Plecostomus - How to?

[emergent]

How can I get my lazy Pleco to come out into the open be more noticable during the daytime All he does is hide on the backside of the decoration in the tank and rarely does he ever stick on the side of the tank so that people can see him.

Any ideas besides getting rid of the decoration?

:huh:

 

[pophead]

drop in an algae wafer every or every other day. depending on how big he is.
how long has he been in the tank? sometimes it takes a fish a long time to get used to it's surroundings.

 

[SnowHeart]

Well, they are nocturnal, so trying to disrupt its natural cycle may, frankly, not be the best choice and could induce stress. One thing you may want to do is try to trick it. I have a clown pleco who hides all day, but usually as soon as the lights switch off he comes out. Sometimes I've turned the light off "early" or during the middle of the day, and he comes out to explore, eat, etc. If you have some low wattage bulbs or white "moon lights / lunar lights", perhaps you can turn off the main lights and allow your guests to see your pleco when he comes out?

Edit: Trying the algae wafer thing might work, too. Hasn't worked for me, and I have to feed the wafers for my clown at the end of the day before the lights come out in order for him to eat any. But, could work in your case.

 

[jimangie1973]

How can I get my lazy Pleco to come out into the open be more noticable during the daytime All he does is hide on the backside of the decoration in the tank and rarely does he ever stick on the side of the tank so that people can see him.

Any ideas besides getting rid of the decoration?

:huh:

That's perfectly normal behavior. I have a bristlenose and a gold nugget. Neither will ever move from under their respective piece of driftwood with any light on in the room. What I have done is situate the driftwood so they are visible in their hiding space.

I would not take away his hiding space. If possible, arrange your decorations so both you and the fish are happy.

 

[Aries]

Well both SnowHeart and jimangie1973 have helped. They are nocturnal and will not come out during light time. However, some do so if they feel comfortable enough. My 12" and 7" common forage (sp) for food all the time (like I never feed them). There are plenty of hiding places for them too.

Typically, young plecos will not show themselves during the day.

Finally, try real veges (blanch them if need be). But dont force the little (or big) guy out and dont take about his hiding places.

Good Luck

Aries

 

[Roan Art]

I agree with the rest, but it depends on the type of pleco. Commons aren't very shy and will come out whenever. I think that's one reason why LFS sell them and why people who don't know how big they can get buy them. They don't hide. If a fish hides, it's harder to sell.

Anyhow, let your pleco hide. It's his nature. I rarely see my Candy Stripe at all and when I do, he hides when he sees me.

Roan