Wood chomping gibby

aeroflight · Post by **aeroflight** » 11 Apr 2003, 20:16

I added several pieces of driftwood to my tank about a week ago. Since then, it seems as if my gibby (~3.5" SL) has done nothing but munch on the wood. Only once have I caught him on the glass, and he wasn't very interested in the slice of zucchini I tossed in to him. I'd even venture to say that the wood's the only thing he's eaten this past week. Is this to be expected? I knew that some pleco's liked (required) wood, but I didn't think a gibby was one of them. We've gone from a lot of light colored feces to a whole lot of black feces.

Anyways, thanks for the help!

GER1023 · Post by **GER1023** » 13 Apr 2003, 05:13

My gibbiceps use to eat algea wafers and cucubers alot but does the same once I put some driftwood in the tank. He still eats algea off the glass ocasionally and looks for the algea wafers from time to time but not as much as before. Lucky I have a common pleco as well which doesnt care for the driftwood at all and is always on the glass.

aeroflight · Post by **aeroflight** » 13 Apr 2003, 05:48

Thanks! It's nice to know I'm not the only one out there.

quix · Post by **quix** » 13 Apr 2003, 17:46

hi i have a similar question, can the gibby survive solely on the driftwood? I have 3 plecos, 1 gibby, 1 L205 and 1 Royal. It seems like they do not like the algae wafer which i offer very much.

Sid Guppy · Post by **Sid Guppy** » 13 Apr 2003, 18:35

Wich brand are you feeding? sometimes pleco's can be picky.
I remember for example; several people posting that Wardley's aren't too good, by Pleco standards....
My Tropheus seem to like them, though! So does Synodontis polli.
so much for fishfood aimed at a particular fish.

IME Pleco's go absolutely wild on cucumberslices, broccoli slices and peas. You might forgo the usual tabs and pellets and go for true veggies!

Spirulina tabs are also good, but again; one brand is eaten by the truckload, while others are neglected and are only eaten by fish that shouldn't eat those at all, according to "the books".
example: my Triglachromis (a Tanganyikan cichlid) really likes anything veggie or spirulina tab-related, but they don't like the Wardley's pleco tabs. This fish is supposed to eat mud, not veggies. In it's biotope plants are non-existent, so are algae....

quix · Post by **quix** » 13 Apr 2003, 18:45

i'm using hikari algae wafers..i oso tried some hikari catfish discs..dun seem to like both very much...i juz tried some fresh veggies..n i think i saw my L205 munching on it..heheh..will eating driftwood be able to sustain them? as in they'll not go hungry in the meantime until i find something else which they like.

Post by **Silurus** » 13 Apr 2003, 18:49

Sure. Driftwood is very low in nutrients, but loricariids can survive on this nutrient-poor food for some time.