question about plecostomus

Question
Well, i have two tanks around 10-12 gal and two plecostomus's. the little guys seems great he's all over and active (2-3 in) and the big guy (5-6in) is not, he stays in one corner, why do you think that is? is there something i can do? also i have been giving them one algae thin a week and they are clogging the filters like crazy i go through 1 almost every week! can i stop the algae thins and be ok? or any other suggestions? i don't know if it matters but the tanks have potted plants 1-2 each


Answer
Hi JaLee;

Plecostomus are individuals with different personalities so unless your hiding one seems sick I wouldn't worry about it. Some are very shy, which is actually normal for them because they tend to be nocturnal. Others like to be out a lot during the day. They also actually need a much larger tank than 10 or 12 gallons. With a larger tank and a bigger filter it will be much easier to keep the tank and filter clean. Regular plecos actually grow to be over 18 inches long. If you have the smaller varieties such as bristlenose, rubberlip, clown, etc, they don't grow as large as the regular types but still need more room than a 12 gallon. Get each of your guys into a bigger tank and they will love you for it.

There are other foods to feed if the algae wafers are making a mess. The algae wafers do have a lot of stuff your fish don't need anyway so they can pollute the tank pretty easily, as you now know. I like to feed veggies instead. Drop some in every 2 or 3 days. Good ones that they can chew on are; Cooked green beans, peeled peas, sliced squash, sliced cucumber, romaine leaves, cooked carrots. Just drop them in at night and they will nibble them. Frozen, canned or fresh are fine. Plecos also should also have some driftwood or bogwood to rasp on as well. They require it for their digestion. Here's a link to a really good profile page about them for more helpful and interesting info;

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/pleco/common.php

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins