Moribund plecos

I notice I have a really high death rate of plecos. I keep cichlids,
usually moderatley aggressive south americans, haps and peacocks. I have
several tanks. I try to keep at least one pleco in each tank to eat the
algae. I have a problem though in that they are always dying mysteriously,
particularly the small ones. I keep enough of an eye on them to know it's
not ich and the cichlids pretty much leave them alone, so it's not
persecution or being eaten or ripped apart (at least, very rarely)

They always seem to survive once they get about 4" -5" long, but until that
point, it seems like about a 60% death rate, compared to maybe 2% for other
new fish. What give here? Are they starving? Eating too many toxins?
Don't like water quality, hardnesss, temperature?

Any advice would be appreciated.

BD

probably starving ...

i feed my plecs .... mine love blanched baby marrows. i half cook them so
they will sink all i do is buy couple of marrows .. peel them and cook them
for +- 10 min till they sink ...
strain the lot and chop them into 1" - 2" pieces .. freez the lot and
remember to seperate them when they start to freez otherwize they get to
hard to sepearate.
now all i do is every second night i drop a frozen cube in each of my tanks
...
the plecs love the stuph...

you could try cucumber, carrots(blanced), pumpkins(blanched) or just about
any veg that sinks
Remember a fish that size will need more food than the algae can supply.

most of the other stuph you mentiond will probably kill all your fish ....

"Big Dummy" wrote in message
. net...
I notice I have a really high death rate of plecos. I keep cichlids,
usually moderatley aggressive south americans, haps and peacocks. I have
several tanks. I try to keep at least one pleco in each tank to eat the
algae. I have a problem though in that they are always dying
mysteriously,
particularly the small ones. I keep enough of an eye on them to know it's
not ich and the cichlids pretty much leave them alone, so it's not
persecution or being eaten or ripped apart (at least, very rarely)

They always seem to survive once they get about 4" -5" long, but until
that
point, it seems like about a 60% death rate, compared to maybe 2% for
other
new fish. What give here? Are they starving? Eating too many toxins?
Don't like water quality, hardnesss, temperature?

Any advice would be appreciated.

BD

sew crazy wrote:
probably starving ...

i feed my plecs .... mine love blanched baby marrows. i half cook them so
they will sink all i do is buy couple of marrows .. peel them and cook them
for +- 10 min till they sink ...
strain the lot and chop them into 1" - 2" pieces .. freez the lot and
remember to seperate them when they start to freez otherwize they get to
hard to sepearate.
now all i do is every second night i drop a frozen cube in each of my tanks
..
the plecs love the stuph...

you could try cucumber, carrots(blanced), pumpkins(blanched) or just about
any veg that sinks
Remember a fish that size will need more food than the algae can supply.

most of the other stuph you mentiond will probably kill all your fish ....

"Big Dummy" wrote in message
. net...

I notice I have a really high death rate of plecos. I keep cichlids,
usually moderatley aggressive south americans, haps and peacocks. I have
several tanks. I try to keep at least one pleco in each tank to eat the
algae. I have a problem though in that they are always dying
mysteriously,
particularly the small ones. I keep enough of an eye on them to know it's
not ich and the cichlids pretty much leave them alone, so it's not
persecution or being eaten or ripped apart (at least, very rarely)

They always seem to survive once they get about 4" -5" long, but until
that
point, it seems like about a 60% death rate, compared to maybe 2% for
other
new fish. What give here? Are they starving? Eating too many toxins?
Don't like water quality, hardnesss, temperature?

Any advice would be appreciated.

BD





Another thing to remember is that some Plecs are omnivorous. I've
noticed that as time has progressed and my Plecs have grown that they
need more of a mixed diet rather than just algae or veggies - I would
try adding some catfish pellets.

Gill

Ok I'll bite (sorry)

What the hell is a marrow?


DB


"sew crazy" wrote in message
...
probably starving ...

i feed my plecs .... mine love blanched baby marrows. i half cook them so
they will sink all i do is buy couple of marrows .. peel them and cook
them
for +- 10 min till they sink ...
strain the lot and chop them into 1" - 2" pieces .. freez the lot and
remember to seperate them when they start to freez otherwize they get to
hard to sepearate.
now all i do is every second night i drop a frozen cube in each of my
tanks
..
the plecs love the stuph...

you could try cucumber, carrots(blanced), pumpkins(blanched) or just about
any veg that sinks
Remember a fish that size will need more food than the algae can supply.

most of the other stuph you mentiond will probably kill all your fish ....

"Big Dummy" wrote in message
. net...
I notice I have a really high death rate of plecos. I keep cichlids,
usually moderatley aggressive south americans, haps and peacocks. I
have
several tanks. I try to keep at least one pleco in each tank to eat the
algae. I have a problem though in that they are always dying
mysteriously,
particularly the small ones. I keep enough of an eye on them to know
it's
not ich and the cichlids pretty much leave them alone, so it's not
persecution or being eaten or ripped apart (at least, very rarely)

They always seem to survive once they get about 4" -5" long, but until
that
point, it seems like about a 60% death rate, compared to maybe 2% for
other
new fish. What give here? Are they starving? Eating too many toxins?
Don't like water quality, hardnesss, temperature?

Any advice would be appreciated.

BD

Big Dummy wrote:
Ok I'll bite (sorry)

What the hell is a marrow?


DB


"sew crazy" wrote in message
...

probably starving ...

i feed my plecs .... mine love blanched baby marrows. i half cook them so
they will sink all i do is buy couple of marrows .. peel them and cook

them

for +- 10 min till they sink ...
strain the lot and chop them into 1" - 2" pieces .. freez the lot and
remember to seperate them when they start to freez otherwize they get to
hard to sepearate.
now all i do is every second night i drop a frozen cube in each of my

tanks

..
the plecs love the stuph...

you could try cucumber, carrots(blanced), pumpkins(blanched) or just about
any veg that sinks
Remember a fish that size will need more food than the algae can supply.

most of the other stuph you mentiond will probably kill all your fish ....

"Big Dummy" wrote in message
y.net...

I notice I have a really high death rate of plecos. I keep cichlids,
usually moderatley aggressive south americans, haps and peacocks. I

have

several tanks. I try to keep at least one pleco in each tank to eat the
algae. I have a problem though in that they are always dying
mysteriously,
particularly the small ones. I keep enough of an eye on them to know

it's

not ich and the cichlids pretty much leave them alone, so it's not
persecution or being eaten or ripped apart (at least, very rarely)

They always seem to survive once they get about 4" -5" long, but until
that
point, it seems like about a 60% death rate, compared to maybe 2% for
other
new fish. What give here? Are they starving? Eating too many toxins?
Don't like water quality, hardnesss, temperature?

Any advice would be appreciated.

BD







A very large vegetable from the same family as cucumber and courgette
(sorry zuccini if you don't understand marrow). They grow to about a
foot plus long with much the same circumfrance - taste wonderful boiled
up with some runner beans or equally as nice stuffed....must be a
British thing....

Gill

"Big Dummy" wrote in message
. net...
I notice I have a really high death rate of plecos. I keep cichlids,
usually moderatley aggressive south americans, haps and peacocks. I have
several tanks. I try to keep at least one pleco in each tank to eat the
algae. I have a problem though in that they are always dying
mysteriously,


Most Plecos are omnivores and need some Bog Wood to rasp on it is part of
their diet along with blood worm. We feed algae wafers made by SERRA can't
remember the name right now, they contain willow bark. All the bottom
feeders go mad for it.

Cheers John

Another affair to bethink is that some Plecs are omnivorous. I've noticed that as time has progressed and my Plecs accept developed that they need added of a alloyed diet rather than just algae or veggies - I would try abacus some catfish pellets.