armadillo

Hi guys. I was wondering about this. Considering that fact that only a handful of plecos actually are algae eaters (and unfortunately, the most beautiful ones aren't...), why do the carnivorous ones have mouths shaped like sucker fish, and why do the carnivorous ones still suck on the glass tank? Take zebra plecos, for example, I've seen some suck on the glass, and yet they're not algae eaters, but carnivors.

Don't get it.

Butterfly

Actually their mouths are designed to rasp or scrape. The carnivorous plecs have tiny little teeth to help them eat and some of them still need some wood in their diet and the tiny little critters that grow on the wood.
Carol

armadillo

Thanks, Carol.

So what's their staple diet (the carnivorous ones)? Is it the very small organisms that they scrape off the wood? Am thinking, doesn't the process of scraping looking for these result in them eating algae? (I won't give up on accepting that zebra plecos don't eat algae, as I sooooo want them to )

Am wondering what to feed it, basically (I was thinking of a zebra pleco).

Butterfly

they scrape little worms off the substrate and other little "meaty" creatures they find. Some of them need wood in their diet for digestion.
Carol

armadillo

Mmmmh. How do I make sure there are meaty worms on the surface. You see, I am sure these fish need more proteins than a straight herbivore, and I don't know how to give them these proteins in my tank. I've left some giant red flakes, but am sure my mollies will tear these apart before that guy gets a chance.

I've left a cucumber, but he needs proteins too. There is a piece of driftwood which so far he's ignored, but it's early days (we've only had him for 2 days). I also left an algae pill but my mollies just gulped that up. They love the stuff.

Butterfly

Give him a few days then try frozen blood worms ar lights out.
Carol

armadillo

Thanks for the suggestion. Good idea. Frozen bloodworms: any chances of passing on diseases?

Oooh I've just remembered something: I've fed my mollies sinking protein pellets and they didn't like that one bit. Hopefully, he'll clean that up? They're tiny red pellets.

Would be great if I could find protein-based sinking wafers. Somehow, the wafer shape corresponds more to my idea of how a pleco should eat.

Butterfly

After settling in mine always ate everything that hit the bottom of the tank.
Carol

armadillo

That's good to know. I have left him in the caring hands of its official owner (my boyfriend) because am travelling for work for a couple of days. I left him instructions to feed him the red flakes that the mollies don't really like.

Sabi

Feed who? You've got a zebra pleco?!!lol!

Thats interesting Carol! My L260 used to suck on the glass before but i dont see him anymore, guess his getting whatever he wants on the wood?

armadillo

Oh no, not a zebra. I wish. Nope, this one's about that famous hiding cactus leopard pleco of ours. But I've just bought a new fancy pleco tonight! Am looking up its name as we speak.

Sabi

Oh goody goody!!! lemme know soon as you find out!!

armadillo

I will! I looove plecos. He's got pink spots, I swear. He's dark brown and has pink spots.

Actually, the spots are exactly the same colour and shape as the food I'd decided to feed my mollies tonight. I got such a scare when they started pecking on him. I thought they were all attacking him, then Thijs just asked me to calm down and notice how alike his spots were to the food I'd just given them. Still, might not have been vicious, but he got a welcome he won't forget! They seem to have stopped now, but I hope they won't do this again.

Sabi

Poor guy! Want to watch they dont try eating him again! I was going to have a look on planet catfish to see if i can help buuut i forgot how many catfish they are and itl take me too long!

armadillo

Thanks for the thought, but indeed it's an endeavour! Tell me about how pleco-like catfish there are. It's a nightmare. I gave up trying for tonight. I insisted at the shop to have some indication of the name but the guy said he really had no idea. All he knew was that it would not grow larger than 4in. Let's hope he got THAT right!

Dino

One of the reasons they have sucker mouths is to compensate for the fast flowing waters of their native environment.

armadillo

Ooooh, this gets even more interesting. Thanks, Dino.

Dino

No problem.

Chief_waterchanger

Have a picture of it, Laure-Anne? We as a community could try to help.

Sabi

So did you find out what he is today?

Interesting. How far in the mouth are the teeth placed?

Dino

There are rasping teeth just behind their lips as well as inside the mouth.

armadillo

Nope. Didnt' try. Today was massive water change day, plus a filter upgrade, so I didnt' have much time.

The mollies have stopped thinking he's food also, which is a huge relief!

Sabi

I actually saw him eating a tablet tday, i'll say he's got pretty good teeth!