Anyone else have a pleco that begs for food?

[Chrysichthys]

In the past couple of weeks my big sailfin has learned (with some encouragement from me) to beg for a piece of cucumber. When I catch its attention it comes to the front of the tank and excitedly swims in place with the head raised, pectoral fins spread apart, and the tail swishing, sometimes putting the top half of its mouth on the glass and taking it off again.

Then I put the cucumber in and there's a struggle as I try to position it while the pleco frantically tries to get at it.

It's actually a bit creepy (in a pleasant kind of way) to engage with it like this.

[Jools]

Yup, in the short while I've had them, my

Scobinancistrus

do this. I've had plecos in the past that figured this out too.

Jools

[Amberdawn]

One of my common BN females does this too.

[andywoolloo]

my big common pardalis has come to the front and stared at me since he was about 6 inches, he sits there and then rocks back and forth, eye balling me. It was spooky at first but I got used to it, and feed him accordingly.

My bristlenoses come to the front and line up and wait patiently, no rocking.

[MatsP]

Algot, which was my first pleco (a real Hypostomus no less) used to come out when I entered to room, and if it looked like food time, he'd come to the surface looking for flakes.

--
Mats

[Lloydy]

1 of my L333s tends to wander out when I come in after work and put the lights on, although this might be because my Angels get excited thinking there will be food and start buzzing around my tank waking everything else up

[Chrysichthys]

It was spooky at first but I got used to it

My sailfin was at it again this morning. I agree that being watched by a pleco is spooky; it's the feeling of making eye contact with it that's weird.

[Carp37]

my sailfin (P. gibbiceps) has just learned to do this- he/she has learned that if the tank light goes off and the room light goes on, it's feeding time for courgette/cucumber and he/she will sit impatiently looking for the food/my hand/anything else. When the tank light goes on it's time for surface feeding for flake and carp pellets, so he/she makes a mad dash for the end of the tank where most of the floating food collects.

The pair of bristlenose learned this a long time ago, however- whenever I put my hand in the tank they grab me while I'm putting the food in (or even if I'm not)- they get REALLY excited at this point. Even some of their progeny have cottoned on to this now, despite being in separate tanks.