Royal plecos
- Thread starter nursie
- Start date
Do you have driftwood in the tank? Royals need driftwood to help with their digestion. My Royal is about 4" and he eats about a inch and a half circle about 1/4" deep everyday. I also feed him sweet potatos, potatos, cucumber, and zuchini on a regular basis. He is by far the dirtiest pleco I have. From all his wood rasping the bottom of the tank looks like coffee grounds were dumped in the tank. He also stays hidden for most of the day. I'll catch him away from his favorite spot every now and then, but as soon as he sees me he goes back to hiding. He is still one of my favorite pl*co's. The price does seem a little bit high, but if he's eating and doesn't have a sunken belly he should be ok. I paid $25 for mine and the LFS has one thats about 10" for $69.
Royals need driftwood and lots of it. They actually eat it and produce sawdust. I saw one in a 2000 gallon aguarium and there were piles of sawdust (albeit the aquarium did not get vacumed). The price is on the high end, but its all about supply and demand. In Houston, you can get Royals that size for $25, in New Orleans they go for $65.
