How to feed my always-hiding pleco!

Lord Gaz

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 17, 2006
120
1
0
Australia
Okay, so I recently got a pleco, about 1 inch right now, still a baby. I had him in my small tank before, 1'x1' which is fairly small but I could feed him better 'cause I can always see him! I just chuck a algae wafer nearby and he'll go right on sucking on it. Now, I decided to move him to 2' tank, which has 3 small oscars, 3 gold gouramis, 2 ghost knife, small convict, rainbow shark, and 4 corys. Changed him in here in hopes of hoping he'll grow up faster, but the problem is he sticks behind my heater like, all the time! Doesn't seem to come out to socialise much. So, how can I solve this? how cna i get that little one to come out and eat with everyone? Don't want that little one to starve to death, love him so much.....
 

The Happy Mud Skipper

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 23, 2005
317
0
0
Banff, Canada
i wouldn't worry about it, my plecos never have starvedand I don't feed them. The bigger they get the more sociable they will become. That is with my expierence. As long as you have plenty of light in the tank during the day, at night he will come out from behind that heater and clean that entire tank. I've also found that they like shaded areas. They don't like the light. But trust me, he's getting fed. He'll eat slime off your tank all night long then go back to his heater to digest durring the day.
 

evercl92

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 17, 2006
512
0
0
Columbus, OH
www.2slowracing.com
I'd agree with mud skipper. If you are truely worried that he's not getting anything to eat, toss in a algae wafer when the lights go out. They're not totally noctural, but they do seem to do more work during the night, rather than the day. I'd be more worried that you have 3 oscars and 2 knife fish in a 2 foot tank. 2 oscars alone will require a minimum of a 75 gallon tank when full grown. My single oscar is in a 75 gal tank, with a leporinus, and he can almost touch head and tail on the glass when he's looking at you from the front. He's almost 16inches long. Ghost knife fish can get to lengths between 12 - 18 inches, and they would need a 75 - 125 gallon tank for themselves as well. I have my single ghost knife in my 125 gallon. Also, ghost knife fish dont tend to enjoy the company of their own species. They may get along and tolerate each other now, but eventually they will get agressive to each other, thus another reason to have a larger (125 gal or more) tank for them, so they have room / space to create individual territories. Just something to consider for the near future, as oscars grow fairly quick, and you'll soon run out of tank space.
 

davo

Aimara
MFK Member
Jan 9, 2006
17,529
39
132
England
well it depends on what sp pleco you have on what you feed it (whether its a omnivore with preference to meat or veggies not all eat the algae and sift through detritous). but yea mudskipper is right, plecos are nocturnal and therefore come out at night, and shady spaces and caves and hideyholes will increase its activity during the day. id put the food next to his hang out and then switch the light out, and he'll get the food. plecos can get heater burn though, so might be something to think about...
 

Lord Gaz

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 17, 2006
120
1
0
Australia
I'd agree with mud skipper. If you are truely worried that he's not getting anything to eat, toss in a algae wafer when the lights go out. They're not totally noctural, but they do seem to do more work during the night, rather than the day. I'd be more worried that you have 3 oscars and 2 knife fish in a 2 foot tank. 2 oscars alone will require a minimum of a 75 gallon tank when full grown. My single oscar is in a 75 gal tank, with a leporinus, and he can almost touch head and tail on the glass when he's looking at you from the front. He's almost 16inches long. Ghost knife fish can get to lengths between 12 - 18 inches, and they would need a 75 - 125 gallon tank for themselves as well. I have my single ghost knife in my 125 gallon. Also, ghost knife fish dont tend to enjoy the company of their own species. They may get along and tolerate each other now, but eventually they will get agressive to each other, thus another reason to have a larger (125 gal or more) tank for them, so they have room / space to create individual territories. Just something to consider for the near future, as oscars grow fairly quick, and you'll soon run out of tank space.
Well I only came across this forum a couple of weeks ago, and only then did I found out that my ghost knife could get even bigger. Right now the big one, who beats up the smaller one alot, is standing at almost 8" while the smaller one about 5-6". The oscars are new, only had them for 2 weeks, so when they get bigger I think I will upgrade. The only reason I'm not upgrading is because my gf is against it for wasting money, and my mum is against it for wasting space. Women!
 

PinkPanther

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 3, 2006
122
0
0
New York
Toss in some shrimp pellets right before you turn out the lights, or zuchinni or cantelope will get him out.
 

Lord Gaz

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 17, 2006
120
1
0
Australia
I thought about zuchinni 'cause i've seen my local fish stores do it to their plecos and bristlenoses. Honey dew melon is new though! Will they grow big just eating of that? Or a mix of vege and say, shrimp pellets is better?
 

davo

Aimara
MFK Member
Jan 9, 2006
17,529
39
132
England
if its a common veggies are best as a staple diet. zucc, potatoe, peas, cucumber, broccolli, lettuce, melon, kiwi, water plants, cantelope, parsnips..... but you still got feed meat to supplement. so yea a mixed veg and shrimp pellets would be fine, but id still feed it some prawn or bloodworm or something, but im sure pellets would be as good
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store