[Rozie26]

Hello all. I have a king tiger and i have tried shrimp pellets, brine shrimp and algea wafers. i have not seen him eat any of them. what am i doing wrong. it's 11pm now and i still have not seem him move much at all. I'be had him for about a week now. Also i just bought a zebra pleco and he'll be here tomorrow i can't wait!!! and i'm hoping i'll do good at feeding him. the breeder seems confident i am going to be ok, and that all will be fine. oh and my water temp is about 80 and the water perms are good. thanks.

rose

 

[musho3210]

may you please right down your water params at the exact level, just saying good doesnt really help us.

 

[Lupin]

Hi Rose.:wave:

Plecs are nocturnal. Try to get a cucumber and weigh it down with a spoon. Leave it in your tank for the night and it will eat when darkness falls. I don't know much about plec species so this is all I can suggest.

As for the zebra plec, it's carnivorous so you may have to feed it with meaty foods instead of greens.

 

[Rozie26]

water perms

ok water temp is between 76 and 80 i hate those strips i just bought a digital on ebay. anyway the ph is 7.6 and there's no amonia. I have a heavily planted tank with driftwood and a cavey thing for him to hide in. thanks for all your help i love this forum

rose

 

[musho3210]

ok, nitrite and nitrate levels will help, for now, try fresh vegetables like cucumbers or zuccinies

 

[joeshmoe]

make sure u boil them for 60 sec and let' m cool so it easy for them to eat.

 

[Rozie26]

thank you

sorry about the nitrite and nitrate, i asked honey about those two and he said you would prolly just need the amonia and the ph. i will go out and get some veggies for him tomorrow. honey was worried about those being "messy" how do you keep it from being messy cut the seeds out and......? and should i put it on the bottom or hang it on the side. there is an algea wafer in there now and he hasn't touched it. now the boys are down there watching tv but the tank is dark. so we'll see what may have happened over night. I can't wait to get my zebra tomorrow. i'm glad i'm actually going to be home. I was thinking i should move the tiger to my 44 gallon until the zebra gets a little bigger. then i'll put them together. sound ok?

rose

 

[musho3210]

i wouldnt leave the algae wafer in the tank for more than 2 hours. As for the cucumber, cut out the seeds, cut off the skin, boil for 60 seconds, and clamp it down to the bottom of the tank, you can use to oldschool rubber band method or buy a veggie clip at your lfs

 

[joeshmoe]

don't worry hell come out. was it shipped to you or did you pick it up?? if you got him ship to u maybe hes still stressed from the flight

 

[Rozie26]

i got him at the fish store where i have gotten all my fish so far. anyway you guys answer fast. and just for my own info how come i should not leave the waffer mor than 2 hrs? dirties up the tank.

thanks.

 

[musho3210]

it will decay and start to release ammonia. Next time instead of putting in the whole wafer, break of a small piece and put it in, if the pleco eats it all, add another small piece, keep adding until you think is adequate, a fishes stomach is about as big as its eye

 

[joeshmoe]

if theres more fish in the tank, the fish should gobble it up. it took my gold 3 days to come out of hideign and eat

 

[Rozie26]

Ok well i also got frozen blood worms today for my zebra comin' tomorrow so off to the grocer tomorrow to get some veggies. thanks so much for all yor help and also thanks for being so quick. i paid alot for my zebra so i hope i can keep it alive. i would be sick if it died. lol but lets not think about that lets just get it here live first

rose

 

[musho3210]

carefull with the worms, they are known to carry paracites if fed too much, Feed it at a maxiumum once a week. Frozen brine shrimp will be nice, with some cocktail sauce and some guests.... joking about the sauce and guests. Live brine shrimp will be even better

 

[Rozie26]

oh ok cool got plenty of that. i was thinking of getting some of those sinking pellets that have veggie and meat in them for both plecos and i have a mottled catfish in there too. i watch the algea wafers also so i don't get too much going on in there.

 

[FDStation152]

The frozen blood worms aren't really known for carrying parasites...its mostly live worms that you have to be concerned with. Just a tidbit of info for ya.

 

[Lupin]

Another thing, bloodworms are not really worms, but larva of midge.:wink2: Frozen foods hardly would ever carry parasites. Tubifex worms are the ones that have the highest possibility of introducing pathogens particularly when their natural habitats are basically muddy environments.:blueshake:

 

[Rozie26]

update

Ok i just left the algea waffer in there just to see if any got eaten and some did but duh i have no idea who ate it and the pleco is in the same dang spot. so i have no clue if he's eating. I guess i'll try to cucs and the zuccinni and if it's gone in the am tomorrow he is eating and i'm just not going to see it
but i'd rather that then him be dead. waiting on my zebra now. I can't WAIT.

ROSE

 

[Matt]

I Thought Pleco's Eat 24/7 ? :dunno:

 

[Rozie26]

None of mine eat 24/7 only at night but at least when the light goes out upstairs my common pleco comes right out for his food. downstairs the tiger stays put but is still alive.