Big common pleco adopted-- doesn't seem to be eating

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kokosnood

Gambusia
MFK Member
Feb 3, 2009
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Santa Ynez, CA
I recently got a very large common pleco off of craigslist. It is well over a foot-close to 18". I put him in a 140g with some S. American cichlids, tinfoil barbs, and one much smaller pleco (about 7".) I feed the plecos in all my tanks zucchini, rubber banded to a rock so it will sink. I occasionally offer other veggies; but they seem to go for the zucchini the most.

I haven't seen this pleco eat the zucchini; but the smaller one is eating as usual. The big one came out of a nasty, unmaintained tank with a big Oscar. I didn't want the Oscar, but found it a home at a LFS. The big pleco seems a bit emaciated. The water quality is good in the 140g; all the other fish are thriving.

Is this big pleco just acclimating? Should I be worried? I haven't seen any outward signs of disease; but the emaciation is a concern. I think the fact that he came out of such a bad environment is a factor. I believe he has been living off of his fat reserves and may be wasting away. I'd like to stimulate him to eat again. He is a beautiful and interesting fish.
 
Poor guy. I'm glad he's got you now. Sometimes they don't recognize food as 'food' if they've never been exposed to it before. Not to mention he's most certainly just settling in. Plecs are said to be tough as nails but in my opinion they're pretty sensitive "emotionally" (for lack of a better word). Even good changes are stressful, I'd give him lots of darkness, bloodworms & veggies. I bet in no time he'll be swiping the zucchini away from the other Plec.
 
he'll come around, you should have adopted something cooler that doesnt just eat and poop X's 4528974598347628 lol.....I'm glad you helped this guy out though :-)
 
He probably doesn't know anything but algae wafers. Sometimes if they're raised on wafers only, they absolutely will not touch fresh veggies. If that doesn't work they also love high protien food like frozen krill or fish. I've seen lots of pleco's eating a dead fish in a community tank.
 
he might still be acclimating, the lfs i work at got a 15.5" pleco about two weeks ago i still haven't seen him eat
 
My pleco had some stress when he moved from his baby tank (10 Gallon) to his juvy tank (50 Gallon) he didnt want to eat for a few days and his colors changed abit.

but he perked up and started eating and playing in no time (nothing quite as funny as a pleco chewing wood with his tail in the air)

In my research for other issues i came across that garlic will help stimulate feeding desire. You might want to chop up some fresh garlic and rub the food in it i would try feeding waffers as well as real food :)

Hope the pleco feels better.
 
What were the nitrates and GH of the tank he came from? And how different are they from when he went into? If it was as nasty as you are saying and wasn't cleaned often, you have probably just caused a massive osmolarity shock situation.

With out a slow acclimation (slow as in 3 weeks slow), I would expect "settling in troubles" to last 6-8 weeks while its osmolarity resets itself.
 
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