plecos sucking slime coat

PoohBear · Post by **PoohBear** » 03 Jul 2007, 22:48

I have been told that plecos will suck the slime coat off of sleeping fish at night. I have never personally had a problem with this. I can't imagine that a well-fed pleco would bother a healthy fish in this way. What are your experiences with this?

Zebrapl3co · Post by **Zebrapl3co** » 04 Jul 2007, 15:07

I can't imagine how a pleco can do that. But I did hear that chinese algae eater do that to fishes like discuss though. Who ever told you this might have mixed it up thinking CAE are plecos.

chris 1 · Post by **chris 1** » 04 Jul 2007, 15:21

I have a few otos and occasionaly they do try to latch on to other fish.

Chrysichthys · Post by **Chrysichthys** » 04 Jul 2007, 15:29

I've also seen otos do it.

Richard B · Post by **Richard B** » 04 Jul 2007, 17:08

I've witnessed ottos & ancistrus do this on odd occasions - & not just on "sleeping" fish but in the daytime with full lights on. This was primarily witnessed with angels & discus & with discus it is well documented the adults feed the young with a slime coating - i presume the suckers are wise to this food source

Bas Pels · Post by **Bas Pels** » 04 Jul 2007, 18:26

Some 20 yaers ago - or more I saw in a slide presentation a slide of a pleco sucking meat from a Cichlasoma synspilum, which was told later died from its wounds.

I can't say whether it was faked or not, or who was the speaker.

Although properly warned, I have had some 25 large plecos over time (gibbiceps and others that size)but i never, ever witnessed any one sucking life fishes - but they do suck dead ones

Post by **Barbie** » 04 Jul 2007, 20:01

I think part of this "story" might originate with people that treat plecos as janitors and don't meet their dietary needs. I know that I, personally, would rather do many terrible things than be forced to eat green peppers, but I probably would change my mind if I was starving ;).

Barbie