Rubberipped pleco not eating his wafers anymore

Usually I put it in front of his log every other day but for the past week he sucks on it for 2 minutes then pushes it out away to the side and ignores it, so I've been doing it every 3 days and still doesn't eat it, I use hikarI algae wafers HE LOVES them but now he ignores them
why!?

 

Fish don't eat when they are stressed.....have there been any changes?

 

Well behind his log there was a big fake plant and I took it out and put something else in and I might have moved his log a bit but this was 3 days ago and he stopped eating them around 1.5 weeks ago

 

Nothing happened 2 weeks ago?

 

What else is being fed to the tank?

 

Just flakes
and nothing happened 2 weeks ago

 

Does his stomach appear to have sunk in?

 

nO he looks completly fine

 

SO what do I do?

 

I wish I had something to tell you other than wait and see. Have you upped your water change schedule?

 

Ya I do 20% twice a week

 

Ya I do 20% twice a week

That's your increased schedule? That's really not that much. You should be changing much more than that if there's a problem, as in 50% twice a week.

 

How about 20% 4 times a week

 

So, I had the same problem with my rubberlip. If you look at hikarI algae wafer ingredients, the first two incredients are protein, not plants. Eventually, Howard just stopped eating them. He would, however, eat the HBH algae wafers, which I can no longer get in my area (sad for me, because ALL my fish love them).
Try Omega One; simply because they're commonly available and have more vegetable matter than the hikari. Also, try lettuce, or zuccini, or cucumber, or spinach. Also, check the back of your tank, and behind ornaments and stuff. It may just be that you have a secret stash of algae growing in your tank that is tastier than your wafers. If that fails, just leave your lights on until some algae grows, and see if he chows any on that.
Are his fins clamped or anything?

 

How about 20% 4 times a week

at least 50% twice a week.

the point of doing water changes is to swap out the old water for new. In your case, there is something negatively affecting your fish, so you want to replace as much of the water as possible. Doing 20% is ineffectual, even ifyou do a few of them.

 

I have a rubber lip I’ve had for about a month now. I’m afraid he is slowly starving, I do have algae growth but he seems to not be touching it, I even try algae wafers but he doesn’t touch them when I put them in at night. I’m worried, recently he will sometimes lay on his back belly up under the log he hides but if I love by he will get startled and hide again. I need help what should I do??

 

Do you have driftwood? If algae wafers dont work try using a zucchini or cucumber, it makes even the pickiest of algae eaters eat.

 

Do you have driftwood? If algae wafers dont work try using a zucchini or cucumber, it makes even the pickiest of algae eaters eat.

I do not have driftwood, the people at the pet store said it wasn’t really necessary, how do I prepare zucchini or cucumber?

 

Definitely try zucchini ours goes crazy for it as well as shrimp pellets and algae wafers. Also definitely recommend having driftwood in the tank for em.

 

To prepare it you clean it, boil or microwave it, place it in tank. Donot keep it in there for more than 12 hours.

 

To prepare it you clean it, boil or microwave it, place it in tank. Donot keep it in there for more than 12 hours.

Okay thank you, is it best to put it in when I turn the light off?

 

Most likely since plecos are nocturnal.

 

We usually get a bag of frozen zucchini n take a few pieces out and put it in a cup and run hot water over it till the pieces sink in the cup then pour the water out and add the pieces. We usually go 24 hours but by then everyone has had some and the snails r finishing it off. None goes to waste in our tanks

 

Try shrimppellets, bloodworm, brineshrimp etc...

Rubberlips are more carnivorious than thought. Mine is almost totally and NEVER eats vegs etc.......

Also Rubberlips are wild caught so could be needed to deworm the fish.

 

How do you feed plecos bloodworms? Mine just float.

 

How do you feed plecos bloodworms? Mine just float.

Frozen or living sink.

 

When in my lfs buying some neon tetras for my planted and established aquarium I seen a little adorable rubberlip pleco. I watched him for quite some time in the shop he was active looked healthy. For the first few days he cleaned the tank of all algae. And claimed his spot in the tank, a little car with a cave under. He prefer here rather than the drift wood I bought him.

I've given him algae wavers, cucumber slices, greenbeans and sliced cooked carrots but he's just not interested. I've even tried putting the algae wavers in the veg next to his cave at night in hopes he will munch on them. I'm starting to get worried about the little pleco he should be trying the food by now it's been 10 days adding food for Henry and only the platies are eating it the next day. ☹

(Admin please move this post if its in the wrong place.)

 

Hi

Could try catfish pellets or spirulina wafers.

 

Please use the emergency template.

Rubberlip plecos need highly oxygenated water, a bit cooler than the usual tropical temp and a good current.

 

P

Please use the emergency template.

Rubberlip plecos need highly oxygenated water, a bit cooler than the usual tropical temp and a good current.

Plus several species are more carnivorious than thought. Try bloodworms + shrimppellets

 

P

Plus several species are more carnivorious than thought. Try bloodworms + shrimppellets

I do feed bloodworms also I have shrimp and algae wavers mix, I will buy shrimp pellets as well though.

 

Remind that these fish are wildcaught so not used to our "foods"

 

Please use the emergency template.

Rubberlip plecos need highly oxygenated water, a bit cooler than the usual tropical temp and a good current.

I have airstones and a hob that waterfalls. Also have flow from the wave maker. The tank is constantly at 20c. Is this too hot for the pleco?

 

I have airstones and a hob that waterfalls. Also have flow from the wave maker. The tank is constantly at 20c. Is this too hot for the pleco?

Please use the emergency template.

 

Please use the emergency template.

Cause it is not eating ?

 

I have airstones and a hob that waterfalls. Also have flow from the wave maker. The tank is constantly at 20c. Is this too hot for the pleco?

I think that could actually be too cold. Most reccomend 22 as the low end for temperature.

 

My friend brought round some cucumber rubbed in algae from his plant storage tank and I'm pleased to say he's eating right now. Sorry pic is terrible its dark. Hopefully we can get him weaned on veg and wavers doing this.

 

I have a rubberlip pleco in a 55 gallon tank that is heavily planted. I cannot even remember the last time I have seen the pleco. I do not feed him as there is plenty of biofilm and algae on tank surfaces. Typically, plecos eat after the lights go out, so it would be unusual to see one eating.

 

I think that could actually be too cold. Most reccomend 22 as the low end for temperature.

Think that isn't entirely correct when I read this article in PFK (february 2021)

 

Think that isn't entirely correct when I read this article in PFK (february 2021)

Your info is spot on.
This is what I was told, 20 to 23c I keep my tank within this range and it thrives. Even the plants for a low tech grow great. My water parameters are almost perfect for the pleco too, luckily in Scotland we have great water for fish keeping