LoricFdgFAQs

Featured
Sponsor:

FAQs on Foods/Feeding/Nutrition of Loricariids, South and Central American Suckermouth Cats

Most Loricariids are principally nocturnal... or at least reclusive, out of the light...

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>

Featured Sponsors:

Amazon Honor System