Plecos Question

MrWynO14

I'm new to the whole aquarium scene and just got a spotted plecostomus. I have only had him for a day. He's about 3 or 4 inches long, and i notice that he has been staying between the glass and the heater. The heater is set to 80 degrees. Is staying by the heater going to be a problem for him? I think he uses it as a place to kind of hide. Write back, thanx.

aunt kymmie

I don't think it'll be a problem. Does he have any other spots he can "hide" in the tank??
PS. Welcome to the forum!

MrWynO14

Yea, he has this rock he can go under also. He's been more active today, all around the tank actually! Plus he doesn't bug anyone, so they don't bug him!

MrWynO14

A lot of cichlid stick bits fall to the bottom of the tank. Would the plecos eat this? Or is it necessary to get him some algae wafers?

aunt kymmie

In my experience in keeping plecos if it's there they'll eat it. They are the vacuum cleaners of the fish world. I keep a bristlenose and my sole reason for getting him was their reputation as "vegetarians" who consume algae without damaging plants in the process. My BN goes to town on the algae but he's also all over the bloodworms, beefheart, or anything else he can get his mouth on. Because of this propensity for eating anything I thought I had purchased a mislabeled fish but he's topped out at 3 1/2". I think all plecos appreciate (some require) a piece of driftwood to gnaw on and algae wafers.

MrWynO14

OK, I was low on money, and didn't want to spend the extra few bucks for some algae wafers. I sound cheap, I know I do, but I was trying to stretch my dollars as far as I could. I figured I could get some in the near future and I just wanted to make sure he would be able to live without them for a bit. Thanx for welcoming me into the forum, I forgot to say that in the last two posts. Everyone on here has been a real help so far.

aunt kymmie

They will also eat veggies...spinach, cucumber and zucchini. You can always try that too. So, when you're having your evening salad you could always offer your pleco some.

adiumroot

Also, you can grow your own algae. Just get a tub of dechlorinated water, place some rocks in it, put in some fish food to serve as an ammonia source, and put it in a place where the sun shines on it directly. In a few days, the rocks are going to be covered with green algae. If you're worried about mosquitoes breeding in it, you can either place an airstone in it or cover it with screen.

However, some species of plecos don't like to eat algae much and tend to favor fish food and sometimes, even meatier foods such as bloodworms.