Mascara barbs with an L-114 pleco

[Allan01230]

I have recently bought an L-114 on line 8 inches. It cost me and arm and a leg. Anyway I put it in my 50 breeder with 4 size mascara barbs. These barbs are very fast and voracious eaters. My pleco eyes started to sink in and it looked really thin. I feed him NLS pellets and black worms. I could see him eat and he looked fine until about a week ago. I took him to my LFS where he is in a 20 l my himself and he eats and looks good again. I'am wondering if the barbs are not leaving him enough food since they are so fast? My other tank contains an L-25 and the L-114 will definately fight and hurt the smaller L-25. I hate to get rid of the barbs as I like them but the L-114 is rare and I don't want to see him starve out. Any suggestions? What fish do alll of you keep with your expensive plecos? Thanks in advance.

 

[matubula]

So its eating but still has sunken eyes and skinny? That would usually suggest somethings wrong internally. I assume water quality is good.

If you think they are eating his food try feeding foods that are too large for the barbs. You could always try the two together, I find with my plecs its only the similar sized ones who are intolerant.

I keep Puntius denisonii/Torpedo barbs (2-5") which are pretty similar, and there are no problems.

 

[masterweb]

i keep my plecos with 15 redrummynose tetra and 1 botia india.

 

[Plec123]

I agfee with matt. Try feeding some foods that are too big for the barbs. Or, drop the barb food in one side of the tank, and while theyre distracted, feed the plec.

Or feed the barbs at day and. Feed the plec when the lights are off.

 

[zerojquan85]

I'll link u to a video where i saw a pleco L-14 eating a giant piece of shrimp along with discus.. I believe its a fellow MFK who had this fish...

Point is.. if u have giant piece of food.. Other fish will not be able to get it...

In addition, maybe a bigger tank is better and having more room is always great on fish.. no to mention water quality..

Having that said.. it depends on the individual pleco and temperature of each...

Heres the link [YT]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Eh9DnHNUq-Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Eh9DnHNUq-Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/YT]

[YT]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iNzP1WY7ngc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iNzP1WY7ngc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/YT]

My fav of all time..
[YT]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-ne_-c5xPwI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-ne_-c5xPwI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/YT]

 

[Linus_Cello]

My problem is with a striped Raphael cat that will vacuum anything that it can swallow, not fast barbs, etc. I find that sinking wafers are too big for anything but the plecos to rasp-feed. The other thing I do is I stick brine shrimp pellets or earthworm sticks into zuchinni or cucumber. The Raph hasn't caught on, and the plecos get some fiber along with the pellets/sticks.

BTW, where did you get the L-114? From Aquascape Online? They used to have one at that size, but I saw it got sold. Didn't get my 75 gallon set up in time to get it.

 

[zerojquan85]

My problem is with a striped Raphael cat that will vacuum anything that it can swallow, not fast barbs, etc. I find that sinking wafers are too big for anything but the plecos to rasp-feed. The other thing I do is I stick brine shrimp pellets or earthworm sticks into zuchinni or cucumber. The Raph hasn't caught on, and the plecos get some fiber along with the pellets/sticks.

BTW, where did you get the L-114? From Aquascape Online? They used to have one at that size, but I saw it got sold. Didn't get my 75 gallon set up in time to get it.

lol.. ya.. he pretty much bought the exact one.... haha.. If ur interested in L-114s.. Snookn21 vendor has them in right now... 3" i think... they wont come again in a long time..

 

[Allan01230]

My problem is with a striped Raphael cat that will vacuum anything that it can swallow, not fast barbs, etc. I find that sinking wafers are too big for anything but the plecos to rasp-feed. The other thing I do is I stick brine shrimp pellets or earthworm sticks into zuchinni or cucumber. The Raph hasn't caught on, and the plecos get some fiber along with the pellets/sticks.

BTW, where did you get the L-114? From Aquascape Online? They used to have one at that size, but I saw it got sold. Didn't get my 75 gallon set up in time to get it.

Actually that is the pleco I bought! Had some promblems with the place but finally got my L-114. I use the NLS 4.5mm pellets and it seems to be working. Also I throw in a peice of market shrimp in every other day and the barbs are not interested in the shrimp or large Nls pellets at all. Thanks for the help people.

 

[Linus_Cello]

Oh, your Allan (your name looked familiar). You can ignore my PM to you. Linus