Pleco the acrobat

[Michalkun]

I wonder if anybody else observed this. From time to time, but rerely I
see my pleco in the morning swimming upside down, towards the surface of
the water as if the surface was solid. I also see him floating on the
surface motionless and he seems to be as if he is attached firmly to it
(for example as if it was a glass). Has that happened to anybody here?
It's very neat to see this. Pleco of course is healthy but I wonder how
the heck does he do it? He is quiet a bashful one so when I try to look
more he dives and hides.

[RedForeman ©®]

It's funny isn't it? The first time I saw it I was worried thinking it was
some swim bladder problem, then I saw a friend's do it, and later realized
it was kinda common, especially in cases where there was alot of extra food
floating on the surface... He said, no that's not it, it's eating the
protien layer on the surface... I'm not exactly sure if that's it, but I do
give him credit for knowledge, so maybe he was right... my little
bristlenose did it once, for about 3 seconds... never since... my 13" common
did it when he was 5" for about half an hour.... I stared as it floated
upside down... in amazement...

"Michalkun" > wrote in message
.251...
> I wonder if anybody else observed this. From time to time, but rerely I
> see my pleco in the morning swimming upside down, towards the surface of
> the water as if the surface was solid. I also see him floating on the
> surface motionless and he seems to be as if he is attached firmly to it
> (for example as if it was a glass). Has that happened to anybody here?
> It's very neat to see this. Pleco of course is healthy but I wonder how
> the heck does he do it? He is quiet a bashful one so when I try to look
> more he dives and hides.

[Mike Davis]

Whatever else you want to say about them, plecos seem to find a way to eat.

My common plec used to tail stand and slurp up the floating food from the
survacewhen we had him in the smaller (40g breeder) tank.

Mike D.

"RedForeman ©®" > wrote in message
...
> It's funny isn't it? The first time I saw it I was worried thinking it was
> some swim bladder problem, then I saw a friend's do it, and later realized
> it was kinda common, especially in cases where there was alot of extra
food
> floating on the surface... He said, no that's not it, it's eating the
> protien layer on the surface... I'm not exactly sure if that's it, but I
do
> give him credit for knowledge, so maybe he was right... my little
> bristlenose did it once, for about 3 seconds... never since... my 13"
common
> did it when he was 5" for about half an hour.... I stared as it floated
> upside down... in amazement...
>
> "Michalkun" > wrote in message
> .251...
> > I wonder if anybody else observed this. From time to time, but rerely I
> > see my pleco in the morning swimming upside down, towards the surface of
> > the water as if the surface was solid. I also see him floating on the
> > surface motionless and he seems to be as if he is attached firmly to it
> > (for example as if it was a glass). Has that happened to anybody here?
> > It's very neat to see this. Pleco of course is healthy but I wonder how
> > the heck does he do it? He is quiet a bashful one so when I try to look
> > more he dives and hides.
>
>

[NetMax]

"Michalkun" > wrote in message
.251...
> I wonder if anybody else observed this. From time to time, but rerely
I
> see my pleco in the morning swimming upside down, towards the surface
of
> the water as if the surface was solid. I also see him floating on the
> surface motionless and he seems to be as if he is attached firmly to it
> (for example as if it was a glass). Has that happened to anybody
here?
> It's very neat to see this. Pleco of course is healthy but I wonder
how
> the heck does he do it? He is quiet a bashful one so when I try to
look
> more he dives and hides.

If not already available, give him some driftwood to gnaw (in case he is
looking for some). They need the extra fibre to clean out their gut.
Check their stomach to be sure it's not concave (lacking nutrition). You
can also experiment with floating vegetation (oak leaves, types of
lettuce etc). In nature, they would be scooping that up and lots of
mosquito larvae.

NetMax

[Mike Davis]

Speaking of floating vegetation, how about duckweed? I've got loads of it
from the outdoor ponds...


"NetMax" > wrote in message
.. .
>
> "Michalkun" > wrote in message
> .251...
> > I wonder if anybody else observed this. From time to time, but rerely
> I
> > see my pleco in the morning swimming upside down, towards the surface
> of
> > the water as if the surface was solid. I also see him floating on the
> > surface motionless and he seems to be as if he is attached firmly to it
> > (for example as if it was a glass). Has that happened to anybody
> here?
> > It's very neat to see this. Pleco of course is healthy but I wonder
> how
> > the heck does he do it? He is quiet a bashful one so when I try to
> look
> > more he dives and hides.
>
> If not already available, give him some driftwood to gnaw (in case he is
> looking for some). They need the extra fibre to clean out their gut.
> Check their stomach to be sure it's not concave (lacking nutrition). You
> can also experiment with floating vegetation (oak leaves, types of
> lettuce etc). In nature, they would be scooping that up and lots of
> mosquito larvae.
>
> NetMax
>
>

[>]

Mine used to swim in circles from top to bottom, top to bottom, and swim
around the top until it got tired of me trying to pet it's stomach. Who
Knew?

JOhn :-)

"Michalkun" > wrote in message
.251...
> I wonder if anybody else observed this. From time to time, but rerely I
> see my pleco in the morning swimming upside down, towards the surface of
> the water as if the surface was solid. I also see him floating on the
> surface motionless and he seems to be as if he is attached firmly to it
> (for example as if it was a glass). Has that happened to anybody here?
> It's very neat to see this. Pleco of course is healthy but I wonder how
> the heck does he do it? He is quiet a bashful one so when I try to look
> more he dives and hides.

[NetMax]

No idea. There are just too many types of plecos and they range from
carnivores to herbivores (and everything in-between). Experiment and you
shall know. Personally I think the duckweed will not work. It's just
too much of a pest plant, and if it was that easy to get rid of, someone
would have noticed by now (that some plecos would eat it).

NetMax

"Mike Davis" > wrote in message
news:EHTjb.23763$N94.1611@lakeread02...
> Speaking of floating vegetation, how about duckweed? I've got loads of
it
> from the outdoor ponds...
>
<snip>
> >
> > If not already available, give him some driftwood to gnaw (in case he
is
> > looking for some). They need the extra fibre to clean out their gut.
> > Check their stomach to be sure it's not concave (lacking nutrition).
You
> > can also experiment with floating vegetation (oak leaves, types of
> > lettuce etc). In nature, they would be scooping that up and lots of
> > mosquito larvae.
> >
> > NetMax
> >
> >
>
>