How to make food more appealing...

gakirby · Post by **gakirby** » 04 Jan 2007, 20:03

Hey,

I have been trying to get my "Clown Plecos" (1 P. Maccus and 1 LDA68) to eat for the past week. THey have outright refused Hikari Algae Wafers and have only gotten them to eat zucchini in 1 out of 5 tries. What can I use to make them eat more (or anything).

One of my biggest problems is that I don't know where to put the food in relation to the two plecs because at one point I can only find one of them (the LDA68 needs to work on hiding a little better

)

Any ideas for a beginning pleco aquarist.

Dukerider · Post by **Dukerider** » 04 Jan 2007, 23:20

I take it you already have a good selection of wood in the tank, since this will make up a good proportion of it's diet?

As for making food look more enticing: garlic extract, made specifically for aquariums is generally used when dealing with a fish which are either finnicky or not eating at all.

Such as the product listed here on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Kent-Marine-Garlic- ... dZViewItem

Other than that I would abandon the idea of trying to make the food look more exciting and instead try for a more varied diet and see if that works. There are literally endless vegetables and fruit you can try from cucumber to yams to peas to bananas to potatoes etc etc...

gakirby · Post by **gakirby** » 04 Jan 2007, 23:29

Dukerider,

I will definitely try and find some of that Kent Garlic Xtreme from a LFS this weekend. Hopefully that will do the trick. As for my driftwood, it should be ready to be put back in the tank tonight. I had never thought about using bananas, would I just slice them into 1/2 pieces and let it sink? (Also how long does it keep in the tank without killing the water quality?)

Thank you so much.

gakirby · Post by **gakirby** » 06 Jan 2007, 00:04

I have just one more question. There is a lot of discussion on these forums about how all plecos absolutely adore Tetra Color Bits (is this true for the Panaques?), do they really like them more than the TetraMin Tropical Tablets made especially for bottom eaters? If anyone could shed some light on either successes or failures on either of these products, that would be great.

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 06 Jan 2007, 13:08

It is my experience that most plecs will eat anything, pretty much instantly. Well at least mine do.

My thoughts are, that plecs that do not display this behaviour could be either...

1) Not comfortable in their surroundings

2) Not acclimated to aquarium life

3) Not happy with their water conditions, e.g. too cold

4) Ill due to for example internal parasites

Other people's experiences may not bear this observation out......

gakirby · Post by **gakirby** » 06 Jan 2007, 16:25

1) Not comfortable in their surroundings

They have many rocks to hide under as well as their piece of driftwood, so I don't think that is the case.

2) Not acclimated to aquarium life

I am unaware as to whether or not they are wild caught except they seem kinda small to be from the wild. But the fact that they came together confused as one species must mean otherwise.

3) Not happy with their water conditions, e.g. too cold

The tank water is currently 81-82 degrees Fahrenheit which according the the Cat-eLog is almost to their highest acceptable temperature. Should I go above this point to stimulate feeding.

4) Ill due to for example internal parasites

How would I know if they have these parasites? Should I treat for them as a precautionary measure? What is the risk if they end up not having parasites?

I just walked in to my room (has computer and fishtank) and I saw my pleco on top of the zucchini I cut. He was eating the softest part, so maybe I'll try blanching it a bit tonight.

butterfly · Post by **butterfly** » 06 Jan 2007, 16:47

My plecs and Bristlenose love the Omega One Veggie rounds. As far as fresh stuff goes they eat zuchinni, summer squash (yellow), cucumber, all types of mellons.
Also I always put their food in the same spot that way they know where to find it with out having to hunt for it.

Carol

natefrog · Post by **natefrog** » 06 Jan 2007, 21:18

As was mentioned above yams are an excellent food for P. maccus. If they are wild caught my experience is that it can be quite difficult to get them to eat regularly at first, especially if the importer had not had them long enough to stimulate captive feeding.

It is really quite sad, but many importers lose great numbers of fish, especially plecs as a result of not be able to get fish to eat, either that or they are sold quickly enough that the next person down the line deals with an emaciated fish.

As far as internal parasites, I quarintine and treat all newly received wild catfish with a product called Prazipro. It is safe enough to use on extremly sensitive fish and yet is very effective. Not cheap but it certainly works.

gakirby · Post by **gakirby** » 06 Jan 2007, 23:19

Good news. Not 100% positive by at least 98%. I think that both plecos are now eating.

I am so excited. The reason I think this is that the one that normally eats is also the one that routinely tries to climb up the air hose for the airstone (and he is currently doing that). And I keep seeing a pleco on the zucchini and then go back into the cave of the one that usually doesn't eat. So I am hoping they are both eating well. (Good this I didn't take out the zucchini this morning, its been in their for almost 21 hours).

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 07 Jan 2007, 10:37

How long have you had them gakirby? This could easily account for them being shy.

They have many rocks to hide under as well as their piece of driftwood, so I don't think that is the case.

Try to create a dense 3D structure for them. This can be achieved by stacking loads of bogwood all the way to the top of the tank. Panaque love this.

I am unaware as to whether or not they are wild caught except they seem kinda small to be from the wild. But the fact that they came together confused as one species must mean otherwise.

I would probably agree that they are wild. With long shipping distances it can take them a long time to settle down.

The tank water is currently 81-82 degrees Fahrenheit which according the the Cat-eLog is almost to their highest acceptable temperature. Should I go above this point to stimulate feeding.

If your water is very hard and alkaline it can take them longer to acclimate. Always check that your filter and pumps are working and up to the job. Panaque produce huge amounts of waste, and if the filter is not up to the job, temporary ammonia spikes can put the fish off their food.

How would I know if they have these parasites? Should I treat for them as a precautionary measure? What is the risk if they end up not having parasites?

Not sure, but if everything else is ok, then parasites could well be the culprit. Are the bellies shrunken in?

gakirby · Post by **gakirby** » 07 Jan 2007, 15:51

Hi,

I have had these plecos for almost two weeks (I think it will be 2 weeks on Wednesday). As for if they have sunken bellies I am not sure but I think the fact that they are eating voluntarily would suggest that they are fine. I will try to get a picture of them the next time I find them.

I'll work on that 3D structure.

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 07 Jan 2007, 17:07

Only two weeks !

You should have nothing to worry about.

When I put a new plec in the tank I usually don't see it for a month.

After about 2 months of settling down they should be active all day and eating everything in sight.

Another tip is to make the tank as dim as possible. The tannin stain from the bogwood will help with this.

Also, try fava/broad beans. They love them.

Nutritious and full of fibre.