the pl*co and the shark...

[NeBuEr]

I have a mini prob... whenever i drop an algae pellet in my aquarium for the pl*co the other fish start nipping at it practically eating it themselves leaving my poor pl*co starved! i tried dropping the pellet in the cave which is not very visited by the fish (and where the pl*co rests too) but im not sure if its eating!

Oh and my shark catfish seems to have lost its appetite and maybe the fact that is has a bloated stomach might have sthing to do with it... i hope it's not sick

10x a lot!

 

[OrionGirl]

What kind of pleco do you have? Not all of them are herbivores, and many are strictly carnivores. If yours is a herbivore, try feeding the pleco after lights out--they tend to be nocturnal. Another option--feed veggies. Most fish will eat and benefit from fresh veggies--zucchini, cucumbers, leafy lettuce, etc.

For the shark--what kind of shark is it? Some--rainbows, black, redtails, albinos--are top minnows. Some of the 'sharks'--columbians, high fins, silvers, need brackish environments as they age and will die in completely FW conditions.

 

[NeBuEr]

Oh it's one of these commercial spotted black pl*co's - dunno but the shopkeeper said its a herbivore. Yes i am putting the pellet when lights r out im just not sure whether its being eaten by the pl*co or the other fish

I have a columbian catfish... after i made the mistake of trying to cure whitespot with the unreliable salt and temperature technique i had to empty out most of the salt. Still i have a bit of salt left in the water though... will it help the ctafish just the same?

 

[OrionGirl]

The common plecos get quite large--18 inches in the norm. They are not strict herbivores, and will eat a variety of foods. I would not worry much if you are feeding after lights out--they are good at making sure they get enough to eat. I have several loriicaid species that I seldom see, but are always fat and healthy when they do make an appearance. If it's tummy is sucked up, you may need to treat it for parasites, but otherwise it's probably fine.

Adding NaCl (Freshwater Aquarium Salt, or table salt) will not duplicate a brackish environment. And, the pleco won't survive true bracksih conditions. The columbian will need a large tank, and it will need to go to brackish. I'd either find a new home for it or setup a new tank. They tend to do better in small groups--but this means an even larger tank--a group of 6 10-12 inch fish need a lot of space.

And, salt and temp (above 85F) is the most reliable technique for treating ich I know of. It works 100% of the time when used correctly.