# hungry pleco!



## fish4berly (Oct 16, 2007)

my pleco is finally getting used to all the traffic in the house. he has figured out feeding time too. when we feed them he swims up top and starts eating all the food! the pics aren't the best but you can tell what he's doing. my brother-in-law's pleco will take wafers from his hand. his swims up to the top and lays belly up and they feed him wafers by hand. eventually i'm gonna try to get mine to do it, but he's just now used to us moving around him when he's eating like this. i think its pretty awesome so i just had to share.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Wow thats a big pleco.


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## Quick_Witt (Oct 22, 2007)

wow how big is that tank???


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## fish4berly (Oct 16, 2007)

the tank's a 29 gallon...i know he's too big but i have a 90 on the way for him. get this though, i was feeding them flakes this morning and even though i was still standing there with the lid open, he came up to the top and started eating the flakes. so i got the idea to hold a wafer about halfway in the water so he knew it was there and he actally came and sucked it outta my hand! i guess he's really used to us now cuz before he'd go back to the bottom if we walked up to the tank. maybe he's in a really good mood or something cuz even after that he kept swimming around like "look at me, look at me"! he's never been so friendly but he was today! i'll try to get a video of it the next time he does it cuz its the coolest thing to see. maybe he's telling me "i want more room!" but who knows.


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## Dr_House (Aug 15, 2006)

That's great, fish4berly. That is a HUGE pleco, and I'm glad you have a bigger tank on the way for him. It's always fun when our fish begin acting like "pets".


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## fish4berly (Oct 16, 2007)

he is a big guy, isn't he. i thought my smaller one was getting big, ha! is it normal for plecos to like the flakes so much? i've never seen one besides him that enjoyed them so much. i've also read they like veggies and was wondering what kind and how to feed them to him. and when i get the 90 galllon, i'm putting 2 or 3 bala sharks in there with him. anybody have any other suggestions? were doing like a large predator type tank. all were set on yet is the big guy and 2 balas. my fiance wants to put the roseline shark in there too, but i don't think he'll be ok in there since he's a schooling fish and not aggressive but i'll take any advice you can give.


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## Guest (Oct 30, 2007)

Awesome pictures! I would be scared of a fish that big! 

FYI Balas are pretty active fish, schooling, and get over a foot long...I would put them in something larger than a 90g. Unlike the pleco (which seems to be pretty active), they are hyperactive and have been known to beat themselves on the glass of tanks that are too small.


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## Quick_Witt (Oct 22, 2007)

yea that's what i am hearing but the pet store wont take them back... i don't know what to do with them.. my buddy has had 3 in his 25 gal for 3 years and they are not that big and they seem very happy...


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## fish4berly (Oct 16, 2007)

i'm told that they get pretty big too. i'm trying to see about getting a 100 gallon instead of the 90. i know its only 10 more gallons but its something. i'd really like a 125 or 150 but i'm not made of money, ya know? but we'll see what happens. the big pleco will definitely be happier in either one. i've taken out the biggest decoration in my tank so that he'll have more swimming room since he's been so active and he seems to like it. my gourami's miss all the hiding places, but they still have enough places to go. were also thinking about some catfish, but not really sure what kind. any ideas? hopefully if i needed to my lfs will take any fish back that don't work out for me, but i'm gonna try to not put myself in that situation. i know they'll trade you if one outgrows your tank or even to get something bigger, so i bet they'd take a fish in need of a better home.


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## Dr_House (Aug 15, 2006)

I would have to agree that a 90 gallon, or even a 100 gallon, would not be a good choice for bala sharks. I think Severums would be an excellent choice for tankmates. You could also do firemouths, convicts, most any geophagus, just to name a few.

A Pleco will tend to grow more fond of flake food and less fond of algae as they get larger. You can always put some zucchini on a veggie clip in the aquarium for the plecostomus to feed. You may also want to try some seaweed. I've heard of many people using the seaweed typically used for sushi as food for their vegetable-loving fish. Just a few ideas for you.


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