Pleco care

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jaws7777

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Mar 1, 2014
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Guys need some help with them I just got s gold nugget and have had a green phantom for several months. My problem is inhabe no idea what the green phantom is eating ! He seems to be doing ok and is getting a little more sociable but in all the time that I have him I only have seen him eat tufts of algae a few times. I have tried veggie wafers pellets sliced cucumber and zucchini he doesnt go near them. This afternoon I noticed him scavenging off the gravel so I threw in some wafers and pellets he went right over them and didnt eat one but continued to eat the bio film (im guessing) I then cut half a zucchini stuck a fork in it and gave him that... not touching it. So what can I do ?

I tried to feed the gold nugget a slice of zucchini and he hasnt touched it. Only had him two days now but lfs said thats all they fed them.

What can I do to better take care of them

The green phantom is in a 150 lots of wood and hides metae, hrp, rainbows, vieja heterospilus and a spotted raph are its tank mates nitrates hardly ever get above 10ppm

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I happen to have a Gold Nugget and a Green Phantom too (along with a Blue Panaque, Leopard Sailfin, and a King Tiger... all in the one tank together). I've been feeding them all the same things... Every other day I feed them TertaMin Flakes and alternate between 1 cube of Frozen Brine Shrimp or 1 cube of frozen Blood Worms. Occasionally I throw in some Algae Wafers. I have seen all of my plecos come out for everything.

Actually, I just replaced my Green Phantom and my Blue Panaque 2 weeks ago (due to a mishap in my tank which I wrote about in another topic thread), so I haven't really seen my new Blue Panaque eating (but I have seen the new Green Phantom scavenge about). They both appear to be healthy tho.

Maybe your Gold Nugget is stressed still (being a newbie to your tank), and that is why he doesn't appear to be eating. I would suggest tossing a little food in the tank (near his hiding/settling in spot) at "Lights Out" time.
 
Thanks for sharing your fish and there habits but i was looking more of what am i doing wrong or not doing. The gn is new but the phantom is not

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If I have this correct, you said that the Green Phantom does not appear to be eating except for some algae and biofilm in the the tank, and that you haven't seen the Gold Nugget eat at all, and don't know what to feed it.

When I first had my original Green, I saw it out and about in my tank for the first few days, and then it stayed hidden. I never saw it come out to eat for several months. Then, all of a sudden, it started to come out at feeding time, and it would go after anything I put in the tank. In fact, my (original) Green Phantom used to be the first one (of my plecos) to come out and eat.

jaws7777 said:
I tried to feed the gold nugget a slice of zucchini and he hasnt touched it. Only had him two days now but lfs said thats all they fed them.
Click to expand...

I find it a little difficult to believe that your LFS was only feeding the GN zuchinni (not that they would have any reason to lie about it). Even if that is the case, as I said before, your newbie (Gold Nugget) may just be stressed from being placed in a new environment. I don't really have an answer for you regarding your Green Phantom (since you said it seems to look healthy and active in your tank).

You could try switching things up a bit. As I already stated, this is what I feed all of my fish (which also include Angels, Mollies, Loaches, Black Ghosts, and GloLite Tetras (all in one tank together)): I've been feeding them all the same things... Every other day I feed them TertaMin Flakes and alternate between 1 cube of Frozen Brine Shrimp or 1 cube of frozen Blood Worms. Occasionally I throw in some Algae Wafers (on a non-feeding day).
 
Limit hiding places (maybe just 1or2 pieces of driftwood or rock) to decrease shyness with you & mates (they will be fine don't worry), change to sand or barebottom, feed only in low light to no light conditions, do 50% wc's twice a week. Make sure temp is at least 82 for gn. My feeling is the type of food you are offering is not the problem
 
Cueball and jay thanks for the suggestions.
I tried an apple core....so far not going near it. Have you guys ever tried nls herbivore gel ?

The gold nugget might have eaten a couple of nls hexshield pellets not sure. Droped a couple in a cave he was hiding in or the pearsei could have gotten them

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Never tried apple or the gels. I was thinking about repashy gels for my L46 fry a while back, but just stayed with my stuff that seemed to be working. I would get their condition & environment to their liking and put zucchini in there with the skin facing outward. They love the skin, but all should get eaten within time. Throw a tiny piece in there at night and see what happens. Both the gn and the phantom should be mopping that stuff up. Hikari algae wafers should be favorites too. PE Mysis is a favorite of most plecs too and extremely healthy
 
Tried the skin up zucchini last night and didnt get a nibble. I guess I will wait and see

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