Keep an eye on your panaque plecos

[rob22]

great looking royal i will have to look and see if my is doing that

 

[Haymarket]

Anybody else have a big royal that ate the silicone? Most people do say they leave it alone, so what is the variable? No wood? Multiple royals competing for food? Underfed? Or do they all do it and most people dont notice?

 

[Datnoid101]

Thanks guys

That is seriously the most beautiful panaque I have ever seen. Get him some cover, though.

He has 3 St's, the biggest is 15" to give him some cover. This guy dosent need it. He's not shy and will ram your hand if you stick it in the tank. He beats up my mag9 everytime I do waterchanges. LOL!

Anybody else have a big royal that ate the silicone? Most people do say they leave it alone, so what is the variable? No wood? Multiple royals competing for food? Underfed? Or do they all do it and most people dont notice?

Its normal as they scavenge for food. Panaques need to feed more often than other plecos and are always hungry and foraging. Even with wood and varied diet they will suck on glass, intakes and silicone. Whatever they can scrape their teeth on.

 

[COL]

what are st's?

 

[Datnoid101]

 

[COL]

Ah. Anyways, I would still opt for driftwood or something along those lines, as they are found, in the wild, jammed within rotting logs and driftwood tangles. But to each, his own.

 

[Flash]

Ah. Anyways, I would still opt for driftwood or something along those lines, as they are found, in the wild, jammed within rotting logs and driftwood tangles. But to each, his own.

I thought it was proven that panaques needed wood to thrive?

 

[COL]

It is. I assume he provides wood, just the shelter seems to be lacking. Again, the panaque appears healthy, so, eh.

 

[Pyramid_Party]

Yeah Ive even heard of Common plecos even eating silicone. Gotta be careful, I guess you really have to keep them fed or give them something else to chew on. I never had the problem with plecos though.

 

[Datnoid101]

He does have wood. I just didnt want to over crowd the tank. The tank was getting way to messy with food trapped under multiple driftwood. His spines and whiskers actually started growing out more after the reduction of wood and feeding more market shrimp and dainichi pellets.
an older pic. No whiskers, no spines