Question about pleco unsure if normal

Just wondering if my pleco I got last night is ok. Hes (not sure just always called them a he lol) has been giving in the middle of the tank and also thinking he's attached to something but isn't. Just wondering if it's normal cause I tried googling and it wouldn't being anything up other than surfacing and floating on the bottom. He's been hovering over the bamboo for about 15 minutes now but mostly has been staying in the direct middle of the tank. This is the first pleco I've had that's done this. Thanks in advance.
There's a better pic of his hovering

 

Even the ones i have had that died shortly after i got them, attached to something or at least laid on something. That seems a little weird to me...bad, can't say.

 

Even the ones i have had that died shortly after i got them, attached to something or at least laid on something. That seems a little weird to me...bad, can't say.

He seems to attach to the glass when he really tries. I was honestly hoping it was just a weird quirk that they have. I feel like this one chose me because he followed me through the tank at the store (PetSmart). My plecos really tug my heart because I love them and he's the only other fish I have in the tank out of all of them. My first pleco( a quarter the size of this one) ended up getting stuck in the trike head and dying then my 2nd pleco who was about half this size was lost to my son's dinosaur bichir and everytime it's brought me to tears.

 

He seems to attach to the glass when he really tries. I was honestly hoping it was just a weird quirk that they have. I feel like this one chose me because he followed me through the tank at the store (PetSmart). My plecos really tug my heart because I love them and he's the only other fish I have in the tank out of all of them. My first pleco( a quarter the size of this one) ended up getting stuck in the trike head and dying then my 2nd pleco who was about half this size was lost to my son's dinosaur bichir and everytime it's brought me to tears.

May be a quirk this one has. Mine prefer to stay stuck to their wood pieces. Except the one who only goes in his cave to evict a snail.

I would keep an eye on it for sure. Is it eating fine?

 

May be a quirk this one has. Mine prefer to stay stuck to their wood pieces. Except the one who only goes in his cave to evict a snail.

I would keep an eye on it for sure. Is it eating fine?

Honestly I'm not sure other than when he does attach to the glass I put a few algae wafers in for him but dino (my son's dinosaur bichir) ate them. We just got him last night. Also kinda scared this one night get bitten because when he hovers he moves a little faster. We're going to get a bigger tank but money is a little tight right now.

Honestly I'm not sure other than when he does attach to the glass I put a few algae wafers in for him but dino (my son's dinosaur bichir) ate them. We just got him last night. Also kinda scared this one night get bitten because when he hovers he moves a little faster. We're going to get a bigger tank but money is a little tight right now.

Like rn his mouth is going like he's attached to the bamboo but he isn't.

 

He maybe still stressed due to the new environment. Give it sometime. I would avoid high light for couple of days, like dim it. Or if you cannot dim yours, I would shorten the length. They are more active at nighttime. Feed some good pleco food at dark. He will eat if he’s fine. If the tank is cycled, he should be fine. Most pleco are pretty hardy. How big is the tank?

 

He maybe still stressed due to the new environment. Give it sometime. I would avoid high light for couple of days, like dim it. Or if you cannot dim yours, I would shorten the length. They are more active at nighttime. Feed some good pleco food at dark. He will eat if he’s fine. If the tank is cycled, he should be fine. Most pleco are pretty hardy. How big is the tank?

Right now he's in a 13 gallon but planning on upgrading as soon as we have the money for it because of dino getting so big so quickly (he's at least tripled in size in the 2 months we've had him). Tanks finally running perfectly with the help people have given on my other posts. We'd gotten 2 that night the other one was for my mother's 10 gallon but already had to take him back first thing in the morning yesterday because we noticed when we went to put that one in the tank all of his fins were shredded and it was barely able to swim upright. Typically I wouldn't have any complaints about PetSmart because other than dino eating a few of the fish they've all been in perfect health and survived compared to the ones we got from Petco that all died in a week. But this time idk if she was rushing or what but she'd squished the nets onto their tails when trying to get them. This one was ok in the bag while transporting home he was firmly attached to the sides of the bag the entire time but as soon as he went in the tank he started acting like this.

Right now he's in a 13 gallon but planning on upgrading as soon as we have the money for it because of dino getting so big so quickly (he's at least tripled in size in the 2 months we've had him). Tanks finally running perfectly with the help people have given on my other posts. We'd gotten 2 that night the other one was for my mother's 10 gallon but already had to take him back first thing in the morning yesterday because we noticed when we went to put that one in the tank all of his fins were shredded and it was barely able to swim upright. Typically I wouldn't have any complaints about PetSmart because other than dino eating a few of the fish they've all been in perfect health and survived compared to the ones we got from Petco that all died in a week. But this time idk if she was rushing or what but she'd squished the nets onto their tails when trying to get them. This one was ok in the bag while transporting home he was firmly attached to the sides of the bag the entire time but as soon as he went in the tank he started acting like this.

We just did a partial water change the morning before we got him around 7am and then we got him that night around 6:30pm and were home with him by 7:30 with the buses.

 

My big pleco does this sometimes. He will float about then ‘land’ on something at awkward angles. Just keep your eye on him as I’d expect him to be hiding more especially with the dino in the tank.

 

My big pleco does this sometimes. He will float about then ‘land’ on something at awkward angles. Just keep your eye on him as I’d expect him to be hiding more especially with the dino in the tank.

Ok thank you

 

Right now he's in a 13 gallon but planning on upgrading as soon as we have the money for it

Erm... what!?

This is a common pleco. They grow up to 40cm and more. I wouldn't go under a tank size of 120x50x60 for that species long term. A tank your size is unfortunately too small for pretty much any type of pleco that grows larger than 10cm. And that's even pushing it when not kept as the only fish in the tank.

Which might be irrelevant, because that fish looks very emaciated and thin. Could be it's "just" starving (no idea how it was kept and fed at the store) or starving due to inner parasites. When they show this kind of behaviour it's usually over soon.

In any case I wouldn't get too used to it.

 

Erm... what!?

This is a common pleco. They grow up to 40cm and more. I wouldn't go under a tank size of 120x50x60 for that species long term. A tank your size is unfortunately too small for pretty much any type of pleco that grows larger than 10cm. And that's even pushing it when not kept as the only fish in the tank.

Which might be irrelevant, because that fish looks very emaciated and thin. Could be it's "just" starving (no idea how it was kept and fed at the store) or starving due to inner parasites. When they show this kind of behaviour it's usually over soon.

In any case I wouldn't get too used to it.

We're planning on upgrading to a at least 50 gallon. He was what PetSmart considered a large pleco they didn't have any smaller and also didn't want to get anything smaller due to dino already having killed one half this size a few weeks ago. We just have to get our rent situation fixed because our roommate who was in charge of the rent completely **** us lied about paying Sept and October rent and left and now our landlord filed for eviction unless we can come up with over $1k by next Friday. Planning on upgrading within the month. He was from the shipment they just got last week.

 

Honestly, in such a situation I wouldn't have bought any fish, I myself have sometimes problems getting my rent together, but the last thing I do in such months is buying fish or anything fish related.

A 50 gallon will have to be replaced with something bigger later on.

My best advice: Return the pleco and try to get a refund.

 

I didn’t comment before on size as you’d already said you planned on upgrading. I’m sorry about your situation and I hope you manage to get it sorted.
macz is correct about them getting big though, mine is 10 years old and huge, he also restricts my tank planting and will rip up anything he doesn’t want in his way. Unfortunately most places don’t stress how big they can actually get. If you’re set on keeping him, you’re probably better off upgrading to bigger than a 50 long term with other big fish in with him. Or return him now and wait until you find a smaller species.

 

If I had a pet peeve it would be stores selling common pleco's to folks without telling them these fish can easily grow to a foot long. Lots of them even bigger and they grow quickly. My favorite fish is the common pleco but I know I can't provide a proper home for one so have bristle nose pleco's instead. Your 13 gallon tank is still too small for even a BN though. I agree with returning this fish if it survives. If it is in with a fish prone to eating its tank mates I suspect it will end up being food.

What you are seeing is unusual. Normal healthy pleco's usually head for the bottom of the tank to try to hide from the light. Turn the light off and give this little guy time to get used to its new home.

The best advice I can give in this situation is don't add any fish small enough for Dino to eat since it seems he eats all his tank mates. .

 

We literally just found out about the rent being behind last night. We're planning on at least a 50 but they have had a sale going on for the 75 gal that once we get this fixed planning on getting that instead of the 50. Surprisingly tho dino hasn't gone for our frogs or the 2 baby fish we have left even tho the babies are definitely still small enough for him.

 

I’m sorry for you situation and I hope you manage to get it cleared up. I guess a fish is the last of your worries right now ( especially if you plan on upgrading ) . Good luck with it all

 

We literally just found out about the rent being behind last night. We're planning on at least a 50 but they have had a sale going on for the 75 gal that once we get this fixed planning on getting that instead of the 50. Surprisingly tho dino hasn't gone for our frogs or the 2 baby fish we have left even tho the babies are definitely still small enough for him.

Also since we've upped the feeding for him he seems to have backed off of his tank mates. He's only gotten 2 so far but the one makes sense because we recently found out that he eats earth worms as well and noodle (one of our 2 black khuli loaches) was long and thin like a worm. The previous pleco we had we aren't sure why he went at him tho.