shy pleco

[cnoel08]

I have a 2.5"ish royal pleco. i hardly ever see him move from his hiding spot but today when i came in the room he was at the front of the tank eating some sweet potato and as soon as i stepped in he darted back to his hiding spot. I was told that they are more nocturnal so having a a red light for when it is dark would help and i did that, just not one strong enough to light the whole tank. i guess what im getting around to is there really any way to get him out and more active?
thx for the help

 

[Lupin]

Is your tank loaded with hiding places? You could try putting Indian almond leaves in your tank to darken the water with tannins. It will probably come out more often.

 

[cnoel08]

Is your tank loaded with hiding places? You could try putting Indian almond leaves in your tank to darken the water with tannins. It will probably come out more often.

yea i do have plenty of hiding spots...he always stays up behind the filter when i am here tho

 

[kydsexy]

make srue he's not being bullied at all. i noticed my channel cat munching on my plecos tail! needless to say, time for him to go


to a new tank!

 

[cnoel08]

he isnt picked on as far as i can tell. just shy.

Is your tank loaded with hiding places? You could try putting Indian almond leaves in your tank to darken the water with tannins. It will probably come out more often.

does the tank look ok or dirty when you do this to the water?

 

[Lupin]

does the tank look ok or dirty when you do this to the water?

The water will look almost dark but not too dark enough that you cannot see your fish. Try a leaf per 10g. Simply place the leaves in your filter or weigh them down on the floor to give a natural look of leaf litter. Replace the leaves every two weeks or they'll rot and make your tank looks like it's a garbage can.lol

 

[cnoel08]

ok, do you know how long/how many wc it will take to get the murky water out if i dont like it?

 

[Lupin]

ok, do you know how long/how many wc it will take to get the murky water out if i dont like it?

That will depend. When I do about 60-70% water change, the tank water already looks too light.

 

[cnoel08]

cool, so do i just get these indian almond leaves at any health food store? and they will not harm the fish at all or change their colors?
Do you know if it effects plants?

 

[Lupin]

cool, so do i just get these indian almond leaves at any health food store? and they will not harm the fish at all or change their colors?
Do you know if it effects plants?

I've explained the use of tannins in my article. It won't harm your plants and fish. The Amazon basin and most ditches in Asia are heavily loaded with tannins to the point that the pH even reaches 4 which is very acidic for some fish.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132234

You will discover that a lot of betta enthusiasts often use Indian almond leaves and actually rave for its benefits. The main reason is that their antibacterial properties minimize the chances of bacterial infections, improve health, stimulate the natural environment of fish who hail from soft, acidic waters, stimulate breeding conditions and harden scales in which case as mentioned before does minimize skin diseases and pathogens resulting in bacterial infections that dwell on the epidermis of the fish.