Bonochick

Okay, like I said, not the greatest pics! But here are the best ones...

Bonochick

I also put a video up on YouTube:

sick-lid boy

I wouldn't know. My Oscar gobbles down cucumbers before my pleco even knows they're in there. What did you do? Wedge the CUC under a rock or something? I'll have to try that. On the plus side, I found a new cheap food that my Oscar simply LOVES!!!

Bonochick

I just boiled mine for a few minutes, and they sunk to the bottom.

sick-lid boy

I'll try it! I figured they would get water-logged pretty fast and sink by themselves... but the Oscar discovered them WAY before that ever happened. I tried to tell him that gluttony was one of the seven deadly sins, but he was too busy eating to listen to me.

Bonochick

Bonochick

I bought some veggie clips over the weekend. Kramer loves having the cucumber just stay in one place.

Trpimp147

i have not witnessed my plecos eating my cucummbers but do they get destroyed!!! the one day i for got to take it out over night and just the skin was left over hahah and it was a big peice.

Jim

Trpimp147, the best time to give them cucumbers at first is at night. Let them tear into it over night and take out the remains in the morning. But at the advice of butterfly, I cut a slice into the peal so my pleco doesn't eat a hole in the middle of the cucumber slice and get stuck in it. Sounds a bit far fetched, but my pleco is nuts, so if it can be done, he's do it. Scroll up, someone on this thread is a picture of a slice about 10 minutes after I dropped it into the tank. You'll see what I mean.
Anyway, after a couple weeks and a few slices, 5 or 6 I think, I started dropping them into the tank in the evening when the light was still on and he was on it in less than a minute. He's just as fast with an algea wafer. I'm very impressed with the pleco sense of smell!

Sabi

i'm chuffed! here count .lep first chap to o for the cucumber!

Bonochick

Cute pic! It's fun to see them enjoy a treat so much.

armadillo

Great pix!!! Keep'em coming! I really love seeing fish eat 'human' food for some reason.

Bill

So cool! Going to have to try this Nice longfins Butterfly, they are really beautiful! I've just got a baby regular BN, and I'm not even sure what sex it is yet Any way to tell when they're young, or do they only develop bristles later?

Butterfly

The males will grow bristles at about 2 to 2-1/2 inches, and will have bristles all over his face. Most females don't have any at all but the few who do just have them around the lip area.
Carol

Bill

Thanks! Mine is just under 2", so maybe there are bristles to come yet ^^ Very fast at eating algae, it's amazing!

Check out this amazing BN on planetcatfish!

Butterfly

Wonder why I can't see the pic? but when I quote the link shows up. The Ancistrus sp3 are what my long fins are.
Carol

Bill

Oops

Butterfly

Heres the link http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog...?species_id=49 planetcatfish protects their pics. You can link but not show their pic.
Carol

Bill

OK The pic I was talking about was the albino male veiltail. He's awesome.

Butterfly

Bill check the white tip plec thread for some more pics BN and let me feed your long fin albino hunger

Bill

I wish my LFS sold them.. they're gorgeous.

Butterfly

Those are my babies that I raised from eggs
Carol

Butterfly

No can't buy them anywhere that I know of. I had the parents and they spawned. The female lays the eggs and the male takes care of the eggs which is the way it is with most plecs. They hatch in about three days and then go free swimming in about three more days so you see the incubation period would be too short to ship. Also there is a higher survival rate if dad is there to help them hatch
Carol

atmmachine816

I finally got mine eating, picture coming soon.............................

Butterfly

YAY!!!!

armadillo

I guess otos like their cucumbers too (again)! Look at the state of that poor vegetable after spending the night with my (two!, you'd think it was an army of them) otos.

Bill

I've left some courgette (zucchini) in my tank for a day but my plec hasn't touched it yet. I think the surface area of the tank is so big, and he is so small, he might have a bit of trouble finding it

armadillo

Hi Bill

I'll repeat what I've said to you in my other thread as this is more likely the place other people will look for that information. Here's my advice based on personal experience and conversation with other Fishorians.

- It may take a few attempts before the fish get that it's food. My personal experience is 3 to 4 times I think if I remember well.
- It is important to remove any uneaten vegetables (and any other type of food for that matter) no later than, say 24h after you've put it in. I sometimes leave it longer but I don't advise that you do. The risk with leaving the food for too long is that it will go off, risking an increase in nitrates
- They like it when it's more tender (i.e. not fresh out of the fridge). Mine like it after it's been in the water for 12 hours or so. You could also boil it in very little water, so as to soften it
- Don't forget to rinse it thoroughly before you put it in the tank (insecticides and other such substances)
- For fish that don't find the cucumber, I tend to cut a huuuuuuuge slice (i.e. along the whole length of the cucumber) so that the fish finds it easier.

Butterfly

yep the same for zucchini I tend to buy my vegies very small so there are less seeds also.
Carol

armadillo

Ooooh, small veggies for less seeds, clever.

I have to agree with an earlier comment about zucchini seeds being really annoying and floating around everywhere. My mollies seem to love cucumber seeds, though and I don't have the prblem at all with cucumbers.

Another thought: zucchini and cucumber will float. Some people parboil it to avoid that, but I've found that mine continued floating all the same. I've used plant weights, but I worry that the lead is poisonous, although it claims to be aquarium safe. I've weighed them down with my decorations, but pieces of softened vegetables would stay stuck to the ornament. Conclusion? I now have veggie clips that you stick to the side of the tank and I haven't looked back since!