Adjustment period? (new L264)

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BPags52

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 22, 2009
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Tallahassee, FL
I picked up a 3" L264 Sultan pleco on Wednesday and im slightly concerned, but not sure if I should be yet. I'm new to fancy plecos...

As far as I can tell its not eating. I've dropped in sinking shrimp pellets / sinking hikari carnivore pellets / ken's premium spirulina wafers / and frozen kill near where it hides, but it doesn't seem at all interested in the stuff.

The first night I got it, it stayed in this corner for about 12 hours straight. It would re-position itself once inawhile, but it was in the same spot when I got up Thursday morning.
3409145099_8f9c79ee8b.jpg



But after I turned the lights on Thursday morning it eventually made its way to this group of rocks, and hasn't left this small area since. Notice the uneaten wafer sitting on the rock right behind its tail...
3409056523_e5cd00f20a.jpg


From what I've observed since Thursday morning, it has not left this little 4 square inch area, and I don't see it eating.

Its not completely motionless though, it seems to re-position itself fairly often, so I'm not sure if this is normal behavior, if its taking time to adjust to the new tank, or whatever else it might be?

Quick little vid of it shifting around...whats it doing? Eating algae? just getting comfortable?
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My water conditions are:
81 degrees fahrenheit
< 20 ppm nirate
0 nitrite
GH is very hard (300 ppm)
0 chlorine
KH is high (300 ppm)
PH is high (8.0+)

I know plecos do better in slightly acidic/soft water, but was hoping it would be able to adjust to my waters naturally high ph/kh/gh. I had a few common plecos in my old setup that seemed fine.

Tank mates are:
(7) silver dollars
(5) red hook silver dollars (added these same time I added the L-264 pleco)
(1) 4" lima shovelnose catfish
and they all seem to be doing fine...

What are you guys thoughts? Should I be concerned? If not, when should I be? :nilly:
Sorry for the long post, tried to include as much detail as possible for accurate responses :D
 
Does it look healthy? Sunken eyes? Does it look emaciated? It may just be getting used to your tank. I have had a couple plecos that have worried me for the first couple days also. I am by no means an expert but I would believe you could have some issues with introducing new fish with that high of a ph if you dont acclimate very slowly. I believe the L-264 is a leporacanthicus sp. and will take a fairly meaty diet. My L-091 (another leporacanthicus) enjoys market shrimp and chunks of tilapia. Not saying yours will act the same but my L-091 is VERY nocturnal, so be sure to try to feed with the lights out.
 
Well it stays hidden all the time (as seen in 2nd pic / video) so I can't get a good look at it, and I don't want to pull 'em out just to look at it and stress it more. But I didn't notice any deformity/defect/etc when it was first added.

I've tried meaty pellets/frozen krill for protein and spirulina wafers in case it wanted something else, but haven't seen it go after anything.

I did add a mix of stuff last night as I turned out the lights, and checked on it a couple times before I went to bed, and it was still in its normal spot, and was there when I woke up.

I gravel vac'ed the area around his rocks this afternoon, and picked up alot of leftovers, so I don't think he ate anything.

Maybe I'll wake up every 30 minutes tonight to see if it ever leaves the rock :nilly::screwy:
 
The water in the tank is way to hard and alkaline. 'IF' the plec survives it will take along time for it to settle in and the only thing you can realy do is wait and see. I would keep trying to feed it so that wen it gets hungry it ha an avalible food source.
It might b worth trying some bogwood or anything to try and temporarily reduce the pH just to try and make it feel more comfortable then gradully increase the pH back up to your tap water.
 
seems normal for it
you dont see it eat
and get it a cave to hide in
 
bigfishsmallpond;2981315; said:
seems normal for it
you dont see it eat
and get it a cave to hide in
Click to expand...

Theres several cave-like structures for it to hide in, but the first 48 hours in the tank it didn't leave the small area it first hid in. I woke up at around 2am and 5am and checked on where it was at...it moved! :headbang2
At 3am it was under a rock cave/tunnel, at 5am it was wedged inbetween a piece of driftwood and a plastic plant thats leaning on the back glass, and its still there now. :D

Although I think I liked his original hiding spot better, I could see it easier :popcorn:
edit: Heres a pic of the full view of my tank, plenty of hiding spots for a single pleco :D

It's original hiding spot was next to the near-verticle flat rock on the left side of the tank. At 3am it was under the flat red rock tunnel that is located right between the left and middle cabinet doors on the tank stand. Now its behind that driftwood in the middle.
3369795140_69e63fc28b_b.jpg
 
bigfishsmallpond;2981444; said:
do you turn lights off?
Click to expand...

every night :D

Each time I woke up and saw that it had moved, I put a few sinking carnivore/shrimp pellets in (while lights were out...), no idea if it ate them or not, but it has to be a good sign that its exploring its surroundings :popcorn:
 
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