need help with pl*cos-thin

[mommabird]

I have a gold nugget pl*cos that I purchased about a week and a half ago. I am a little worried because he is extremely shy and is just now showing himself Yesterday was the first time I saw it eat. His belly is awful thin. I have been putting in algae wafers, etc. He's in with a betta who pays no attention at all to it, so I don't think harassment is a problem.

He also has driftwood and caves.

Any suggestions? I hate to see the little guy so thin. My other pl*cos in the big tank has always been fat and healthy looking on the same feeding routine.

I understand these gold nuggets can be difficult.

Thanks for any help.

[MatsP]

Gold nuggets are first of all nocturnal, and even then generally quite shy to begin with. I've got two, and the second one was a "return"[1], which is bigger and more outgoing than the smaller "new" one that I got a few months earlier.

Most plecos get used to their surroundings after some time, and it just takes time.

Since it's a nocturnal creature, it means that your best chance of seeing it will be during the time when your lights are out on the tank.

Also, if you give it some nice food, just after lights out, like bloodworms or chopped shrimp, mussels, or some other meaty food. [These fish are carnivores more than anything else, but not in the way that a lion is, more like eating carryon, like a vulture or some such. It will eat live bloodworm tho'.] If you can arrange so that you don't have a big light behind you, but a dim one to the side or something, you avoid casting a big shadow on the tank, which will help in not scaring the fish.


This probably belongs in the "South American Catfish (Loricaridae etc)" forum.

--
Mats

[dag]

Hey Momma
I was freaked when I first got mine too because I did not think he was eating . It took nearly a year before I would see him in the day ! I was also worried that he looked skinny. Make sure you feed him just before lights out as they are nocturnal and will eat at night . Try not to worry too much as he will probably eat well at night and hide all day . I have a sailfin in another tank that I have NEVER actually seen eat (in two years) and he is fat and always growing . Sneak a look at him at night with a flashlight to see how hes doing . Good luck .
Dag

[plecplonkfizz]

Hi
I too was freaked when i first got my L177.I didn't see it for weeks unless i moved tank decor and disturbed it.I kept thinking it's gotta be dead.
Now he's totally chilled out and even spends time out during the day grazing on the glass and things.
They really do prefer a meaty diet.Mine eats better than i do

[Tikka]

Hi!

That's really funny. I made exactly the same experience with my L177. Rarely saw it for 4 weeks after I bought it and then I "refurnished" the tank and put a bigger piece of wood in. He seems much more relaxed and I see it all the time now. Of course he is still hiding sometimes and prefers the darker part of the tank during the day but I am much less worried now.
Concerning the meat diet: My L177 seems to be addicted to cucumbers lately. Even if I put one in during the day it only takes him like 30 seconds to find it and the he really digs in . Even fights over it with the ancicstrus because they always have to go for the same piece of cucumber. However I also feed bloddworms after the light has been out for maybe two hours. But it is really hard to tell if he eats those too. Maybe I need to stay up with the flashlight to find out...

Tina

[medaka]

Sorry All

I Meant to move this into the Loricad forum,clicked the move button to early and it ended up here
and I cant seem to be able to move it from this forum?

[Jools]

Sorry All

I Meant to move this into the Loricad forum,clicked the move button to early and it ended up here
and I cant seem to be able to move it from this forum?

Sorted,

Jools