Why is my Pleco trying to attach itself to the side of my fish ? (Updated 12-21)

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

A 5" Livingstoni will eat a LOT of flake food.   

So how much is enough?

I have been told and read on "this" forum that you essentially want to starve your fish, no more than once a day and only enough that lasts 2 / 3 minutes in the tank before it is all gone.

I have been known to over feed my fish, water gets cloudy, have to do lots a WC's.  I have since cut way back on the amount of food I feed my fish, now this occurs with my pleco..

Just goes to show you what little I really know about this hobby...

I seem to learn more and more each time I login to the MCA...

THIS IS A GREAT FORUM - THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP ! What a GREAT wealth of knowledge...

 

[four_by_ken]

When you come to check out my fish... or when I make it back over to see the new set up... I will feed your fish for you.

[rcombs]

how about a video ken? Sometimes I also am guilty of overfeeding. Sure a lot of others are as well. When I see em begging sometimes I drop em a meal.

[four_by_ken]

I could do a video.

I feed once a day.  Skip a day maybe once a week or so.

All food is gone in a minute.



I wouldn't really say I am the answer man in the arena though. 

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

When you come to check out my fish... or when I make it back over to see the new set up... I will feed your fish for you.

Dude - how much to feed my fish daily !  LOL 

[linuxrulesusa]

I think just common pleco.

They slime coat will come back once the stress is removed.  Personally I wouldn't add anything.

Fish injured?

Looks like a pterogoplicthys gibbiceps.  They get huge, like 1.5 ft if given enough room, produce tons of waste, and generally make nuisances of themselves.  I wouldn't recommend them for the typical tank.  If you want a pleco that's pretty, there are better options, like an inspector or similar...but it depends what other fish you have in the tank, e.g. maybe not with certain Africans.  If you want a pleco that's useful, get some bristlenose and they are far better at algae control and should not bother the other fish in terms of slime coat.  I've kept bristlenose with Centrals (smaller ones like convicts/Thoricthys) and they may get a little tattered on the fins but they can usually hold their own.  Just a couple quick thoughts.

[four_by_ken]

When you come to check out my fish... or when I make it back over to see the new set up... I will feed your fish for you.

Dude - how much to feed my fish daily !  LOL

I meant as an example of how much to feed. Not that I was going to feed your fish for you everyday!

[Steve]

While at Stevens last week, I told him about losing a fish, he asked what I was feeding them, I said pellets (Plecocaine # 3 and # 4).  He said that he only feeds his fish flakes, including spirulina..

Nothing at all wrong with Plecocaine, it's a good food for them. All my Mbuna, Peacocks & Haps, catfish are feed Plecocaine # 3 & # 4 as the main staple in their diet. My BNP's are feed Plecocaine algae wafers, and my mbuna love the wafers as well. Flake food dirtys up the water quicker and as Ken said, larger fish can go through flake food in a hurry. Every once in awhile I'll add a pinch of Omega One super veggie with the plecocaine pellets when I feed just as a bit of variety for them, but the plecocaine pellets are the main food I feed mine.

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

When you come to check out my fish... or when I make it back over to see the new set up... I will feed your fish for you.

Dude - how much to feed my fish daily !  LOL

I meant as an example of how much to feed. Not that I was going to feed your fish for you everyday!

Wheres the luv !   

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

While at Stevens last week, I told him about losing a fish, he asked what I was feeding them, I said pellets (Plecocaine # 3 and # 4).  He said that he only feeds his fish flakes, including spirulina..

Nothing at all wrong with Plecocaine, it's a good food for them. All my Mbuna, Peacocks & Haps, catfish are feed Plecocaine # 3 & # 4 as the main staple in their diet. My BNP's are feed Plecocaine algae wafers, and my mbuna love the wafers as well. Flake food dirtys up the water quicker and as Ken said, larger fish can go through flake food in a hurry. Every once in awhile I'll add a pinch of Omega One super veggie with the plecocaine pellets when I feed just as a bit of variety for them, but the plecocaine pellets are the main food I feed mine.

Do you add in the wafers after you feed the pellets?  I did use the wafers when I first set up the 180 but the next day I lost one of my best fish...I was so bummed..

[four_by_ken]

I cant feed wafers or my fish eat them.

The only time I do is late at night after the lights have been off for a couple hours.

Thats the only chance my plecos have at getting to eat them.

I also do the same with the veggies I put in there.  Put it in at night and then the fish can have what the plecos dont eat the next day. 

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

I think just common pleco.

They slime coat will come back once the stress is removed.  Personally I wouldn't add anything.

Fish injured?

Looks like a pterogoplicthys gibbiceps.  They get huge, like 1.5 ft if given enough room, produce tons of waste, and generally make nuisances of themselves.  I wouldn't recommend them for the typical tank.  If you want a pleco that's pretty, there are better options, like an inspector or similar...but it depends what other fish you have in the tank, e.g. maybe not with certain Africans.  If you want a pleco that's useful, get some bristlenose and they are far better at algae control and should not bother the other fish in terms of slime coat.  I've kept bristlenose with Centrals (smaller ones like convicts/Thoricthys) and they may get a little tattered on the fins but they can usually hold their own.  Just a couple quick thoughts.

IIRC - I got it at Kee's as a common pleco for something like $4.95, he was real tiny like 2" and he's been in my 55 since last March,  I would see him interact with my Electric Blue Ahli from time to time, they would go at each other...

[linuxrulesusa]

Nothing wrong with keeping him if you like him as long as you know their needs and size and such.  They are slightly omnivorous but need tons of vegetable matter.  Which will end up all over the place after they process it. 

[Steve]

Do you add in the wafers after you feed the pellets?  I did use the wafers when I first set up the 180 but the next day I lost one of my best fish...I was so bummed..

I add the wafers with the pellets myself. I break the wafers up into 2-3 pieces each and dump them in with pellets.

This is what I usually feed my 55g tank in the morning....


Then at night I will usually feed another pinch or two of pellets again. There's around  20 adult fish total in that tank currently, counting the cats and pleco.

[four_by_ken]

How do you stop you fish (non plecos) from stealing the wafers and making a run for it?

All my tanks, the fish will steal the wafers and keep "chewing" them until they break down and are ate by someone... other than the plecos.