PlanetCatfish.com

I bought a L187a going on 2 weeks ago and cannot get it to eat, in front of me anyway... It doesn't appear to be getting thin yet and is quite active but I'm concerned of course.
So far I have tried algae wafers, sinking wafers for bottom feeders, peas peeled,squashed and dropped in, peas mashed and served dried on a rock, broccoli, bloodworms, shrimp pellets and turnip greens. Not a bite will it take. Actually I think it may have accidently gotten a bite of shrimp pellet one night but only because he inadvertantly ran into it and it poufed up around his head. Threw himself off the driftwood and hid for an hour out of peevishness after that.
He does go around sucking the river rocks and glass but there really is not much algae in this tank. I think I've read that they feed on some kind of microorganisms on the plants and rocks. Any chance I may have some of these in my tank? I don't know whether to worry or not.

thank you for any input.

Do you have any plants in the tank? My rubbernoses have always been finicky eaters, but after I added plants (java fern, lots of java moss, and anubias), they rarely touch any type of wafer. They have looked healthy and happy for months like this, with very full stomachs. Have you tried zucchini? Mine will eat zucchini and yams. I also toss in a couple Hikari carnivore pellets about 2 times a week, and they always gobble these up. I am not optimistic about you getting to witness it eating, because I have 7 rubbernoses (some for 8 months), and I have only seen them eating twice.
Also, what temperature is your water and did you read the catfish of the month description of Chaetostoma? It is very important that their water temps stay on the low side (mid 60s to mid 70s) and that oxygen levels are very high.
Good luck! I have 16 plecos total, and the rubbernoses are far and away the most difficult.

Hi!

He certainly get his share of food when you are away and the lights are out...

You said you have put food in it, so unless you don't leave it overnight, he certainly get a bite or two...

Maybe the vegetables you put in were to hard to be eaten right away...

Cheers
Yann

thanks for the input!
the tank is full of live plants, part of my concern is that all the other fish in the tank are such pigs that I'm worried there's nothing left. I have started dropping in a little food after lights out though so maybe that will help. makes me feel better anyway.
He is active and not skinny so I guess I shouldn't worry too much, he must be getting something. It's okay if he doesn't want to eat in front of me as long as I know he's eating.

oh, I did read the article by the way. he's in a tropical tank and my temp is in the high 70's. I'm turning the heaters down slowly to try and get it around 72. Hopefully that is a compromise that they'll all be ok with.