NetMax wrote:
"Elaine T" wrote in message
et...

smcclure415 wrote:

In our 75 gal tank, we have one plec, Bigfoot. Occasionally when he
is
cleaning, he will dart up to the surface and back down for no
appearant
reason. It almost looks like he is going for a breath, but he does it
so fast I just don't know what to think.

Is this normal Plec behavior, or is he just having fun?


He's going for a breath. Many loricarid catfish gulp air and absorb
some oxygen from it through their intestines. It's normal for him to
do occasionally.

--
Elaine T


Have you noticed that the frequency of this activity is related to their
acclimation to water parameters (O2, TDS etc?)? With most corys & many
plecos, bring them home from a store, or do a large water change, and
they will be doing air gulps more frequently. Corys in particular are
very agitated and active for several days after a change in water
parameters.

I went to retrieve a supposedly empty tank (empty for months) from
someone's apartment and it had a few inches of water in it, lots of algae
(it was under a window) and a large (and very hungry) common pleco
inside. I had that pleco for many years. He got to about 9" long and
occasionally he would glide around the tank, a few inches from the bottom
with all his fins open, earning him his name "Batman".

I've noticed it with Otocinclus. Mine get very agitated after water
changes, even if the water quality doesn't change much. They have
usually settled down by the next morning.

Batman sounds cool. I've never kept a big plec - I'm too fond of
plants. ;-)

--
Elaine T __
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