PlanetCatfish.com

Just how can it be done ? I have a choice of food available for my Plecos, 2x L260 1x104. But what ever i place in my tank seems to get snapped up by my rabid Danios and Tetras before it hits the bottom ! Will feeding the Plecos in complete darkness make a difference ? I always put cucumber in after lights out with most success, but then even with lights on the Danios arent interested in the cucumber. I have some sinking pellets that are too big for both Danio and Tetra yet they still get nabbed !

Could someone help ? Please.

I feed zuccini a lot because the other fish don't really bother it. You can also drop in an artificial crab stick (leg style), market shrimp, or throw in some mysis shrimp, which are large enough to be hard to eat by smaller fish. After lights out is best, but my fish are accustomed to eating in the light. Below are pics of my pleco feeders, which are just lettuce clips with plant weights wrapped around them (around the hole where the suction cup goes. They're tied to fishing line which is attached to the suction cups outside the tank.

Hi.

Feeding in the dark will make a big difference, as these catfish are nocturnal. They will eventually come out in the day, but it takes while.
Try feeding an hour or so after you turn the lights out.

Cucumber is not great food for , as they are generally meat eaters. They prefer things like bloodworm, cockle and shrimp. A really good food to try is Hikari algae wafers, which despite the name are mostly made of fishmeal, which the L260 love. These algae wafers are also big enough not to be eaten by the danios.

The L104 is , and in the wild eats wood. You should provide soft bogwood for him to munch on. He will also eat veg like courgette, broad beans and sweet potato. The L260 will also eat a bit of veg too, sometimes.

Bear in mind that both these plecs need pretty warm water to thrive (above 27C). Below this temp their metabolisms don't seem to kick in, and they often don't live very long.

Another point to mention is that you are at a very delicate stage, as you are still cycling your tank?

It is very common for people to set up a tank, buy a fancy plec before the tank has settled down, not have the water warm enough, wonder why the plec is hiding and never eating, add loads of different foods they read about on the web, and hey presto one dead plec from ammonia/nitrite poisoning.

Be really careful with the amount of food you add, as rotting food will kill these sensitive fish quicker than you realise. Add no more than about a quarter of an algae wafer and always search the tank for uneaten food the next day. Test the water too....

Let us know how it goes.

Hi Racoll, i have bought some algae wafers and i hope they are indeed a soloution to my problem. Thanks. My L104 has lots of wood to munch on, ive set my tank up with wood being 70% of the decor. Ive seen him tonight upside-down hanging underneath one piece of wood ! By co-incidence ive just put some broad beans in the tank. Any veg i put in is being removed the next morning.

What would you say is the best source of shrimp for the L260 ? Where do you buy yours ?

Ive got the heating set at 27 deg, i read here they like between 23-28 deg ? Should i turn my heating up a degree ? I want my Plecs to be happy and healthy. My tank is infact cycled now, sorry i hadnt updated my signature. But im still testing my water daily, to be sure.

I apologise for the questions !

Should i turn my heating up a degree ?

Why not. 28C is a nice temp for these fish, but make sure the other fish are happy with that too. Danios do prefer cooler water but I think tank raised stock should be adaptable.

i read here they like between 23-28 deg ?

Indeed, but its my experience that they are much more healthy and active above 27C. The rivers they come from in the wild are very warm, with water often well above 30C. Wels Atlas II recommend 26C-30C for L260. I have kept L262 at 33C, and they loved it!

What would you say is the best source of shrimp for the L260 ? Where do you buy yours ?

I buy frozen packs of small raw shrimp from the LFS. I do this to support them, as I'm sure I could get it much cheaper from say a fishmongers. I'm sure frozen prawns from the supermarket would be okay, but I've not tried these.

Check out my article (right side of this post), I have written a fair bit about "supermarket foods that you can feed plecos".

--
Mats

Racoll, i guess both the Tetras and the Plecos would enjoy a warmer temp. I might just increase it a little tomorrow. I bought a pack of frozen prawns today, but as soon as i put them in it was a feeding frenzy with Danios and Tetras everywhere ! Quite funny actually.

Im wondering how many folks keep their Plecos in a tank exclusively, like a species only tank ? Do you think it would be a good idea to move my Tetras/Danios out into another tank ? I could really focus on caring for my Plecos then. Im not sure. My tank would look empty all day.

Tonight my two L260s are swimming together up and down the front glass of my tank, having lots of fun.

Mats, thats a fantastic article. Really helpful.

Feeding after dark and with weights usually prevent tetras and such from getting too much of the fish. I have most of my plecos in community tanks, but not so many different species of plecos in each tank, because that makes feeding and other husbandry quite hard.

--
Mats

Sounds like you have some danios pretending to be piranhas!

Try the algae wafers at night. That should work.

Im wondering how many folks keep their pl*cos in a tank exclusively, like a species only tank ? Do you think it would be a good idea to move my Tetras/Danios out into another tank ? I could really focus on caring for my pl*cos then. Im not sure. My tank would look empty all day.

Many people do, but many don't. I'm like you, as I need a bit of activity in the tank. Dithers also make the plecos more active.

Thanks both Racoll, Mats. I tried a algae wafer during the day, the tetras were fairly disinterested in them and the Danios (piranha) had a good go but gave up in the end. So i have some wafers ready to put in there later tonight at lights out. I must not forget that ive only had my Plecos three days, so they need time to settle in too. To be honest, im very pleased that ive seen them both eat and be active during the day.

My tank would look empty all day.

Have you thought about a school of Hatchetfish? Peaceful and pretty surface dwellers who won't compete for your pleco's food.

Just give them some floating plants and a meaty diet and they'll do fine.

And cover any openings in the aquarium hood, since they can and will fly out of your tank.