Pl*cos and Driftwood (Nitrate Dance)

[PurityFailed]

I took my gramma to go look at the reef display at Byerly's the other day and
decided to take along a water sample and they found nitrates. Woohoo! No more
nitrites at home so she got to pick out a pl*co who's since scoured the rock
clean of scum. Don't really know if it was the best first meal for him but I'm
glad he ate all the same. Bought a packet of Hikari algae wafers which he
hasn't touched yet (but the Platys love) so I'm going to toss another one in
there after lights out and see if he goes for it. I'm thinking blanched
zuccini as well for the little guy (bout 3 inches long if that) to try to tempt
him into muching on something other than the brownish-green stuff on the rocks.


But my real reason for posting today (other than gloating with the nitrate
dance) was that I'm concerned that I don't have a piece of driftwood for the
little bugger. I don't know why I never came across this fact, but in several
places I've read that pl*cos need to rasp on driftwood for their well-being.
My final plan for my tank is a nicely planted natural looking one with some
thick driftwood in there. So eventually he'll have what he seems to need, but
what can I do for him now? I live near the Ohio River so finding a good
unpolluted piece is pretty unlikely locally. Ideally I'd like to buy a
pretreated piece, but now I'm broke. :(

I've had some ideas so bear with me. Don't worry though, these are all fresh
from the synapses so I'm not following though without some serious research.
And hopefully by the time I'm done I'll have some money to get him the good
stuff.

1) Are pl*cos particularly mineral dependant and this is why they need to rasp,
or do they just require a nice amount of roughage to balance out the algae?
And if that's the case then couldn't I just supply some carrot or other rough
veggie to help him out?

2) Has anyone had any experience with young pl*cos? S/He's the typical garden
variety... I haven't been able to identify him from the L numbers catalog
though. Looks less spotted and more like US desert camo. I've read that their
appetite for algae tapers off as they age, but at this point they should be
pretty good grazers.

3) Is there any chance of hardwood bark helping him out if he truly needs it?
I assume a few days boil at least would be necessarry. Leery of bleach since
he'll be munching on it.

4) Or should I just forget about the rasp stuff for now since he's young and
may not need it at this point?

On a lighter side, I've already fallen in love with him/her. The blinking
thing is the best. :) Can't wait to watch him grow up big and strong and give
me an excuse for a bigger tank, but he sure does poop a lot. Hehe.

Thanks so much for reading through and please post even if it's just theory!

Happy Trails,

Jessica
(Oh please let the tank cycle...)

[NetMax]

"PurityFailed" > wrote in message
...
>
> I took my gramma to go look at the reef display at Byerly's the other
day and
> decided to take along a water sample and they found nitrates. Woohoo!
No more
> nitrites at home so she got to pick out a pl*co who's since scoured the
rock
> clean of scum. Don't really know if it was the best first meal for him
but I'm
> glad he ate all the same. Bought a packet of Hikari algae wafers which
he
> hasn't touched yet (but the Platys love) so I'm going to toss another
one in
> there after lights out and see if he goes for it. I'm thinking
blanched
> zuccini as well for the little guy (bout 3 inches long if that) to try
to tempt
> him into muching on something other than the brownish-green stuff on
the rocks.

That brownish-green stuff might actually be pretty good for him, like
vegetable yogurt ;~)

> But my real reason for posting today (other than gloating with the
nitrate
> dance)

It's about time, I was beginning to wonder ;~) Congrats!

was that I'm concerned that I don't have a piece of driftwood for the
> little bugger. I don't know why I never came across this fact, but in
several
> places I've read that pl*cos need to rasp on driftwood for their
well-being.
> My final plan for my tank is a nicely planted natural looking one with
some
> thick driftwood in there. So eventually he'll have what he seems to
need, but
> what can I do for him now? I live near the Ohio River so finding a
good
> unpolluted piece is pretty unlikely locally. Ideally I'd like to buy a
> pretreated piece, but now I'm broke. :(
>
> I've had some ideas so bear with me. Don't worry though, these are all
fresh
> from the synapses so I'm not following though without some serious
research.
> And hopefully by the time I'm done I'll have some money to get him the
good
> stuff.
>
> 1) Are pl*cos particularly mineral dependant and this is why they need
to rasp,
> or do they just require a nice amount of roughage to balance out the
algae?
> And if that's the case then couldn't I just supply some carrot or other
rough
> veggie to help him out?

My understanding is that it's the roughage, so a carrot might work,
though I've never encountered a fish which eats carrots (but I don't make
a point of offering it to them either).

> 2) Has anyone had any experience with young pl*cos? S/He's the typical
garden
> variety... I haven't been able to identify him from the L numbers
catalog
> though. Looks less spotted and more like US desert camo. I've read
that their
> appetite for algae tapers off as they age, but at this point they
should be
> pretty good grazers.

Garden variety used to be called Hypostomus plecostomus, though what it's
called now I don't know. Lots of variants slip into the pond of common
plecos, so occasionally something more interesting turns up (like a
Vampire pleco). The Vampire pleco has a taste for meat, usually rasped
off the side of a living victim.

> 3) Is there any chance of hardwood bark helping him out if he truly
needs it?
> I assume a few days boil at least would be necessarry. Leery of bleach
since
> he'll be munching on it.

No bleach should ever be used with porous materials (wood, rocks etc).
Most dried hardwood should be fine. Softwoods are more risky. Ideally
collect a sample of dried pieces from different hardwoods, and let your
pleco decide. If one gives him a sore tummy, he will probably leave it
alone. Boiling won't hurt, but I'm not sure about using bark. They need
to attach and rasp it.

> 4) Or should I just forget about the rasp stuff for now since he's
young and
> may not need it at this point?

To answer that probably requires a more intimate pleco life-cycle
knowledge (with and without roughage under a controlled diet), than
anyone here has. Who knows? Do human babies get constipated? Mine
munches on whatever I find in the firewood that's really dried out.

> On a lighter side, I've already fallen in love with him/her. The
blinking
> thing is the best. :) Can't wait to watch him grow up big and strong
and give
> me an excuse for a bigger tank, but he sure does poop a lot. Hehe.

Big poop is not a bad sign, though it should break up easily. When he
(or she) is a foot long and rips up your plants whenever he decides to
turn around, you might start wondering what size tank will hold him as an
adult (18 to 24" long). That's when you dig a pond ;~), but you have
lots of time.

> Thanks so much for reading through and please post even if it's just
theory!
>
> Happy Trails,
>
> Jessica
> (Oh please let the tank cycle...)

You can change your sig now :o)

NetMax

[PurityFailed]

From: "NetMax"
>The Vampire pleco has a taste for meat, usually rasped
>off the side of a living victim.


Agck! I was reading something about that the other day. "Sure, he looks cute
now..."

I think I'll take you up on your suggestion to give him a buffet to choose
from. He's so cute I just want to spoil him. Hah! Or maybe that's just
lingering excitement fromt he durn tank finally cycling. Ah well, either way
I'm going to have a really fat pl*co if he makes it.

Jessica
Proud mommy of a new pl*co... and a superbly cycled tank. LOL.

[TYNK 7]

(Snipped)

>Subject: Pl*cos and Driftwood (Nitrate Dance)
>From: (PurityFailed)
>Date: 4/8/2004 5:53 PM Central Daylight Time
>Message-id: >

>I took my gramma to go look at the reef display at Byerly's the other day

ROFL....
When I read this, at first I thought you were saying you took your Gramma *the
fish* to look at a reef display. = )~

[PurityFailed]

>ROFL....
>When I read this, at first I thought you were saying you took your Gramma
>*the
>fish* to look at a reef display. = )~

Well, she was wearing purple.... ;)

*groan*

Jessica
Proud mommy of a new pl*co... and a superbly cycled tank. LOL.

[Robert Flory]

"PurityFailed" > wrote in message
...
>
> From: "NetMax"
> >The Vampire pleco has a taste for meat, usually rasped
> >off the side of a living victim.
>
>
> Agck! I was reading something about that the other day. "Sure, he looks
cute
> now..."
>
> I think I'll take you up on your suggestion to give him a buffet to choose
> from. He's so cute I just want to spoil him. Hah! Or maybe that's just
> lingering excitement fromt he durn tank finally cycling. Ah well, either
way
> I'm going to have a really fat pl*co if he makes it.
>
> Jessica
> Proud mommy of a new pl*co... and a superbly cycled tank. LOL.

I had one that loved shrimp pellets and NOBODY went near his (?) Nutrafin
bottom feeder tabs. Out grew my tank in no time. The only Walmat fish I
ever bought. If it is a common pleco and you baby it and feed it all it
wants, start shopping for a BIGGER tank right now. ;-) I had one out grow
a 55 once.
Bob

[PurityFailed]

>If it is a common pleco and you baby it and feed it all it
wants, start shopping for a BIGGER tank right now. ;-)

>Bob

So far he hasn't touched anything I've offered, but I guess he's munching on
something because he's still plump. Then again, maybe it IS him devouring the
algae tabs after lights go out. A flashlight vigil might be in order here. ;)

My family seems to have suddenly fallen in love with my tank... even to go so
far as to fund a driftwood purchase. I wish I knew when Aquarium Adventure got
their shipments in because even their leftover pieces were quite nice. For
those who're interested, they have some big bins of nice peices for $7.99 that
were still full when I got there. I think the medium pieces are 24.99 and the
large 34.99. There were also some gorgeous peices on display going for nearly
$140. Nice selection of branchy, holey and blocky stuff.

Anywho, after a good rinse and scrub of the piece the tank got rearranged, a
few plastic plants transferred to the betta tank and the living crap scared out
of my fish as I mucked around in there. I'm actually looking forward to the
tannins in the water and am considering building up an amazonian tank. An
unexpected but nice effect is every now and then bubbles drift up out of the
wood.

I'm rambling.... ;)

Jessica
Proud mommy of a new pl*co... and a superbly cycled tank. LOL.

[TYNK 7]

>Subject: Re: Pl*cos and Driftwood (Nitrate Dance)
>From: (PurityFailed)
>Date: 4/11/2004 4:41 PM Central Daylight Time
>Message-id: >
>
>>If it is a common pleco and you baby it and feed it all it
>wants, start shopping for a BIGGER tank right now. ;-)
>
>>Bob
>
>So far he hasn't touched anything I've offered, but I guess he's munching on
>something because he's still plump. Then again, maybe it IS him devouring
>the
>algae tabs after lights go out. A flashlight vigil might be in order here.
>;)
>
>My family seems to have suddenly fallen in love with my tank... even to go so
>far as to fund a driftwood purchase. I wish I knew when Aquarium Adventure
>got
>their shipments in because even their leftover pieces were quite nice. For
>those who're interested, they have some big bins of nice peices for $7.99
>that
>were still full when I got there. I think the medium pieces are 24.99 and
>the
>large 34.99. There were also some gorgeous peices on display going for
>nearly
>$140. Nice selection of branchy, holey and blocky stuff.
>
>Anywho, after a good rinse and scrub of the piece the tank got rearranged, a
>few plastic plants transferred to the betta tank and the living crap scared
>out
>of my fish as I mucked around in there. I'm actually looking forward to the
>tannins in the water and am considering building up an amazonian tank. An
>unexpected but nice effect is every now and then bubbles drift up out of the
>wood.
>
>I'm rambling.... ;)
>

It's allowed! = )~
Ramble on little fishy.

[Elizabeth Naime]

Quoth (PurityFailed) on 08 Apr 2004 22:53:14
GMT,

CONGRATULATIONS on a cycled tank! And superb taste in fish (I adore
plecos myself)!

I'm not positive (I'm new to suckermouth catfish myself) but some at
least may need the lignin in the wood. Since you've got driftwood now,
we don't need to worry about that -- it's there if fishy needs it, it's
decor if s/he doesn't!

Compare your fish to pictures and descriptions of Liposarcus species. My
first suckermouth is a common one, labelled in the fish store as
Hypostomus plecostomus, but more experienced catfish folk id her as L.
pardalis. Although as has been mentioned, sometimes you can find a more
unusual fish in the "common plec" tank!

>On a lighter side, I've already fallen in love with him/her. The blinking
>thing is the best. :) Can't wait to watch him grow up big and strong and give
>me an excuse for a bigger tank, but he sure does poop a lot. Hehe.

Aren't they the cutest! Glad you are looking for an excuse for a bigger
tank, though, because the garden-variety plecs can get VERY large in
time.


-----------------------------------------
Only know that there is no spork.

[PurityFailed]

>Compare your fish to pictures and descriptions of Liposarcus species.

>From: Elizabeth Naime

Okeydokie. I just copied that to my 'ideas' file. It probably doesn't matter
what type I have all that much, but I want to know exactly what that cutie
under my driftwood is!

>because the garden-variety plecs can get VERY large in
>time.

Oh yeah... my baby's growing at a near-alarming rate. At least an inch and a
half since I brought him home. His fins are the most suprising change.
They're HUGE. Gorgeous little critter, although I only get to see him after
6:30 in the evenings. I swear he's hidden a timer in the Java...

:)

Jessica
-Yet another baffled victim of a fish that decided to go MIA.

[Vicki]

(PurityFailed) wrote in message >...
> >Compare your fish to pictures and descriptions of Liposarcus species.
>
> >From: Elizabeth Naime
>
> Okeydokie. I just copied that to my 'ideas' file. It probably doesn't matter
> what type I have all that much, but I want to know exactly what that cutie
> under my driftwood is!
>
> >because the garden-variety plecs can get VERY large in
> >time.
>
> Oh yeah... my baby's growing at a near-alarming rate. At least an inch and a
> half since I brought him home. His fins are the most suprising change.
> They're HUGE. Gorgeous little critter, although I only get to see him after
> 6:30 in the evenings. I swear he's hidden a timer in the Java...
>
> :)
>
> Jessica
> -Yet another baffled victim of a fish that decided to go MIA.


I have a bushynose. Enjoy your new friend!!!


Vicki