Common Pleco Quality of Life Questions

I have inherited a tank at work with a 9.5" pleco that I have named Big Guy. After months of hard work and the loss of two fish, I finally have the water stable and the nitrogen cycle managed. Now, I'm working on making sure all the fish I have in my tank are happy, as well as healthy.

Now, I'll start by saying that I know a 55 gallon is not going to be big enough for him forever. I'm a little concerned he's already outgrown it, and I'm in the process of trying to get a larger one. Unfortunately, as I work for a non profit, this is likely going to be a purchase we make down the road when we can budget for it. While that is in the works, I want to make sure I do everything I can for him now.

The first thing I want to know is are there signs to know if your pleco is stressed or not? I've never seen him eat, but my mom has a small tiger pleco that I've never seen eat either, so I'm assuming that isn't a good way to tell. My BP Cichlid likes to bully him sometimes, but he can't do anything but be a nuisance. However, I don't want him to stress Big Guy out, either. Is there anything I can look for?

Another thing I worry about is eating. I had always thought you could let a pleco just fed from the algae in the tank, but Big Buy is far bigger than a tiger pleco. Is he still okay just eating the algae and cleaning up the fish flakes and pellets the others miss?

Does he need somewhere to hide? In the tank I have, I definitely don't have room for a cave for him, so I've been trying to set the plants up in a way that he has a plastic grass wall he can hide behind, as well as a few rocks he can tuck behind. However, for the past week or so, he has made his home right on the front of the tank, to the thrill of the children who come here, but knowing how shy these guys tend to be, I worry it's a sign something is off.

Thank you so much in advance for the help. Everyone I've interacted with so far in these forums has been so incredibly helpful!

 

A stressed common will often temporarily lose some color. Not always so just because this one doesn't isn't an indication of a stress free life. Your big Guy needs his own food. My Jethro loved his zucchini. He also got algae wafers and shrimp pellets. They really need more than just the little bit of algae that grows in a lot of our tanks and leftovers from the other fish.

I had Jethro in my 55 until he reached 7 or so inches and then I re-homed him to a huge pond. I would have loved to keep him but I knew my tank wasn't big enough for him. Eventually your Big Guy will need a much much bigger home. Some of them can grow up to 18 or more inches long.

 

When should I feed him? We used to put Algae wafers in every day, but they just sat on the bottom of the tank and dissolved. I stopped adding them because I was afraid they were adding to the already, at the time, high nitrate levels. Also, what would re homing him entail? As much as I love him, I fear that we won't be able to properly take care of him in the long run. It is clear that whoever stocked this tank was ill informed when selecting the fish.

 

When should I feed him? We used to put Algae wafers in every day, but they just sat on the bottom of the tank and dissolved. I stopped adding them because I was afraid they were adding to the already, at the time, high nitrate levels. Also, what would re homing him entail? As much as I love him, I fear that we won't be able to properly take care of him in the long run. It is clear that whoever stocked this tank was ill informed when selecting the fish.

Plecos are normally more active at night so feeding after lights out is usually best. If yours has never gotten used to eating veggies or algae wafers he may never learn that it is actually food. I start my plecos out with a variety of food so they learn early on what is food.

Should you get to keep him and If you choose to offer him some zucchinI it may take some time for him to discover it is food. It could actually take weeks. I would offer it to him raw with the seeds removed. That way you can leave it in there up to 48 hours before removing and replacing it. Be sure to put it back in the same place each time. Once he gets a taste for it he will find it where ever it is. If you can get him to eat his zucchinI you can then stuff an algae wafer in it and by doing so he may also learn that it is good food.

I knew when I got Jethro he would quickly out grow my tank so already had a new home picked out for him when I got him as a little bitty guy. My local pet store is actually out in the country. He has a huge above ground pond. Jethro is now living out his life in that pond. Maybe you could check around and see if there is something like that or someone with a huge tank you could re-home him too when he outgrows your tank.

Common plecos are actually my favorite fish but since the biggest tank I have is a 55 gallon I now have bristle nose plecos. They only grow to 5 or 6 inches when full grown.

 

Plecos are normally more active at night so feeding after lights out is usually best. If yours has never gotten used to eating veggies or algae wafers he may never learn that it is actually food. I start my plecos out with a variety of food so they learn early on what is food.

Should you get to keep him and If you choose to offer him some zucchinI it may take some time for him to discover it is food. It could actually take weeks. I would offer it to him raw with the seeds removed. That way you can leave it in there up to 48 hours before removing and replacing it. Be sure to put it back in the same place each time. Once he gets a taste for it he will find it where ever it is. If you can get him to eat his zucchinI you can then stuff an algae wafer in it and by doing so he may also learn that it is good food.

I knew when I got Jethro he would quickly out grow my tank so already had a new home picked out for him when I got him as a little bitty guy. My local pet store is actually out in the country. He has a huge above ground pond. Jethro is now living out his life in that pond. Maybe you could check around and see if there is something like that or someone with a huge tank you could re-home him too when he outgrows your tank.

Common plecos are actually my favorite fish but since the biggest tank I have I now have bristle nose plecos. They only grow to 5 or 6 inches when full grown.

Thank you for the advice! I will look around and see what I can find for Big Guy in the future, and in the mean time get him from fresh Zucchini! Thank you so much for your help!

 

You are so very welcome

 

You are so very welcome

How do you make the zucchinI sink in the tank?

 

How do you make the zucchinI sink in the tank?

When I feed it raw I actually use a wand from a worn out minI blind. It is long enough to reach the bottom of the tank. I have to kinda wedge it in there to keep it and the zucchinI from floating. Some folks stick it on a fork to keep it down. Tie a string on it if you use a fork and it will be easier to remove and replace.

After the plecos get used to eating it and it is all gone fairly quick I microwave it for 1.5 minutes and then drop it in some ice water. When doing this it sinks easily.

There are veggie clips but I've always just used what I have on hand

 

Awesome! Thanks again!

 

Just an update if anyone is watching this and wondering, I have contacted my local fish store and they are going to take Big Guy and help him find a new home, and in the mean time can keep him in a 75 Gallon tank where he'll be much more comfortable. Thanks again for all the help!

 

Just an update if anyone is watching this and wondering, I have contacted my local fish store and they are going to take Big Guy and help him find a new home, and in the mean time can keep him in a 75 Gallon tank where he'll be much more comfortable. Thanks again for all the help!

I am very happy to hear this.

 

I am very happy to hear this.

Any advise on safely getting him out of the tank and into a bucket? I'm gonna fill a 5 gallon bucket 3/4 full with water from the middle of the tank and put him in it to transport him, but I don't know how to get a 9 1/2 in Pleco out of the tank safely

 

I was able to just reach in my tank and pick Jethro up. He was so used to my hands in the tank he no longer rushed away from me. He was such a chilled out pleco he would allow me to pet him. If yours isn't that tame you may need to use some kind of plastic container that is big enough to trap him in and lift him out of the tank. Nets work I guess but he may get hurt if his fins get caught in the netting. If you do it by hand be careful of his fins. They can be pretty sharp.

 

Another possible way to catch him is lower your water level and get a plastic tote or pitcher that he will fit in and scoop him that way... the less contact wit him the better IMO

 

Yeah, I remember the spines on my Mom's Tiger Pleco popping his bag when she was trying to take him home XD Do you think rubber gloves could protect my hands well enough? Big Guy is fast and skiddish (He almost jumped out of the tank while I was trying to clean the glass today =n=) I could do a 50% water change while I'm trying to get him out. I've got a 2 quart pitcher that we use to add the water from our 5 gallon buckets into the tank, and I could probably use that.

 

As mattgirl mentuined their fins are like little nails and will easily puncture your rubber gloves. I would use the pitcher u mentioned just b sure to have the other bucket ready for when he starts splashing. And I would fill the bucket your transporting him in with the tank water but u probably already knew that

 

Lawl, yes, I'm going to fill it about 75% of the way with water directly from the tank so that it's as comfortable for him as possible.

So the plan is

-Fill bucket with 75% water from the middle of the tank.
-Use other bucket to vaccume out 50% of the total water in the tank
-Corner him and capture him in my 2qt pitcher and put him in the bucket

He should be okay if I just use the tank water, yes? Should I be concerned about the water temp dropping while we take him to the store? It's only about 5-7 minutes away depending on traffic, but I live in the mountains and it's very cold right now.

 

I would keep him on the front passenger floor with the heater in your vehicle on and wrap it in a towel and if you have a cover for the bucket that will help even more being dark for him. I think he will do fine. Your plan sounds perfect