Rubber Lip Pleco Not Eating

Hello, new here, but a long time enthusiast. I have a super densely planted 40 gallon tank with a juvie rubber lip pleco. His tank mates are a dwarf gourami, very social, and 5 platies. Although peaceful the other fish are pigs, they have already been restricted to a stingy diet. The blessing is that the substrate is clean, as no food reaches the bottom and decays. the curse is that the pleco, who is truly nocturnal in the tank, doesn't get a chance to get scraps. I have tried submerging lettuce, green beans, cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers, banana to no avail. His fancy Japanese algae wafers are ignored and just get eaten by the other fish.

At night he's active, my water parameters are exemplary. The tank is thriving, the plants are healthy, the huge driftwood centerpiece offers caves, nooks, crannies, and is covered in large anubias. Half the tank is carpeted in Java moss, half a smooth gravel. for him. On the left side of the driftwood there is a gravel cave which offers darkness, the other fish don't venture in. oh yeah, and a steady 78, water changes of 20 percent every week.

I know I don't really know what goes on at night, but i'm starting to get concerned, its been 4 weeks now, still alive, but what is this thing eating? Algae is surely not enough to keep him kicking.

Thank you, and excited to hear back. I scoured the other forums as well, but never really found ideas I haven't tried. I apologize if this seems redundant as I know plecos can be temperamental.

Sincerely,
Sam

 

I have one in my 55 and goes crazy for zucchinI and tetra pleco wafers . I’m sure he is getting remnants of things u may not be able to see that gets pushed under and behind plants.

 

Hello, new here, but a long time enthusiast. I have a super densely planted 40 gallon tank with a juvie rubber lip pleco. His tank mates are a dwarf gourami, very social, and 5 platies. Although peaceful the other fish are pigs, they have already been restricted to a stingy diet. The blessing is that the substrate is clean, as no food reaches the bottom and decays. the curse is that the pleco, who is truly nocturnal in the tank, doesn't get a chance to get scraps. I have tried submerging lettuce, green beans, cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers, banana to no avail. His fancy Japanese algae wafers are ignored and just get eaten by the other fish.

At night he's active, my water parameters are exemplary. The tank is thriving, the plants are healthy, the huge driftwood centerpiece offers caves, nooks, crannies, and is covered in large anubias. Half the tank is carpeted in Java moss, half a smooth gravel. for him. On the left side of the driftwood there is a gravel cave which offers darkness, the other fish don't venture in. oh yeah, and a steady 78, water changes of 20 percent every week.

I know I don't really know what goes on at night, but i'm starting to get concerned, its been 4 weeks now, still alive, but what is this thing eating? Algae is surely not enough to keep him kicking.

Thank you, and excited to hear back. I scoured the other forums as well, but never really found ideas I haven't tried. I apologize if this seems redundant as I know plecos can be temperamental.

Sincerely,
Sam

It will be feeding on algae you might not see it but he/she will find it, same as food some will get to the bottom, you should supplement their diet, mine loves the hikarI sinking pellets fave being the carnivore one

 

Thank you both for the quick help, let me check out the hikirI carnivore pellets, I have hikiri, the green algae wafer ones,. That's a good looking fish in those pictures!

one more thing, How evident would the marks be on the zuchinni? He is small, could he just be leeching the nutrients out in the darkness without leaving a mark?

 

Pretty sure you've one of the more carnivorious Chaetostomas.
Mine never takes a bite from vegs.

 

Pretty sure you've one of the more carnivorious Chaetostomas.
Mine never takes a bite from vegs.

Interesting, Every source I have encountered has said this breed are generally herbivores. Ill try the hikari....

 

I use the carnivore pellets for my turtle but the placo goes mad for them, he will back up to the turtle waving sand in his face with its tail until the turtle moves away then pops in and steals the food mines 3 years old too

 

Interesting, Every source I have encountered has said this breed are generally herbivores. Ill try the hikari....

Yeah experiences have showed this being inaccurate for certain species.

 

Thank you, I guess it shares the characteristic of most catfish !!!

If it looks like a duck......enguin: