Is my bulldog pleco skinny?

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squid
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Is my bulldog pleco skinny?

Post by squid »

Ive had him for a few
Months now , i usually see him on the glass but i dont see him wating sinking pellets i drop into the tank. He is in the tank with 2 blue eyed bn , cories , swordtails and angelfish. Does he look ok? Any tips?
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bekateen
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Re: Is my bulldog pleco skinny?

Post by bekateen »

Hi squid,

Yes it looks skinny to me - a sunken belly. Besides perhaps at the time of purchase, has its stomach ever been full?
In my experience, it's a challenge to get rubberlips to feed. If you have algae covered rocks, those are good. Repashy gel foods (Soylent green, etc) are good, zucchini, are all good foods to try (plus algae wafers).

Good luck,
Eric
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squid
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Re: Is my bulldog pleco skinny?

Post by squid »

thanks, that tank is exposed to sunlight.
but he has some competition for the algae since i have 2 blue eyed bristlenose in there with him.
and lots of snails too.

will he eat duckweed? i noticed he sometimes stays on the glass near the water surface.

i have not noticed him eating sinking pellets.
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bekateen
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Re: Is my bulldog pleco skinny?

Post by bekateen »

They need lots of oxygen - a well-aerated tank. I don't expect them to eat duckweed since it floats, but if it's stuck to glass wall I guess you never know. But don't count on it.

Cheers, Eric
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squid
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Re: Is my bulldog pleco skinny?

Post by squid »

oh... thanks!! one reason might be my tank doesnt have much aeration, just the plants.
I'll try also to increase the aeration.
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Re: Is my bulldog pleco skinny?

Post by MarcW »

As Eric mentioned, algae covered rocks would be great for your fish. You mentioned the tank gets direct sunlight, are you able to put a few smooth stones in big enough for the fish to rest on, maybe 3-6 inch diameter? It will take a while to get a good covering of algae but will be good food in future.

Once it has recovered and eating well it might appreciate a power head aimed at the few rocks I suggested, but for now focus on keeping the water well oxygenated and getting them to eat.

Good luck.
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