to use wood as a source of
fibre) but portions of meaty foods should be used once or twice a week, no more.
The algae wafers are a good staple, but relatively expensive. Greens and seafood
make a cheaper and just as good staple for these fish.>
Thanks,
Julie
<Hope this helps, Neale>
Planaria - On The Menu for Plecostomus? - 10/19/2006
<<Tom here.>>
Do Plecos eat Planaria?
<<Not without mustard and ketchup. Actually, I suppose they will but
Planaria sure wouldn't be a Pleco's first choice off the menu. If you're
experiencing a Planaria "outbreak", better to give your aquarium a good
cleaning, particularly the substrate, and keep nitrate levels to a minimum,
i.e. below 20 ppm. Tom>>
Plecos and Plants - 09/02/06
Dear WetWebMedia, I have recently acquired two good sized dwarf Panaque a
flash l204 and Panaque albimaculatus LDA31. I have two questions to ask
firstly is frozen shrimp and meaty food like that correct? I have a large
450 ltr tank consisting of a rainbow school, also I keep a few doras, flag
cats and some other l numbers as well as a greedy elephant nose. I'm worried
the Panaques will not get to the food before everything else has got there,
do you have any tips to get the food to them? And the second question is
that do either fish pose a serious problem to a planted tank? My tank is
mainly java fern and a good African tiger lotus specimen that I don't want
to loose, also some Aponogeton plants.
< Go to planetcatfish.com. Try to identify your Plecos based on the info you
have and what they look like. From their they will give lots of good info
about what your Plecos eat and how to keep them. Many Plecos are nocturnal,
so feed them just after you turn out the lights should make it easier for
them to feed.-Chuck>
Best Regards and Thanks for any advice you can give.
Ben
Feed Plecos Guinea Pig Pellets - 04/24/2006
Hi Chuck, Maybe I will try the Nitrofurazone tomorrow if the Plecos still
look pretty good-I figure at this point I will try anything- these
last ones still seem to have plenty of energy, but they are still 'off' -
a lot of the time they don't even hide- they don't seem to be
eating either. BUT I still have hope for the last few......guinea pig
pellets- I have not heard of that for Pleco food before- I bought dried
seaweed at the Japanese food store- the Plecos seem to like to pretty good.
< Fish, humans and guinea pigs can not produce their own vitamin C. These
pellets are fortified alfalfa pellets with vitamin C added. Lots of protein
and vitamins for young fish fighting a disease.>
I know it is healthy- I really appreciate your help - your site is great -
hopefully you will post one of the photos I sent you, because I found very
little info about septicemia- I think I found only one photo on it, but the
fish was dark colored and I could not see what the symptoms looked
like. The albino Pleco is an excellent fish for seeing the red throughout
the body that the bacteria is causing. Thanks ! I will let you know if I
finally save a few of these guys - Sheryl
< Good luck.-Chuck>
Loricariid, medusa cat 3/24/06
Dear WWM
<Ben>
Am just enquiring to whether you know anything about the spotted medusa cat
Ancistrus l225.
<Mmm, don't have this species, but have kept others of the genus>
Have obtained one and am finding good info on them hard to come by.
<The "L" numbered catfishes are much better reviewed in other languages... Do
you read German?>
I Bought the cat with the intention to have as an active algae eater, planning
to swap it in the tank for two common Ancistrus. Have found some conflicting
info on it though, some for eating algae predominantly and some for meat based
bloodworms etc., my water parameters are ph7 and temp26 which seem fine.
<Yes>
If this isn't a great algae eater is there a need to get another algae eater in
the tank, I have a Sturosoma aurum already, a couple of doras,2 flag cats, and
rainbowfish also keep 5 Kuhlis in a 280ltr tank.
<Mmm, the algae question is up to you. If you don't want one, would rather wipe,
scrape, so be it. I doubt if the present catfishes and loaches will eat much of
the types of algae that grow on the viewing panels or substrates. Bob Fenner>
Thanks for any help you can recommend.
Best Regards Ben
Starter FW Questions... - 3/1/2006
Good Afternoon,
<And to you>
I purchased a 20 gal tank for myself for Christmas. Just a couple months later,
I have a 5 gal at work (guppies), and started another 10 gal tank at home that I
will use as a quarantine/hospital if necessary. Amazing how addictive this hobby
can be.
<Ah, yes>
Being new, I was wondering if you could help me with a couple of questions.
<Go ahead>
1. I use a dechlorinator that I add to my bucket for water changes. Then add the
water to my tank when doing my water changes. Should I be letting the water sit
with the dechlorinator in it, or is it ok to add to the tank right away. So far,
I have not had any issues, but I want to make sure I'm doing the best I can.
<Better by far to treat your new water as detailed here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/taptrtmnt.htm>
2. My fish recently caught ick (hence the new quarantine tank). I have 3 clown
loaches, a L136 Pleco, and 2 dwarf gouramis. I've been using Jungle Ick Guard II
as it was recommended because it's more sensitive to scaleless fish. The
directions state, " Second dose may be added in 24 hours." All the reading I've
seen says to keep medicating until days after all ick is not visible (up to 16
days) as their life cycle still goes on. I've been treating daily as directed
for 4 days but I'm not sure how long to go with the medication. The white spots
are almost gone, but I don't want to hurt the fish.
<You are wise here... one really needs to measure the active ingredient/s in
such "medicines" (most are non-selective biocides)... I would rely on elevated
temperature and time going by to assure a complete cure here. Please read:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm>
3. My local fish store told my the L136 would be good for eating algae off the
tank walls. But, he doesn't seem to like algae a bit.
<Mmm, a common myth/mistake... Please see:
http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/loricari/INDEX.PHP>
What's the best type of food I should be feeding him? He doesn't seem to be
eating the algae wafers I put it, and they leave quite the mess.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Adam
<Isn't the Net wonderful? Bob Fenner>
Pleco Feeding 1/30/06
Good day folks, I have been reading your site for weeks now and have gleaned
a huge amount of information on tanks, fish and the works in regards to my new
saltwater tank.
However, my one and only question for you regards Pleco feeding, and it is
merely a technical query. I see you mention blanching zucchini, and I wonder if
there is a particular reason why that is preferable to just slicing and feeding
raw.
< This softens it up and makes it easier for the fish to eat.>
I have been slicing mine up and weighing it down and mine go crazy over it,
different species actually going for different parts of the veggie.
Just as a background for you, I run a very diverse and successful tank with
many of my fish being 5 to 7 years old and a couple of them much older. It's a
110 gallon Oceanic, and I have 11 varieties of Pleco in it including Royal,
Vampire, Gold Nugget , Clown and Rubber with no troubles at all. Additionally I
have Oto's, 14 or 15 varieties of Cory, plus some normal community tank type
stuff like Cardinals, Black Neons and Zebra Danios. My filtration is varied,
using a Hydro V Sponge, Penguin Bio Wheel and H.O.T. Magnum as I know the load
is big and needs massive filtration to keep the tank healthy.
Again, my thanks for such a wonderful site and all the information and help that
you give to myself and countless others. Bill
< Go to planetcatfish.com and search for your particular species of Plecos for
more detailed feeding recommendations. Many Plecos don't eat algae at
all.-Chuck>
Re: Guppy problem, feeding Pleco 1/21/06
That was something I did forget to mention, during the week I left the tank to
settle I added AquaPlus and cycle to get rid of chlorine and add bacteria to the
water. I isolated the two ill fish in a smaller tank, added some salt and went
out and bought MelaFix to treat both tanks but unfortunately the two fish died
overnight. I'm continuing to treat the water and haven't added any more fish to
give it time to fully cycle.
<Good>
I have one other problem: my Snowball Pleco. I had a look about the internet to
try and find what to feed him and most sources say they're not picky eaters but
I can't seem to get mine to eat. I left a cucumber <Would not use this... try
blanched Zucchini instead... with the skin if small>
for him, which I'm told they like and I bought special bottom-feeder food but he
doesn't seem to have touched any of it. When I got him the lady said he needed
wood in his tank, which he seems to be permanently stuck to, is he eating that?
<The wood sort of helps with digestion... like gravel, sand and a chickens crop>
They're fond of algae and plants I think, but I'm too scared to add anything
else to the tank until everything has settled. Can you advise me on what I
should be doing?
<Try the Zucchini and algae wafer (sinking) food here... if not eating still,
raise temperature, consider lowering pH and hardness. Bob Fenner>
Pleco Feeding 11/6/05
Hello
I'm new to this hobby and recently purchased a 29 gallon tank for my 4 yr old
daughter (ok ... maybe it was a little for me too!). The tank has been up and
running for about 2 months with 5 platys (4F, 1M), 4 zebra danios, and two
balloon belly mollies (2F). I have a Emperor 280 filter, some artificial plants,
a small cave and a piece of driftwood. Water quality levels are ideal. I do a
30% water change every two weeks (the Lee's Ultimate Gravel Vac is simply
*AWESOME*!) Algae has now built-up on the glass surfaces so I purchased a
Bristle nose Pleco yesterday to handle some of the cleanup. My question is:
should I wait until he has cleared the glass surfaces of algae before I offer
him any Algae Wafers or any other kind of food? Thanks! -Chip
<Nope, you should definitely offer the Pleco algae wafers to ensure that he is
eating. Another product that is on my "*Awesome*! list" is the magna float
magnetic algae scrubber, you can scrub the algae off the glass and don't even
have to get your hands wet. You might also want to check out the article below
on Algae control Best Regards and congrats on your new tank, Gage
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwalgcontrol.htm
>
Oscars Are Eating Pleco's Wafers 9/19.5/05
A friend of mine has a problem with his Oscars and asked me to send you guys
a message because I have used your guys' services before and have gotten many
problems solved. He has a pair of young albino Oscars and a medium sized
Plecostomus. He typically feeds the Oscars Hikari Cichlid Staple pellets and
supplements that with Rosy Red Minnows once every week or so. He feeds his
Plecostomus Hikari algae wafers but his Oscars always eat the wafer. I told him
that I thought it was because of the Oscars being used to eating the Cichlid
Staple that is so high in vegetable matter and that the wafers probably taste
very similar. My friend would like to know why his Oscars continuously eat his
pleco's food and if there is any way to get them to stop doing so. Thank you so
much for your help.
< Oscars are pretty intelligent for fish. They know that these wafers are good
food and don't mind eating them as soon as they hit the water. This is a problem
with many aquarists trying to feed bottom dwelling fish. Pleco's are mostly
nocturnal while Oscars are mainly diurnal. So turn out the room and fish tank
lights about an hour before you go to bed. Just before you go to bed you can
throw in the algae wafers. The Oscars should be asleep and the Plecos will be up
and eating.-Chuck>
Plecostomus
I have a 10 gallon tank that is temporarily holding a 3.5" Oscar, 3" Jack
Dempsey, a 4" Plecostomus, and a 1 1/4 Cory catfish. I have two filters in the
tank, a power and an underground. Lately, my Plecostomus -Leo- has not been
eating as much as he used to, and I was wondering if it was because of the lack
of space in the tank or if he is not hungry at all? I watch and make sure that
the Oscar and Jack Dempsey eat all of their food, sinking pellets and some
flakes. When I put in the pellets for the Plecostomus the Oscar eats them...
Figures, he begs all the time. But I'm worried about the Pleco. The Cory is
doing just fine, though I've seen her going up and down the tank's sides like
she is looking for something... The fish are waiting for a 55 gallon tank that I
have that is just getting fixed up, the stand and such, just so you know :).
>> Your Plecostomus is likely not getting enough food in such a crowded
situation. Or the water conditions are not as good, due to crowding and he is
feeding less. Your Corydoras is likely to get eaten in the very near future,
most likely by your Oscar. When you move the cichlids to the larger tank you may
want to keep the Corydoras in the 10 gallon. Good Luck, Oliver <<
New Pleco Not Eating
I have a 10 gallon tank containing 6 1" X-ray Tetras and a 4" Common Pleco
(damn he's cute)<My favorite fish>. I've had the tank about 1 month and am
keeping a sharp eye on the Ph/A/N/N. <What are the numbers? Plecos make a lot of
waste. At four inches, your OK for now. But he will get over a foot in time> I
just got the Pleco 3 days ago and I'm not sure if he is eating. I can see no
discernible algae in the tank yet, though when I repositioned an air hose it
felt slimy. <How long has it been running? If the tank is not cycled you will be
getting ammonia and nitrite spikes. Be ready for large daily water changes> I've
been dropping algae wafers in and the next morning they are gone, for the most
part. Or so I thought. I vacuumed the gravel yesterday when I did a water change
and it seems that the wafers just disintegrated and fell unseen between the
gravel, uneaten. The Pleco will suck on the glass and rocks, but also all over
his cave, which is brand new. I tried zucchini but he ignores it. <A great food,
along with squash, carrots, cucumber, even a raw shrimp once or twice a month.
Stick with it. He's just new to the tank> How long can a Pleco go without food?
<Weeks, if healthy. But, of course, it is not recommended> It might just be the
stress of a new environment, <Yep, give him a few days> but I don't want him to
starve. <I have never seen a healthy fish starve> He's fairly active at night,
but I don't know what is considered "normal" activity. <Yep, I consider it a
"Rare Fish Sighting" when my Big Spots come out while the lights are on> He's my
first. Also, assuming the little bugger survives, <He will> I was thinking of
getting moonlight, so I can actually see it sometimes. <Thinking of this myself,
but have not it tried yet> I'll turn out the tank light, but he still won't come
out until the room is dark. Will that keep my Tetras active at night? <Not sure.
It would depend on the brightness> I don't want them competing with him for his
wafers, etc. They eat everything.
<I feed all my Plecos just before going to bed. Try putting wafers in a shallow
bowl or a clean ashtray. You'll get a better idea of what he's eating and keep
the leftovers out of the gravel.
Re: New Pleco Not Eating
Thanks for the super fast reply! Lets see, numbers... I test the tank every
day. <Great> The pH has held a steady 7.6 since inception, same as the tap and
water temp steady 79. <Same as the tap is the important part of this. No problem
with water changes> I understand the pH should come down naturally as the tank
cycles? <Maybe, but one big advantage of doing frequent water changes is keeping
the two pHs close. The fish will adapt. It's a sudden swing that is bad> The max
numbers I've gotten are ammonia 2ppm, nitrite .25, nitrate 20. That's all within
acceptable range, I think? The longest I've gone between water changes is 2
days, will do it more often now with the Pleco. <There is no safe amount of
ammonia or nitrite. Both must be at zero. 2ppm ammonia will kill. Nitrates at
20ppm is good. I usually do my water changes when they hit 20. But you are going
to have to do large (50%+) water changes daily until that ammonia is gone. This
will slow, but not stop, the formation of the bacteria needed to eliminate it
naturally>
Here's the weird thing. From the first day I started the tank the nitrate level
was 10?? I have a bottom layer of sand that came with the tank (used). It had
sat in a bag in someone's garage for a year+, so I figured any creepies would be
dead. I washed it thoroughly. I also put new gravel over most of that, kind of a
gravel/sandscape. Looks nice and so far hasn't mixed except slightly where they
meet towards the front of the tank. If my Am and Nitrite started off at 0, how
is that possible? The used sand is the only thing I can think of, its 0 out of
the tap. I've tripled checked the tests. The tank has been running three weeks
(thought it was longer), I added the first fish 2 weeks days ago. <Most likely
organics in the sand. With tap water at zero, this will control itself as you
deal with the ammonia. Not a worry>
My Pleco is getting a little bolder, he was out and watching me work last night,
but whenever I turned toward him, he'd back up into his cave. <All normal>
Though once he just sat on a flat rock and blinked at me. I think I'm in love
now. :) <LOL> Thanks for the ashtray tip, what a good idea. <Not mine. Just
passing along a tidbit. Don>
Bristlenose problems
Dear Robert,
my Bristlenose having been doing ok I guess. They are eating the zucchini and
cabbage. It hasn't been boiled or cooked in anyway-sorry but I did it before I
read your email.
I bought some algae tablets for them-Wardley premium algae discs.
When I put these in my Bristlenose cats liked it so they started'sucking' at
those 'discs'. Then here's the problem: My livebearers (guppies, mollies,
platies, and swordtails) started taking bites out of the discs. The mollies
started first- I read that they need some plant in their diet. They were very
aggressive and my Bristlenose cats are too small in size to defend their
meal....the algae discs were all consumed.
The mollies were very aggressive with the males raising their fins all the time
and attacking other fish that tried to eat the algae discs.
What should I do?
<Feed them all the algae discs and even greenery-based flake foods... it is good
for them... what these livebearers principally eat in the wild.>
What signs can I look for to tell if my Bristlenose are starving? >>
<Though they are "armored" catfishes, you can see them getting skinny, concave
in the area right ahead of their vents... keep them well fed.>
Bob Fenner
Ancistrus temminckii
Dear Robert,
could you please tell me all the foods that Ancistrus temminckii (Bristlenose
catfish) can eat. I have a wonderful book and it says I can feed it lettuce-I
have NO algae in my tank. BUT I want to give it some variety; without wasting
money on algae tablets at the pet store-the employee there said I should give it
those algae tablet things. But then those people "must make a profit", I don't
believe him.
Can you tell me what vegetables it can eat. Can it eat cabbage???
Will it die if I give it a fresh vegetable diet?
I haven't really seen them rasping at the cabbage. What signs should I look for?
, I worry they will starve as my sucking catfish recently died.
If they have nothing to eat, will they start eating the aquatic plants? if so,
will this be enough?
Thanks a lot
>>
In the wild, this species, genus and most of the family of sucker-mouth South
American (though some are Central) Catfishes (Loricariidae) consume mainly
greenery, insect larvae and worms and wood!... In captivity they still require
daily greens (the tablets are about the best route to go, cost wise, ease of
use, and non-messiness... along with different types of terrestrial materials
like boiled/blanched/microwaved zucchini, peas, spinach... not just fresh greens
thrown in... hard to manipulate and digest... expensive but readily taken are
"human consumption" algae as well (Nori, kombu...)
and incidental and not meaty foods that you'd otherwise feed to other types of
fishes... and that wood.... something in the way of driftwood works best...
Pleco feeding
hi,
Thanks for your help. I took your advice and got two pleco's to go in my tank
with my Oscars and Severums.
Everyone is still quite small ( Oscars are already bigger than the rest ). I
never see the pleco's eating ( one is Gibbiceps Pleco and the other is a Gold
Nugget ), so at night night I place some algae wafers and cucumber slices in the
tank.
<Good idea. Do you have a bit of sunken "driftwood" in the tank? A very useful
adjunct to these Suckermouth South American Catfishes nutrition.>
I noticed the Oscars and Severums like these foods as well and my questionis :
Am I over feeding the Oscars and Severums by leaving large pieces vegetables in
tank overnight ?
<No worries... these materials won't cause them trouble (unless there's so much
in the system that it rots)>
I know about the 5 minute rule...but I'm worried aboutthe pleco's not having a
chance to eat if I don't leave the food in overnight. The tank is a newly cycled
tank and is very clean.
Thanks,
Adam
<Do keep an eye on ammonia for a few weeks more... and start in with regular
(weekly, biweekly...) gravel vacuum, water changing, etc. Bob Fenner>
Re: starving Pleco
Hello Crew!
<Hi there!>
It's been a while since I've requested your assistance concerning my Pleco Puc
(a good thing). However, after all we have been through (dead fish friends,
strange black worms, split fins, dropsy, QT, not eating, etc...) he has stopped
eating again. It has been about a month. I've tempted him with everything I
can think of (zucchini, romaine lettuce (his favorite as a baby), algae tabs,
bloodworms, brine shrimp, shrimp pellets, peas) but he just goes along sucking
at the glass and seems to "run-away" from the food. We got him a new piece of
driftwood about 3 months ago since his old piece just kept floating up to the
top and he wasn't too jazzed about the new piece, so a couple of weeks ago we
got him another one. Apparently he likes being able to have a choice because he
goes back and forth between both of them (one he can lay on the other he likes
to attach to upside down :). I was hoping that the wood would get him back to
wanting to eat food (I don't know why), but no such luck. It’s getting to the
sad point where I can see his bone structure by his gills and vent and know that
he is starving to death but I really just don't know what to do at this
point. I think he may be too fragile to force feed - and I really don't want to
stress him out further :(
<Poor thing. It’s really sad watching when this happens but sometimes there’s
just nothing you can do. In this case, the only thing I can think of that you
haven’t tried is the dried algae sheets that are available now. There are three
different “flavors” available, red, brown, and green. They’re fairly inexpensive
and my fish seem to love them. You just tear a small strip off and rubber band
it to a rock or piece of wood and they can be left in the tank for several hours
before they start to foul.>
His water conditions are good (0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, pH 7.4, temp 79f) and I
clean up the food daily. I have done frequent small water changes (rather than
a bi-monthly moderate change) as we set up a QT for some new Buenos Aires Tetras
and wanted to acclimate them to the main tank conditions from the start. Today
I noticed that he has a small red circle on his belly that doesn't look like a
cut, lesion or abrasion, but something under his skin (was not there
yesterday). Our gravel has some angled shell pieces but mostly rounded medium
sized rock, so unless he is so delicate that he bruised himself on the rocks or
wood ...Any ideas?
<Take a look at
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwfshparasites.htm
to see if any of that sounds like what he has. But it’s possible that he just
rubbed himself on something.>
Some people don't think you can get attached to a fish but he has survived so
much that I can't stand to see him waste away like this. Maybe strange to some,
but I was going to get him a 50G and put in a sad bed for his 3rd
"birthday". In some of the FAQs I've read here, I've seen references to
appetite stimulants for salt water fishes...do these work for FW too? Or are
there comparable products for FW fishes? Obviously this is a get the fish to
eat or watch him die situation - any suggestions? I don't think I can euthanize
him. Please let me know if I've left out any info you would find useful.
<I don’t know for sure of any food stimulants that would work but do run a
search on your favorite search engine. I don’t think it’s strange at all to
become attached, I’m that way with many of my own and there’s been times that I
lost one that I just wanted to bawl.>
Thanks for any ideas and suggestions. Dana
<You're welcome! Ronni>
Starving Pleco
Well Crew, I have happy news to share! While I was not able to find the
dried algae sheets at either of my LFS, I kept trying with the algae tabs and to
my absolute joy Puc is eating. Everyday since the 30th. Just wanted to let you
know and say thanks again for all your help. Dana :)
<Wonderful!! I’m very relieved to hear that he’s eating again. Thanks for the
update! Ronni>
Comments on Gold nuggets and such....
>Hi Marina
>>Hello Wayne.
>Just some notes re: the lady who lost her gold nugget and clown Plec... First
of all you're right to ask how much food made it to these plecs - I believe that
the majority of these fish (like many numbers) die of starvation due to both
inadequate and incorrect diet. Notice how so many people complain they grow so
slowly, well there's a good reason. I have a few baby Bristlenoses I kept in a
tank and hammered with food, they're about 5 months old now and the largest is
nearly 3 inches. I remember keeping a bristle in with some Mbuna, and that
[fish] just stopped growing when it went in there, in contrast to its brother
who is now a good, fat, fully grown 4 inches. Also, as you point out the fish,
esp. the gold nugget do not feed on algae, except in utter desperation, rather
they pick up worms, bugs, critters and chew on the biofilm I believe. These
fish are fussy on water quality and also water movement and dissolved oxygen
content. Notice how this lady's and so many hung on the filter outlet. In the
only good breeding report I've seen a powerhead was pointing at the spawning
cave! 30% a month is thoroughly inadequate, and that LFS was pretty stupid to
say so. My fish respond well to 10, 15
percent 3 times a week. I only gravel Hoover every 2 or 3 weeks though to
maintain a biofilm of mulm for continual chewing. I don't think these fish are
too fussy about pH within reasonable limits, but I'm pretty sure nuggets at
least are from acidic blackwater rivers (Lower xingu, but I need to check
that). There is a theory that these low pH rivers are not terribly bacteria
friendly, so fish from these areas are all prone to bacterial infection as they
simply don' have a 'bacteria unfriendly' immune system - (examples wild caught
Apistos, discus, L nos). Again, another reason for those frequent water
changes. So my bet here is a slight slip in water quality, plus a minimal diet
caused a bacterial infection and pop. You might not even need the
bacterial bit to kill a slowly weakening fish. So I would say if you're going
to keep these fish be prepared to overfeed the tank and counter it with frequent
small water changes.
>>Agreed.
>I truly wish I could help with the questions but I simply don't have an hour a
day (small children = zero time at home)
Regards, Wayne Oxborough
>>Much to my chagrin (and others on the crew who know how much we truly need
knowledgeable help), I do understand. Thank you for your input, though. Marina
Moor Root?!
Do you know what moor root is?
<Well, I could be wrong, but I think this is just a European way of saying
bogwood. A moor is a vast boggy heath, basically, and I imagine "moor root"
refers to sunken, waterlogged wood/roots. Bogwood. Driftwood.>
I read about it in the Aqualog catalogs. I have a 75g Pleco tank and I would
like to have some in my tank.
<Indeed, bogwood is of great importance to the diets and overall well-being of
many plecs.>
I've asked people in my area no one knows. PLEASE HELP! Also where do you
think I can get some living in Tampa?
<Any local fish store, most likely. Ask about bogwood/driftwood instead of moor
root, though, unless you're visiting London for your wood! ;) Or, if you're
feeling adventurous, you can collect/clean/prepare your own. Have
fun! -Sabrina>
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