Can Plecos Digest Wood?

[neutrino]

Short of some serious data proving otherwise I will continue to believe that wood can be replaced with other foodstuffs, including various raw ingredients that are found in commercial foods.

Maybe the key to that is one or a combination of:
1) Nutritional-- depends what is or isn't in the food you're offering.
2) Behavioral-- whether you can get the fish to accept what you're feeding or, alternately, can find a food it accepts (the wood eating version of getting a fussy carnivore species to accept commercial foods) or whether a shy or nocturnal species is successfully competing for food with other fish in the tank. If an individual of a wood eating species failed to do one or the other and did poorly, without testing their conclusion someone could think it's the lack of wood, without considering other possibilities.

 

[Midwater]

One thing that I have noticed from my few omnivorous L numbers:

They hang about on the wood and appear to graze on it. But it I put Indian Almond leaves in, not fresh but spent of tannins, they ignore the wood and go for the leaves.

I am sure the surface of leaves decomposes quicker than the surface of wood and supports much nutrient.

The leaves don't last long. The wood does.

 

[RD.]

Yes, agreed.

Maybe the key to that is one or a combination of:
1) Nutritional-- depends what is or isn't in the food you're offering.
2) Behavioral-- whether you can get the fish to accept what you're feeding or, alternately, can find a food it accepts (the wood eating version of getting a fussy carnivore species to accept commercial foods) or whether a shy or nocturnal species is successfully competing for food with other fish in the tank. If an individual of a wood eating species failed to do one or the other and did poorly, without testing their conclusion someone could think it's the lack of wood, without considering other possibilities.

Typically, bottom feeding aquatic species will eat any foodstuff that is available. Their guts will sort out the nutrient content.
This is precisely why bottom feeders such as the wood eating pleco species have evolved under some of the most nutritionally harsh environments. I’m quite certain that mbuna can glean nutrients from algae, yet we all know that this group of fish, that in nature are very specific in diet, can be successfully kept in captivity without so much as ever seeing a strand of algae. The results of several decades of keeping certain species, prove that point. No need for more studies, or more data.

I’m ok with making assumptions based on several decades of observation, my own included. But I also don’t have the analytical scientific type of background that you have. And I say that with the utmost respect. I love science, but I’m also big on first hand observations, mixed with science, especially when those observations are based on many years, and many test subjects. Not enough to author a peer reviewed paper like the folks linked to in this discussion, but enough raw data to satisfy my needs, and to start this topic on MFK. If nothing else I got members here contemplating the possibilities.

And yes, what one feeds a fish in captivity, be it algae, wood, or otherwise, is most definitely going to determine at least some of the overall outcome with regards to the health of a fish. In captivity, with all other things being equal, I personally don’t see a lack of wood as playing any major role in that equation.

 

[neutrino]

I think they can be complementary and either way it pays to be a good observer. I've seen cases where a lab study got some details wrong and if you've kept the fish you know better. There's only so much you can learn in a six week study vs. working with a species over time. An example of the best of both worlds are Lee Newman's articles on Satanoperca and Retroculus where he looks at science literature for clues, but reports what actually worked in his tanks.

Not to prove anything, just an observation (making a long story short). Growing an L14 pleco, got him at less than 2 inches. Initially ate algae off just about anything, does that less now. Of various driftwood pieces in the tank he (and a juvenile L91 in the tank) have definite preferences, some are kept clean or gnawed at, others ignored. Tried it earlier on without much response, but now they're getting Algae Max. Now they like it and it seems to have slowed their interest in driftwood. Meanwhile, in another tank an L200 ignores the Algae Max and continues to happily eat algae off most surfaces in the tank.

 

[Poseidon2.0]

My pleco who is captured from the wild (L200) has plenty of wood to chew on if he wants but mostly or even exclusively uses it to hide in. Never see him really eating it in a significant way.