Would rubbernoses eat this?

saradora · Post by **saradora** » 15 Jan 2005, 19:48

About 3-4 months ago, I added a lot of anacharis, some java moss, and java fern to my rubbernose tank. Around that time, they stopped eating their algae wafers. They all have beautifully full stomachs. I am just mystified because the rubbernoses look good and the plants still look pretty good. I have seen them attached to the leaves of the java fern, but I thought that these plants were distasteful to fish. Could they be subsisting primarily on these plants? (They also eat lettuce, zucchini, and cucumber, but just barely graze it.)

Post by **Silurus** » 15 Jan 2005, 21:32

I have not seen mine eat plants. And there is very little aquatic vegetation (algae aside) in their natural habitat, so I don't think they'd be eating them. Do you have anything else in the tank that you are feeding other kinds of food? Rubbernoses are not strictly restricted to a vegetable-only diet. Mine would munch on carnivore and shrimp pellets if given the chance.

Post by **Marc van Arc** » 15 Jan 2005, 21:50

Don't let my Metynnis hear you saying java fern is distasteful -). Nor is anubias, crypto, echinodorus or anything else that's more or less green.

saradora · Post by **saradora** » 15 Jan 2005, 22:06

There is nothing in the tank except seven rubbernoses. They are all very small (2 1/2" or less). I feed them Hikari sinking pellets, but usually only 2 or 3 times a week (and only 2 or 3 pellets). I have posted many questions about feeding them because of all my plecos, they are the most finicky eaters. They won't eat Hikari algae wafers, only the sinking wafers or the carnivore pellets. They do eat a kind of algae wafer that I get from Eric Bodrock. They do not eat Marineland Bioblend algae wafers, or Ocean Nutrition sinking wafers. (For the record, I haven't met any pleco that likes the Marineland ones, and I have 15 total.)
This has been going on for months now that between the seven on them, they might eat 3 wafers. Could it be because they are so small?

Post by **Silurus** » 15 Jan 2005, 22:18

Do you have any algae beginning to grow in your tanks? The rubbernoses might be eating that.

julian · Post by **julian** » 16 Jan 2005, 15:10

perhaps they are finding nutrients in tiny infusorians found within close reaches of your plants, many of these lifeforms are found in java moss especially, just a guess

saradora · Post by **saradora** » 17 Jan 2005, 01:25

If there is any algae in the tank, they take it out fast. They scrub every surface spotless except one small piece of driftwood (to which the java fern is attached). The clump of java moss is very large. There was only one snail amidst all the plants which has grown to be about 1" over several months (shell diameter). I posted once about small white worms that got into the water column during gravel cleanings. There are fewer of these worms now, but I have also been changing more water since I added 3 more rubbernoses to the original four. Infusorians sounds plausible--whatever it is, it is not visible to me.

julian · Post by **julian** » 20 Jan 2005, 16:14

they are like tiny creatures, single celled i think?

BK · Post by BK » 21 Jan 2005, 05:13

marineland bio blend are my L204s favorite although non of my others even touched them.