New common pleco won’t eat.

Hello, I got a common pleco about a week ago. He’s about an inch and a half in length and is very active. He is currently alone in a 55 gallon tank which is fully cycled. I’m keeping the water at 78-79° F. I’ve been dropping algae wafers, sliced cucumber, zucchini… in the tank every night. Any food I leave him has always been untouched in the morning. His belly is slightly sunken in, it was like that when I got him.
About every 20 minutes, maybe more, I’ll see him dart to the surface of the water releasing bubbles on his was up, and just as quickly dart back down. *literally just watched him do it while writing that sentence.* I can’t imagine it being because of lack of oxygen seen as I have a 12 inch airstone and a filter running. I can see the plants waving a little bit so there is plenty of circulation.
I’ve tried dipping the algae wafers in garlic juice but that didn’t seem to help.
I just don’t want to see my new little friend starve to death. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Wondering if maybe the fish has some parasites? Plecos usually tend to be piggish. How long you had it?

 

It’s been 10 days since I got him. Last night he spent several hours sucking on a huge slice of cucumber. But I see no signs of anything actually being eaten.

 

Do you have any driftwood in your aquarium? I believe common pleco require wood to help with digesting food.

 

I don’t have drift wood because I’ve heard it can lower the ph and I plan on adding African cichlids in the future. My algae wafers are supposed to have enough fiber I think.

 

I don’t have drift wood because I’ve heard it can lower the ph and I plan on adding African cichlids in the future. My algae wafers are supposed to have enough fiber I think.

Just fyi if you get wood it won't lower your pH unless you have very low kH (under 4dKH) as well.

 

I don’t have drift wood because I’ve heard it can lower the ph and I plan on adding African cichlids in the future. My algae wafers are supposed to have enough fiber I think.

I think the wood provides more than fiber. Also in concept common pleco is not compatible with african. You could probably force them to co-exist but it is really not very optimal condition. Last but least wood won't have that large of an impact on ph if the water is hard enough for the african.

 

Thank you! I’ll get some driftwood tonight and do some research in compatibility of the fish. Hope it’ll work!

 

Hmmm , when you took the cucumber out was the middle gone ? Like the seed part? That’s all my common eats of the cucumber and leaves the rind. He will eat spinach, zucchini, kale , all blanched , he will have a nibble at raw salad peppers but hates peas.
For yours not to eat much i think twice things . Are you feeding with the lights on ? They prefer the dark ( although after 10 years mine will now take food out of my hand ) or he needs some parasite / worm meds.

Now I love my pleco , I truly do. But my honest and best advice to you is to return him , did they tell you how big he will get ? If not use that as the excuse and swap him for a bristlenose pleco or just accept the loss for what you paid.

 

Not even the middle of the cucumber was gone. I’ve been feeding him in the dark at night. I am aware how big he will get, I saw one fully grown and I knew I had to get one. It looked so cool lol.

 

Like I say I love my big buy but imma have to re home him sooner rather than later at this point. I’m lucky I’ve found somewhere that will take him tbh. I didn’t know how big he would get but still that’s on me , I was young and stupid and should of researched.

Can you post a picture of him ? There’s several plecos that look very, very similar that are sold under the same name as usually they are young and too difficult to differentiate between the types.

 

Excuse the cup. It’s a temporary shelter.

 

It could be his size being a juvenile maybe but he doesn’t look like a common pleco to me in that photo, maybe .
I’m gonna have a look and see what matches the closest.

does he go patchy in colour at all ?

 

Here is a slightly better photo.

 

He looks very dark for a common and slightly more spotted but that could be your lighting compared to mine etc . But his head looks flatter and the body shape isn’t quite fitting.
this is mine but obv a lot more mature and bigger but it’s the head shape that’s making me question if yours is a common. Does s/he go patchy in body colour ?

 

Here is a slightly better photo.View attachment 839057

Not sure that is a common. Also if you get wood make sure it is the right type - they can't rasp super hard wood. Some plecos do not eat wood and require more meat. Can't tell what species you have but it really doesn't look like a common

 

I don’t know what you mean by patchy

 

Go to planet catfish.com and search L021 or L023 and compare the photos and descriptions. I really don’t think you have a common but could be because it’s a juvenile and the colours can vary a lot but the head shape is throwing me. It does seem to be the Hypostomus family though.

my common doesn’t touch my wood tbf but will murder a veggie.

when I say patchy does he change colour ? Does he have lighter patches that will vary places on his body ? They won’t always be in the same place or present at all , like an octopus varies body colour to blend in ( obviously not to that extent but can change to blend in ) sometimes mine can be all one colour in the morning when the lights come on but in the afternoon he can be patchy .

look at the website above I said and you’ll see what I mean

 

I don’t see any patchiness. I looked at the pictures. They look so extremely similar, I really can’t tell the differencence. I think the L021 looked a tiny bit more like him maybe. Which one is a common pleco?

 

They kind of both commons , but different sub species. There’s about 10 others that I can think of that all look like your’s. Mines a ‘ sailfin’ I believe , but could categorise him into about 3 others, that’s why ‘common ‘ is sold as a name in lfs, but to be fair you can’t tell as juveniles.

My point is true commons get massive and honestly , although they are gorgeous dinosaurs , they will outgrow all but the larger aquariums , I don’t want to seem harsh in my advice but I say it from experience, take him back or see if a local aquarium will take him and get yourself a better fit, unless you can double your 55g

 

DoubleDutch might recognize the species of that pleco.

 

I didn’t realize L021 and L023 were names for the same species. I was trying to compare identical fish lol. I am fairly certain I have a common pleco upon further analysis.
Anyone know why he gulps air at the surface? Google isn’t being very helpful.

 

Unfortunately the pleco was found dead today.