Wood for my pleco?

[wendamus]

I've read a few of the stickies, and learned that my pleco needs some wood to eat.

I've got a 10 gallon tank which is only a temporary home for this pleco 'til she grows up a little. However, I assume I can't just go outside and grab some random stick to toss in to her, right? What kind of wood should I get for her, and where should I get it?

Thanks!

[Polish]

Good quality driftwood from your LFS or Online vendors. I ordered my Mopani Driftwood from Foster/Smith, it is priced very reasonably. I ordered 4X Xlarge 16-18" pieces and got some that weren't quite that and another that was 26", so I was happy.

[Artemis JT]

Good quality driftwood from your LFS or Online vendors. I ordered my Mopani Driftwood from Foster/Smith, it is priced very reasonably. I ordered 4X Xlarge 16-18" pieces and got some that weren't quite that and another that was 26", so I was happy.

x2. You can also collect driftwood yourself and then water log it.

Random sticks are probably not a good choice for your pleco. :)

[DAVIDFBT]

Just go down to a LFS and find a piece of driftwood that suits your liking.

[Bk718]

Go to petco they have their tanks with Malaysian wood.. Get a medium piece for like $6 and let him enjoy munching on it

[BoredAgain]

Go to petco they have their tanks with Malaysian wood.. Get a medium piece for like $6 and let him enjoy munching on it
Petco is actually a great source of Mopani and Malaysian. PetSmart may have some, but they don't carry as much.

[Hooked Newbie]

Sorry to backtrack, but what type of pleco is it?

[Malefic23]

Pleco type is important, I agree. However, most plecos like to rasp on wood, and it aids their digestion. The panaque species HAVE to have it in their diet. If you want to buy it, you can get some great pieces. If you want to go find your own, search "found wood" and you should get some good results on what wood, where you should find it, how you prepare it, all that good stuff.

[excuzzzeme]

Well this is all new to me. I never read about them needing wood, just some veggies. I have an 8"-12" common plec and it is my guess he has never seen a piece of wood in his life (was a rescue fish). Could someone point me to some material that explains the dietary needs about needing wood? Thankx!

NVM - I googled it and found some answers. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

[inkyjenn]

the cellulose in the wood may support bacteria that help a pleco digest its food (panaques are good examples). also, for some species, being able to rasp on the wood keeps their "teeth" in good shape so that they can properly eat