Hello, Pleco advice please

Hello all, I just adopted two Plecos who were going to be discarded (please no judgement the previous owner was diagnosed with a terminal illness). I have never had fish before and am having a bit of a rough ride of it and would appreciate any helpful advice. About my set up; cycled 55 gallon (master test kit reading 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0.25 nitrate (treating with prime, cleaning and water changes), PH has risen slightly to 7.2, Seachem flourite black gravel (washed multiple times), driftwood and spiderwood (boiled and soaked for a week), annubias, java fern, java moss, hornwort, dwarf grass and jungle val planted, dragon rock and two Pleco caves, some bladder snails (hitchhiked in), a heater set to 77 degrees, a thermometer and a 75gal hob filter.
I’ve had the aquarium set-up for 4 weeks and the plecos have been in for two. I take daily water readings and remove the fish poop daily (there seems to be a fair amount). My questions and problems are as follows;
- I’m not sure what species of Pleco my black/brown Pleco is. Their previous owner didn’t know. Could someone please advise?
- The black/brown Pleco seems to be canouflaging and hides under the driftwood all day. I think it is stressed, is there anything I can do?
- don’t think the brown/black Pleco is eating but i’m providing a Hikari algae wafer, blanched and peeled zucchini and bloodworm food rotation. Any idea what I can feed. There is a little white looking algae on the driftwood but otherwise no algae. It does not touch the algae wafers.
- There’s a white patch on my albino, male Bristlenose. It doesn’t look like ich and is not fluffy or raised like fungus. I’m terrified that both are stressed and losing colour. Can anyone please identify and advise (apologies for the poor quality photos (trying not to stress the fish out by turning the LED aquarium lights on).
Thank you in advance! I really am trying my best to provide the optimum living environment for my new buddies.

 

Nice looking pleco you have there. I don't know what type it is, but some plecos are nocturnal and some just like to hide a lot. That may be the case with your pleco. We have quite a few knowledgeable people that I'm sure will be able to identify it for you. Plecos are definitely poop machines, but with that size tank and filter you shouldn't have to clean daily. Welcome to Fishlore

 

Ok the albino is tough to see. But the other one is a common that looks very lean. I’d ask the previous owner what they were feeding. May be stressed. If new driftwood there’s nothing yet on it to eat. They should eat the white stuff that started growing so leave it grow. You say the tank is cycled. How did you cycle it? Unfortunately there’s nothing to eat in that tank. Algae and bio-film will take a few weeks to grow. So the food you’re adding you have to remove if they’re not eating it. If not it will rot and add more ammonia to the tank.

 

Nice looking pleco you have there. I don't know what type it is, but some plecos are nocturnal and some just like to hide a lot. That may be the case with your pleco. We have quite a few knowledgeable people that I'm sure will be able to identify it for you. Plecos are definitely poop machines, but with that size tank and filter you shouldn't have to clean daily. Welcome to Fishlore

Thank you

Ok the albino is tough to see. But the other one is a common that looks very lean. I’d ask the previous owner what they were feeding. May be stressed. If new driftwood there’s nothing yet on it to eat. They should eat the white stuff that started growing so leave it grow. You say the tank is cycled. How did you cycle it? Unfortunately there’s nothing to eat in that tank. Algae and bio-film will take a few weeks to grow. So the food you’re adding you have to remove if they’re not eating it. If not it will rot and add more ammonia to the tank.

The previous owner was feeding tetra fish flakes and just letting them eat the algae. I’m letting the white stuff grow, the snails seem to be more into it than the Plecos though. I started cycling it before I put the fish in with food and media from their previous tank (rocks, water etc.) I watched the ammonia and nitrite go through the roof and stay there for a what seemed like forever and then the nitrate rose a little and the ammonia and nitrite dropped to zero. I think my nitrate is up slightly (0.25) because they are not eating the food i’m providing. I always remove it in the morning and had been using a veggie clip but I think they were scared of the veggie clip, so I stopped using it. I’m thinking the Bristlenose is eating because he’s not as shy and has a slightly rounded belly. The common (maybe) just seems so scared and skinny. Before I had him he was in a 25gal with 2 fake plants. I really thought providing caves, wood and real plant cover would improve the quality of his life but he just seems stressed. Is there a way I can create fast algae growth or buy material with algae on it?
Here is a full photo of the albino; they were taken a week ago and he has since (I think) developed the white patch in the previous photos

 

Plecos tend to hide even when not stressed, so that's not diagnostic. Dimming your lights some may help bring them out more. My BNs come out once my programable light starts to dim at the end of the day. It's the only time I see them except for rare occassions.

They may be thin due to underfedding in their previous tank. Flake food for a bottom feeder is not a good approach.

If you have to clean poop daily, they (or one of them at least) must be eating something...

Do you know how old the plecos are? Common plecos will get huge, well over a foot. If it's several years old it's probably not a common or it would be much bigger.

I had a BN pair that lived for 9 years and bred a lot. Once they became adults, they stopped eating most anything I added to the tank for them. They would not touch sinking pleco wafers or any kind of veggies. In the end, the only thing they would eat was Repashy gel food, but even then the often wouldn't touch it. Repashy is very high quality food and worth a try. It's a powder that you mix with water to make a gel you then feed to your fish. You will probably have to buy it online.

Keeping the lights off will help with the stress. You may need to keep trying different foods. Clean water at all times too. Can you get a picture of the white patch on the BN?

I think the quality of life for your new fish has greatly improved under your care. Let us know how things progress.

 

I initially had my lights set from 8AM-5PM, now I have them set from 8AM-3PM (for the plants). I’ve blocked out the light completely in the area below the driftwood where the common Pleco lives (I’m trying not to kill the java moss growing on the driftwood). Should I shorten the light period even further? I’m worried about killing my plants but my Plecos are my priority.

I think i’m realising that they were very thin when I got them. I think the Bristlenose is eating, he’s not shy and seems to move around the tank somewhat. He loves suckering onto the Spiderwood. The common may be eating but i’m only leaving enough food out for 2 and the vegeterian wafer for the common Pleco is never eaten. That’s why I was querying his species, I would hate to be feeding him herbivore food only if he is an omnivore. I feed the other Pleco shrimp pie and veg wafers and they seem to get eaten.
I’m not sure on age but know the previous owner had them for at least 3 years. The dark brown/black Pleco seems significantly bigger than the Bristlenose.

I’ve been reading about repashy but am unsure of wether to get the Soilent green or Community because I don’t know what species he is.

I check the water daily and do 20/30% water changes any time I do not get zero readings. I’m afraid i’ve become quite neurotic, i’m trying my best to stay away from the tank and give the fish some space so I remove uneaten food and poop at 8am and feed them before I go to bed.

I will try to get a better photo of the albino’s patch.

Thanks for the encouragement ☺️

 

I initially had my lights set from 8AM-5PM, now I have them set from 8AM-3PM (for the plants). I’ve blocked out the light completely in the area below the driftwood where the common Pleco lives (I’m trying not to kill the java moss growing on the driftwood). Should I shorten the light period even further? I’m worried about killing my plants but my Plecos are my priority.

I think i’m realising that they were very thin when I got them. I think the Bristlenose is eating, he’s not shy and seems to move around the tank somewhat. He loves suckering onto the Spiderwood. The common may be eating but i’m only leaving enough food out for 2 and the vegeterian wafer for the common Pleco is never eaten. That’s why I was querying his species, I would hate to be feeding him herbivore food only if he is an omnivore. I feed the other Pleco shrimp pie and veg wafers and they seem to get eaten.
I’m not sure on age but know the previous owner had them for at least 3 years. The dark brown/black Pleco seems significantly bigger than the Bristlenose.

I’ve been reading about repashy but am unsure of wether to get the Soilent green or Community because I don’t know what species he is.

I check the water daily and do 20/30% water changes any time I do not get zero readings. I’m afraid i’ve become quite neurotic, i’m trying my best to stay away from the tank and give the fish some space so I remove uneaten food and poop at 8am and feed them before I go to bed.

I will try to get a better photo of the albino’s patch.

Thanks for the encouragement ☺️

Common plecos are omnivores in youth, tending towards carnivore as they mature. I'm unsure of brands as I use a variety, but bug bites seem to be a favourite of all my omnivorous bottom feeders. I'd read ingredients on the sinking wafers, looking for a meat as 1st ingredient, soak the pellet for a bit in garlic juice for added temptation & place it directly in front of the plecos favoured hide.

Frozen food, such as tubifex worms or brine shrimp, defrosted in tank water & gently dropped via pipette or turkey baster in front of the hide may also help & are good additions to their diets.

Too, nitrates up to about 20 are acceptable, especially in a pleco tank as they excrete a lot of waste. At 10 (on the API FW Mater Test Kit) you'd be doing gloriously.

Your care of your new companions is excellent & praiseworthy. Well done.

Hope it helps.

 

The patchiness on the common is entirely normal , they do camouflage so don’t worry about that.
They love frozen meatier foods as well as cucumber , broccoli etc in fact mine ate anything in the tank and would hand feed . He would stare at me from the tank when he was hungry ! Fantastic fish but they do get very large. They are hardy fish and can be shy in new tanks so just keep doing what you are and offer variety of foods and you’ll be fine

 

Common plecos are omnivores in youth, tending towards carnivore as they mature. I'm unsure of brands as I use a variety, but bug bites seem to be a favourite of all my omnivorous bottom feeders. I'd read ingredients on the sinking wafers, looking for a meat as 1st ingredient, soak the pellet for a bit in garlic juice for added temptation & place it directly in front of the plecos favoured hide.

Frozen food, such as tubifex worms or brine shrimp, defrosted in tank water & gently dropped via pipette or turkey baster in front of the hide may also help & are good additions to their diets.

Too, nitrates up to about 20 are acceptable, especially in a pleco tank as they excrete a lot of waste. At 10 (on the API FW Mater Test Kit) you'd be doing gloriously.

Your care of your new companions is excellent & praiseworthy. Well done.

Hope it helps

I have bug bites being delivered today.
Thanks for clarifying that he is likely an omnivore, that really helps.
I’ve been feeding brine shrimp and bloodworms into their caves but them seem completely oblivious. Maybe they are eating them when i’m not around.
That is a relief to hear that I don’t have to change my water every time the nitrates are not reading 0.
Thank you for being positive and kind

The patchiness on the common is entirely normal , they do camouflage so don’t worry about that.
They love frozen meatier foods as well as cucumber , broccoli etc in fact mine ate anything in the tank and would hand feed . He would stare at me from the tank when he was hungry ! Fantastic fish but they do get very large. They are hardy fish and can be shy in new tanks so just keep doing what you are and offer variety of foods and you’ll be fine

That sounds brilliant at this point I would settle for him not acting like I was going to try to eat him.
Thank you for the advice

 

I ordered bug bites from Amazon


I bought bug bites on Amazon (they should be arriving today), I also have raw, organic garlic bulbs.
Thanks for clarifying that he is an omnivore, that makes is so much easier to know what to buy him.
I have been soaking bloodworm and brine shrimp in a small glass with tank water for 10 mins and then using a turkey baster to feed. I put some directly into their caves but have never seen them go for it.
My nitrate is currently around 5-10 I think.
Thanks for the feedback, I feel like I can finally calm down a little

I have bug bites being delivered today and have raw, organic garlic too.
Thanks for clarifying that he is likely an omnivore, that really helps.
I’ve been feeding brine shrimp and bloodworms into their caves but them seem completely oblivious. Maybe they are eating them when i’m not around.
That is a relief to hear that I don’t have to change my water every time the nitrates are not reading 0.
Thank you for being positive and kind

Try putting the frozen food on the sand rather than directly in the hides. Pleco like to sift for their food. Too, I'd leave the wafers for longer - a day or so - before removing what's obviously uneaten.

You really are doing gr8 for these guys!

 

Try putting the frozen food on the sand rather than directly in the hides. Pleco like to sift for their food. Too, I'd leave the wafers for longer - a day or so - before removing what's obviously uneaten.

You really are doing gr8 for these guys!

I will, thanks! Apologies for accidentally posting multiple times (am clearly technologically challenged lol).

 

I will, thanks! Apologies for accidentally posting multiple times (am clearly technologically challenged lol).

As am I frequently!

 

Plecos tend to hide even when not stressed, so that's not diagnostic. Dimming your lights some may help bring them out more. My BNs come out once my programable light starts to dim at the end of the day. It's the only time I see them except for rare occassions.

They may be thin due to underfedding in their previous tank. Flake food for a bottom feeder is not a good approach.

If you have to clean poop daily, they (or one of them at least) must be eating something...

Do you know how old the plecos are? Common plecos will get huge, well over a foot. If it's several years old it's probably not a common or it would be much bigger.

I had a BN pair that lived for 9 years and bred a lot. Once they became adults, they stopped eating most anything I added to the tank for them. They would not touch sinking pleco wafers or any kind of veggies. In the end, the only thing they would eat was Repashy gel food, but even then the often wouldn't touch it. Repashy is very high quality food and worth a try. It's a powder that you mix with water to make a gel you then feed to your fish. You will probably have to buy it online.

Keeping the lights off will help with the stress. You may need to keep trying different foods. Clean water at all times too. Can you get a picture of the white patch on the BN?

I think the quality of life for your new fish has greatly improved under your care. Let us know how things progress.

I switched the lights off above the aquarium before I went out today and when I came back home the shy Pleco was out! It’s the first time i’ve seen him out so I imagine he must be waiting until night to explore.

 

I switched the lights off above the aquarium before I went out today and when I came back home the shy Pleco was out! It’s the first time i’ve seen him out so I imagine he must be waiting until night to explore.

Yes! Feeding just before lights out too often helps with nocturnal or shy bottom feeders. Glad he appeared!

 

Yes! Feeding just before lights out too often helps with nocturnal or shy bottom feeders. Glad he appeared!

Update; the bug bites arrived and the shy Pleco loves them! He is out of his cave and eating the bug bites from the substrate. Amazing! Wasn’t expecting such a fast turn around but i’m thrilled! Thank you.

 

Update; the bug bites arrived and the shy Pleco loves them! He is out of his cave and eating the bug bites from the substrate. Amazing! Wasn’t expecting such a fast turn around but i’m thrilled! Thank you.

Thank goodness! Now fatten them up & you're good to go. What you're doing for these plecos, the work & the research you're putting into it, made me smile a lot today. Plecos are amongst my favourite fish & I hope you enjoy them. Thank you & congrats.

 

Update; the bug bites arrived and the shy Pleco loves them! He is out of his cave and eating the bug bites from the substrate. Amazing! Wasn’t expecting such a fast turn around but i’m thrilled! Thank you.

That’s amazing !!! Well done. Yeah yes doing fantastic for your plecos !!

if possible , and if you’re interested , I’d like to help you identify the exact type of pleco you have .. clearer photos ( preferably with the fins up ) would go a long way to help

the term common pleco is used a lot ! I believed I had a common for a long time but with research I found out he wasn’t. He was still a larger species that max’ed at about the same size but I found it interesting

 

Thank goodness! Now fatten them up & you're good to go. What you're doing for these plecos, the work & the research you're putting into it, made me smile a lot today. Plecos are amongst my favourite fish & I hope you enjoy them. Thank you & congrats.

Ahh thank you. I just really appreciate how helpful you and others on this forum are. It’s easy for people to be judgmental but everyone here as been so kind and helpful. It’s bringing me so much joy to see him out and about in the tank and eating ☺️

That’s amazing !!! Well done. Yeah yes doing fantastic for your plecos !!

if possible , and if you’re interested , I’d like to help you identify the exact type of pleco you have .. clearer photos ( preferably with the fins up ) would go a long way to help

the term common pleco is used a lot ! I believed I had a common for a long time but with research I found out he wasn’t. He was still a larger species that max’ed at about the same size but I found it interesting

Thank you, that is very kind of you to say ☺️.
I would love to find out exactly what species he is and would appreciate your help identifying him. It’s proving difficult to get enough light in order to take a photo and not have him scurry of into his burrow. I may have to use my apple watch to take a remote photo on my iphone. Fingers crossed I can get a good photo tomorrow.

 

That’s great that it’s eating. Now being in a 55g you’ve got to be aware of your water conditions.thing with plecos is there waste producers. So the tank can get dirty quick. Next yes lots of plecos get grouped under the common pleco naming. It’s only recently that they been studied and put into the L grouping. But the name common just goes to the ones that get real big. Some plecos can get 24” or bigger. So keep that in mind. Yours does look like one of the big ones. So good luck with them! And now that he’s out get us some better pics. Many of us keep plecos. I’ve got 5 adult bushy nose about 15+ babies a green phantom and a blue phantom.

 

If you have the time this website will help a lot in identifictaion. I suspect maybe Pterygoplichthy’s …
Pterygoplichthys pardalis • Loricariidae • Cat-eLog
Look at L164 , L196, L313.. see if any of those match up

 

That’s great that it’s eating. Now being in a 55g you’ve got to be aware of your water conditions.thing with plecos is there waste producers. So the tank can get dirty quick. Next yes lots of plecos get grouped under the common pleco naming. It’s only recently that they been studied and put into the L grouping. But the name common just goes to the ones that get real big. Some plecos can get 24” or bigger. So keep that in mind. Yours does look like one of the big ones. So good luck with them! And now that he’s out get us some better pics. Many of us keep plecos. I’ve got 5 adult bushy nose about 15+ babies a green phantom and a blue

Yes, from the reading i’ve done, i’m beginning to realise that this may just be a temporary tank for my Plecos and i’m going to need an even bigger tank. This is how it starts . I’m just wondering if maybe his growth was stunted previously due to lack of food and being in a smaller tank. Either way, i’m going to try to get some better photos of him because i’d really love to know more about him.

If you have the time this website will help a lot in identifictaion. I suspect maybe Pterygoplichthy’s …
Pterygoplichthys pardalis • Loricariidae • Cat-eLog
Look at L164 , L196, L313.. see if any of those match up

Thank you, he definitely looks closer to the one you suspect than the other types.

 

Yeah then it’s what is referred to as a common. Practically bomb proof fish and can become very friendly . He may be stunted but you may not be able to tell yet , he will easy get a foot long if not almost 2. Luckily the bristle nose will stay smaller !

it’s up to you what you do with him , keep and upgrade the tank or rehome , it’ll be easier to do whilst he’s smaller. It might be worth asking lfs if they take fish donations so you know where you stand

 

Yeah then it’s what is referred to as a common. Practically bomb proof fish and can become very friendly . He may be stunted but you may not be able to tell yet , he will easy get a foot long if not almost 2. Luckily the bristle nose will stay smaller !

it’s up to you what you do with him , keep and upgrade the tank or rehome , it’ll be easier to do whilst he’s smaller. It might be worth asking lfs if they take fish donations so you know where you stand

Well since he came out yesterday, he seems a lot less skittish. He’s been out and about in his tank today and has attached himself to the annubias (RIP annubias). He also seems to have a desire for completely rearranging the tank. I’m still struggling to get a clear photo as he likes to move between the plants but I did get a few of his head. Have still not caught a glimpse of him with expanded fins. I was looking at 130 gallon tanks today and if that’s whats needed, I know he may take more care than I had first thought but I don’t think it’s anything I can’t handle.

 

Well since he came out yesterday, he seems a lot less skittish. He’s been out and about in his tank today and has attached himself to the annubias (RIP annubias). He also seems to have a desire for completely rearranging the tank. I’m still struggling to get a clear photo as he likes to move between the plants but I did get a few of his head. Have still not caught a glimpse of him with expanded fins. I was looking at 130 gallon tanks today and if that’s whats needed, I know he may take more care than I had first thought but I don’t think it’s anything I can’t handle.

He's beautiful. Come Feb 1, you should put a photo of them up in the photo contest section.

 

Lol thing with plecos is there never always stunted. Put in a bigger tank. They will grow again..

 

They do still grow just like ssint says ! Expect that to happen 100%. He shouldn’t munch your pony but he will uproot anything and ruin stems , and dig in the sand .. a nice big cave may help somewhat. Anubias is your best bet as they are hardy.
Care wise , food and clean water is all they need .. and apparently a neat tank to re arrange daily
Have you seen the pleco photos thread yet ?

 

They do still grow just like ssint says ! Expect that to happen 100%. He shouldn’t munch your pony but he will uproot anything and ruin stems , and dig in the sand .. a nice big cave may help somewhat. Anubias is your best bet as they are hardy.
Care wise , food and clean water is all they need .. and apparently a neat tank to re arrange daily
Have you seen the pleco photos thread yet ?

Yes, I think I’m imagining it but if feels like he has grown a little already lol. He has dissected my Annubia and now I just have individual leaves floating at the top of my tank (I think he likes the flat surface of the leaf). He needs a little construction worker vest and hard hat .
I have not seen the Plecos thread, i’ll look for it.

 

Just wanted to update with a photo of Sid for anyone who would like to see him (please ignore my pond snail infestation, trying to adjust to feeding sparkling gouramis).