This is my first Pleco specie I've kept that ingest wood. Well from the second week of having the Royal Pleco noticed sponge filters covered by wood particles. I hope this isn't interfering with the bacteria on the sponge. I have been rinsing and squeezing sponges during wc day.
Wood Digesting Pleco and Sponge filter
- Thread starter tlindsey
- Start date
If 02 levels drop, so will the bacteria count. Unfortunately you will need to work a little harder now at keeping the sponges clean of debris. That, or remove the wood.
Thanks I'm already working harder on the sponges as you stated. Don't mind the wood if the Pleco is benefiting from it.
I think that is questionable. Old sticky/thread from 2012 posted below, with some more recent papers discussed at the end. IMO wood can be replaced with cleaner alternatives. Up to you.
Unsure if wood is required for diet but it's very clear they enjoy rasping wood. My opinion based on the fishes body language, energy/aura and intuition.
It's similar to keeping a schooling fish on its own. Still able to have a long healthy life but it will always be seeking .... something.
And clearly they have evolved for rasping, just look at dentures. Why don't you get denser hardwood? This will take longer and produce much finer residue.
It's similar to keeping a schooling fish on its own. Still able to have a long healthy life but it will always be seeking .... something.
And clearly they have evolved for rasping, just look at dentures. Why don't you get denser hardwood? This will take longer and produce much finer residue.
There is no comparison between keeping a single schooling fish, and a pleco without wood. That pleco will simply seek out something else in the tank to scrape away at, be it a rock, a section of pipe, an intake tube, or even the glass itself. In fact, having kept a number of these fish over the years in both types of set ups, wood/no wood, I can assure everyone that the scraping of biofilm and rasping behaviour, is absolutely impossible to stop in these fish! Lol Not happening.
I decided to just leave it be and rasp away lol because it's not affecting the sponge filters. I have a 2 yr old Rummynose a Neon Tetra 3 Bumblebee catfish, and 2 Banjo Catfish as tankmates. Going to test the parameters tomorrow since I'll have a little downtime.
Agree that rasping plecos will chew on glass or plastic if there isn't anything else. Does this make them happy or desperate?
Would they prefer wood if available?
Slightly off topic but I used to produce ancistris spp in commercial volume with those aluminium framed IBC containers in shaded tunnels. I stopped because ingestion of microplastics was becoming more and more of a concern.
Would they prefer wood if available?
Slightly off topic but I used to produce ancistris spp in commercial volume with those aluminium framed IBC containers in shaded tunnels. I stopped because ingestion of microplastics was becoming more and more of a concern.
I don’t think that a pleco is capable of being happy, or desperate.
