L235 Pleco not eating

[tbrown7552]

Ive had him for about 3 weeks now. I havent been able to get him to eat anything i put in the tank. Tried algae wafers, i told the LFS and they gave me some "spectrum" to try and he wont touch that either. They end up dissolving. I bought freeze dried bloodworms to try but they just float at the top and the mollies gobble them up. Is there any way i can get this to the bottom. I havent tried actual fruit or vegetation because im curious to know whats a good one to start with so i can be sure hes eating before experimenting with other fruits/vegetables.

 

[HungDang]

try some chopped shrimp or thawed frozen blood worms. L235 will eat more meat than veggie, and also need a meaty diet to settle in.

 

[tbrown7552]

try some chopped shrimp or thawed frozen blood worms. L235 will eat more meat than veggie, and also need a meaty diet to settle in.

like shrimp from the grocery store?

 

[HungDang]

like shrimp from the grocery store?

yes

 

[pontyrogof]

Maybe I am not supposed to feed mine tuna and salmon but it loves each. It is very fond of cucumber, cooked spinach, and even chicken. Anything it gets from me is organic and without any additives.

 

[tbrown7552]

Maybe I am not supposed to feed mine tuna and salmon but it loves each. It is very fond of cucumber, cooked spinach, and even chicken. Anything it gets from me is organic and without any additives.

how quick does he hit it when you put it in? How big is yours. All ive read is 6 inches max.

 

[pontyrogof]

Hmmm, what do you mean six inches max? The food? Sorry I am not responding to your specific variety of pleco. Mine is a mystery pterygoplichthys I got from PetStupid. But my story might help you.

It was about three inches long when it first went into a 175 gallon outdoor tank with lots of hides and I did not see it come out of hiding during the day for three months. When I did, it had more than doubled in size. The tank already had a fair amount of algae, but I think what I was throwing in for the platies always got finished up by the pleco AT NIGHT in the dark.

I don't believe in buying commercial preparations for feeding fish as long as they get good variety and things that are not known to be toxic, especially if the tank is outside where insects lay eggs in the water. That said, when the pleco started showing itself, it would eagerly suck up any food that hit the bottom. No big chunks, mind you. Just pinches of canned fish, shredded cooked greens, even some re-hydrated kelp leaves. I've since moved it inside to a smaller container but with more "swimming" room. The big tank outside was very very heavily planted.

It has become braver recently and now in broad daylight attaches itself to floating slices of cucumber, watermelon balls, thawed frozen cherries, (try to stay away from acid fruits), cooked sweet potato cubes, beet cubes, etc.

I think the trick with plecos are how reclusive they are during the day, needing lots of hiding places until they feel safe. I think seeing them as juveniles sliding all over the glass and sucking on vacation cookies in the LFS is deceiving. They are just dumb babies that soon grow to be very clever survivalist critters.

 

[tbrown7552]

I just put about half of a shrimp that i divided in two into the tank. Once is out in the open and one is in under his hiding rock. I turned the lights off and hes already out. He seems really active even during daytime Ive never had a problem with him excessively hiding. He is very skiddish. If i get close to the tank or there is sudden movement he darts into hiding though hes not startled by the rosy reds or the peacock bass.. When he is out he seems to move around alot. He only latches to a spot very breifly before moving. It makes me feel like hes constantly searching for food without any luck. I had some brown algae start forming on the tank. I only clean the sides and front and left the back for him. He seems to have cleaned everything he can get to and the back of the tank is pretty clear. I still feel like hes always searching hard for food cause hes not getting any. Like i said the LFS sold me algae wafers when i got him but it was some kid. He completely rejected them. I told them about it and they gave me some large spectrum pellets to try and he rejected that to. I told them about that and they gave me a bag of small and slightly larger spectrum pellets and told me thats what they feed all of their plecos there but i forgot it at the LFS in the midst of checking out with everything else i had bought. Img lad they are working with me but everything i have put in there up to today he rejects and doesnt even show any interest in. Im hoping he finds the shrimp and eats it. Maybe ill try a slice of cucumber if the shrimp doesnt work. I honestly think if i put a vacation block in there he would reject that lol. I just wish he could tell me what he wants so i can give it to him.

 

[pontyrogof]

Commercial food can be loaded with fractionated ingredients like gluten or even carrageenan, and the preservatives do not keep the food fresh. What do plecos feed on in the wild? Whatever is in the biofilm on surfaces (including live surfaces like manatee skin, yikes), and edible things that fall in and just begin to decompose or become soggy, right? And dead fish!

 

[tbrown7552]

So the piece of shrimp that i put outside is just about gone. The feeders picked at it and just finished it. The peice in his hiding spot is untouched. Hes been right by it and i would think by now he would have smelled it and got on it but he seems to not care. Ill leave it in there for a few more nights just to see and if its still not touched ill remove it and throw it away. I guess next ill try a slice of blanched cucumber. Im scared hes not getting enough because even right now with the lights on hes out and active. If he would just take something that i put in it would make me feel alot better.