Mega Clown Pleco NEVER comes out?

[Skittles]

I have a mega clown pleco (purely due to them staying small) and he literally never comes out. I have a big rock which has two ‘tunnels’ through it & he has claimed one of those circular tunnels as his spot & doesn’t come out.

When I first got him he would come out almost as soon as the lights went out & I would drop an algae wafer in and he would happily sit and eat it (still very skittish if I went by the tank though).. I would also notice him on the glass if I woke up in the night.

However for the last few days he has pretty much not left his spot. I did have a rummy nose tetra die and couldn’t find it for the life of me, finally this morning it showed up on the filter with a chunk out of it (sorry for the detail ) - could the reason he isn’t venturing out be that he has gorged himself and simply isn’t hungry?

Also I think I have been slightly over feeding my tank in general so I’m going to starve for a day or two but I’m concerned about the clown plec just staying on the same spot for days on end? (He is definitely alive I see him move around within his spot)

 

[StarGirl]

I don't think any ones clown plecos come out. I think this is why people get BN instead.

 

[Skittles]

I don't think any ones clown plecos come out. I think this is why people get BN instead.

So on a previous (horrible) forum before I discovered Fishlore they went CRAZY at the thought of a pleco in a 20 gallon and said the only one I could humanely have was a clown.. I really wanted a Bristlenose as well

I knew they didn’t really come out much in the day but this guy never comes out! Even when he does the SLIGHTEST movement and he goes back into hiding. It’s kinda annoying

 

[Peter M]

Yeah I've had a clown pleco for a few years, and in my experience, this is very normal. Mine has claimed a spot behind the driftwood in the tank and days will go by without me seeing him. I wouldn't be too worried. Very skittish fish, but very hearty and decent to look at when you get the chance.

 

[jake37]

My clown comes out when i feed him - i know where his cave is and once in a while i'll drop food outside. Also now and then he comes out (I think it is a he but i'm not sure). 20 gallon long is pretty small for an adult bn. Also bn sometime hide worse than clown pleco so it is the luck of the draw. I have a male bn i see once every 45 or 60 days if i'm lucky in my 120. The female i saw daily and the L204 i see all the time. Btw L204 are a wee bit smaller than bn and (imho) nicer looking. I can't promise you will see yours but i have an adult and 3 juvi and i normally see all 4 at least once a day.

 

[DoraCory]

My clown pleco sticks it's head out of it's cave when there is food about, otherwise, it tends to stay in the cave most of the time. It shares the cave with an Armoured Shrimp, it's funny when they're both sat next to each other in the entrance like an elderly couple sat on a doorstep on a sunny day.

 

[d23perry]

Had my clown pleco since 2014. He has gone through 2 tank changes — 10g to 25g, and currently resides in a 55g. He rarely comes out. But he clearly is doing well considering how long I have had him. Every so often when I turn on the light, I’ll find him sucking on the glass. But very few and and far in between.

 

[Skittles]

Yeah I've had a clown pleco for a few years, and in my experience, this is very normal. Mine has claimed a spot behind the driftwood in the tank and days will go by without me seeing him. I wouldn't be too worried. Very skittish fish, but very hearty and decent to look at when you get the chance.

Thanks for your reply! That makes me feel better that he is just acting normal - as long as he is happy that’s all I care about

My clown comes out when i feed him - i know where his cave is and once in a while i'll drop food outside. Also now and then he comes out (I think it is a he but i'm not sure). 20 gallon long is pretty small for an adult bn. Also bn sometime hide worse than clown pleco so it is the luck of the draw. I have a male bn i see once every 45 or 60 days if i'm lucky in my 120. The female i saw daily and the L204 i see all the time. Btw L204 are a wee bit smaller than bn and (imho) nicer looking. I can't promise you will see yours but i have an adult and 3 juvi and i normally see all 4 at least once a day.

Thanks for the advice! I will be getting a much larger tank within the next year and I will definitely look into the L204!

My clown pleco sticks it's head out of it's cave when there is food about, otherwise, it tends to stay in the cave most of the time. It shares the cave with an Armoured Shrimp, it's funny when they're both sat next to each other in the entrance like an elderly couple sat on a doorstep on a sunny day.

That’s so sweet!

Had my clown pleco since 2014. He has gone through 2 tank changes — 10g to 25g, and currently resides in a 55g. He rarely comes out. But he clearly is doing well considering how long I have had him. Every so often when I turn on the light, I’ll find him sucking on the glass. But very few and and far in between.

Aww that’s good to know! I just wish there was some way I could make him more confident to come out.. even if it is still only after lights out!

 

[skar]

Ya.... I don't know how they were ever discovered.
I have one for over 7 years... I see it about once a year.

 

[Skittles]

Ya.... I don't know how they were ever discovered.
I have one for over 7 years... I see it about once a year.

Haha! I wish I had known this before I got mine - I spent too much time reaearching size and making sure he would be ok in my 20gal for a year without actually looking at personality!

 

[skar]

Haha! I wish I had known this before I got mine - I spent too much time reaearching size and making sure he would be ok in my 20gal for a year without actually looking at personality!

Same here ... I got it when I was first starting out and knew zilch.
Really should be named the recluse pleco.

 

[Skittles]

Same here ... I got it when I was first starting out and knew zilch.
Really should be named the recluse pleco.

Oh I forgot to ask as well... I have driftwood in my tank but he never goes on it.. ever.. I heard they NEED it and may die without it but what can I do if he chooses not to go on it?

 

[skar]

Oh I forgot to ask as well... I have driftwood in my tank but he never goes on it.. ever.. I heard they NEED it and may die without it but what can I do if he chooses not to go on it?

I have three large pieces of drift wood.
I would say not to worry about it.
Sometimes less is more.

 

[jake37]

Do you watch him 24/7 and yes clown pleco require wood in their diet... have you carefully checked the wood for teeth marks

Oh I forgot to ask as well... I have driftwood in my tank but he never goes on it.. ever.. I heard they NEED it and may die without it but what can I do if he chooses not to go on it?

 

[FinalFins]

Mega clown plecos are Hypancistrus species, not panaque... I think you guys are mixing up species. realistically they need more protien in their diet than the usual plecos.

 

[jake37]

I see clown pleco require wood not mega clown pleco - sorry about the confusion.

Mega clown plecos are Hypancistrus species, not panaque... I think you guys are mixing up species. realistically they need more protien in their diet than the usual plecos.

Hypancistrus sp. (L340) • Loricariidae • Cat-eLog

 

[Skittles]

Mega clown plecos are Hypancistrus species, not panaque... I think you guys are mixing up species. realistically they need more protien in their diet than the usual plecos.

Hypancistrus sp. (L340) • Loricariidae • Cat-eLog

So does that mean I don’t need to worry about my mega clown plec (L340) needing driftwood? Thanks for the reply

 

[FinalFins]

So does that mean I don’t need to worry about my mega clown plec (L340) needing driftwood? Thanks for the reply

I havent kept any hypancistrus species before but I would keep some in the tank just in case- never hurts to have driftwood and it will be good for the plec to graze on for food. Also feed it some protein as regular diet.

 

[Skittles]

I havent kept any hypancistrus species before but I would keep some in the tank just in case- never hurts to have driftwood and it will be good for the plec to graze on for food. Also feed it some protein as regular diet.

Yeah I’ll definitely keep the driftwood that has been in there since before I got the plec, I just noticed he has never been on it and my bamboo shrimp hide out in some of it which is sweet! I feed Hikari algae wafers which most of the fish eat as well but also new life spectrum Thera A and some flakes crushed into a fine powder mostly for the shrimp as well as freeze dried daphnia, frozen blood worms and frozen brine shrimp a few times a week for variation. I’m thinking of also getting the Hikari bug bites, I’ve heard good things about them!