L024 Pleco

[Potato Patatto]

Can anyone share their experience with their L024? Especially if you had it young and the color development over time?

This ones about 3.5 inches and the colors are pretty dull. The shipper didn’t do a great job with the package/heating but I guess that’s somewhat expected from a southern importer shipping to the northeast. The Pleco was incredibly stiff for a few hours, temp probably wasn’t more than 60 it felt quite cold. Thank god I held it at a ups shipping center I’m not sure how it would’ve ended if it stayed on a truck all day. It’s been about 24 hours but do you think it could still be just stressed? Or will color develop over time and it’s a wait & see game?

Any advice on feeding/traits would be appreciated too!

 

[BIG-G]

I got mine when it was about 4 inches it’s currently around 8 or so.
Mine loves shrimp,Talapia chunks, massivore delite pellets, krill, it also gets zucchini and sweet potatoes. I keep some wood in the tank and I see it scraping on it some too.

 

[Potato Patatto]

That’s a gnarly green haven’t seen one like that before, I’ve yet to seen mine eat anything I’ve thrown in so far

 

[BIG-G]

That’s a gnarly green haven’t seen one like that before, I’ve yet to seen mine eat anything I’ve thrown in so far

Best bet for first food to try would be something meaty like shrimp.
Since it’s a new fish it may take time and trial and error to get it going.
You could try some rubbing some garlic on it’s food the sent will sometimes trigger feeding.

The pale color could be stress related but it could be an indication that the pleco has parasites.
I would run a course of Paraguard or prazipro
If you can’t get that you could use API General Cure it has Praziquantel and Metronidazole, which would both be beneficial.

 

[Potato Patatto]

Yeah I have it with a kelberi & azul I recently acquired and the kelberi isn’t showing any visible signs of an infection but has fins clamped and hanging low. Figured it may be shipping stress but the azul is smaller and more active. I think I will start a Paraguard treatment tomorrow - thanks.

 

[BIG-G]

Yeah I have it with a kelberi & azul I recently acquired and the kelberi isn’t showing any visible signs of an infection but has fins clamped and hanging low. Figured it may be shipping stress but the azul is smaller and more active. I think I will start a Paraguard treatment tomorrow - thanks.

Couldn’t hurt.

 

[DrownedFishonFire]

My L024 immediately started to munch on earthworm sticks within 30 minutes of being dropped in the tank. Ive not named her yet. Very active and eats whatever I offer her. She likes to SLOWLY nibble on raw defrosted/shelled cut up shrimp. Im trying to figure out how much shrimp I should be offering her though. She is at 13-14" mark not counting her streamers. Beautiful pleco in their own right. Very personable.

For the pseudos theyre slow as heck growers with colorings not being same. I have 3x L114s in the other tank. One at 6" 4.5" and at 3" their tail patterning is so different biggest ones tail is still same orange/brown the day I brought it 2nd biggest one is half orange /brown the smallest ones tail over this year has turned 1/3 orange from full orange with dime sized brown in almost year I have had them in January/February of 2020.

 

[DHarris]

Color on yours looks like it's got potential. From my experience, the more red on the fins and tail when young, there more that can/will develop as they age. In addition to massivore and algae wafers, I like to feed krill, jumbo mysis and bloodworms. Whenever I put in veggies I also try to add some with redish color like peppers, carrots and melons.

This picture is from back in March, but here's my big guy. It's gotten a bit more red in it's dorsal and some pretty major growth of spines on it's checks and pectoral fins since this was taken.

 

[Potato Patatto]

Thank you all those are some serious plecos, i look forward to growing mine!

 

[Potato Patatto]

Ah one last question, have you observed aggressive behavior by these guys towards your other fish?