I need help ( maybe?? )

[PlecosOrBust]

I just recently bought my Leopard Cactus Pleco, and he's about 2-3 inches long. All I see him doing is hiding in a crevice inside my bogwood. I'm not sure if he's rasping and eating the wood in there or just hiding out?? Anyways, I toss a wafer or two in there at night and lay cucumber or zucchini by the entrance of it, in hopes that he'll eat it up!

I also melt down 2 frozen blood worm cubes and put them under his hideout of bogwood hoping that once again, he'll go to town on them!

I am just a little worried if he's eating or not. :dk: He does move around when the lights are all out and i'm no where in sight. :wb: So I'm guessing he does but still just a bit concerned.

Is there ANYTHING I can do to make sure he's eating and not starving himself? I love this lil guy and don't want him to die :cry: It took awhile to find him...

HELP ME! lol thanks to everyone who can help! <3

 

[Lornek8]

Mine took a long time to become openly active and even then only really come out for food but now do so routinely. The one thing to realize about them is that they are primarily carnivorous so may not take much veggies. They can stand a period of starvation better than most other plecs so no need to really worryhat much.

 

[PlecosOrBust]

Alright, thanks. So just keep on with the blood worms? What about beef heart?

Anything they like alot?

Thanks alot!

 

[Doodles]

Theres a thread here that should give you some ideas.

http://www.plecoplanet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=601

If you do manage to see him out and about, try to have a look at his tummy. If its flat or rounded then he will most likely be eating.

 

[Lornek8]

Alright, thanks. So just keep on with the blood worms? What about beef heart?

Anything they like alot?

Thanks alot!

I tend to stay away from beefheart, simply because its not really an item that the fish will likely encounter in the wild. With all the alternatives available with frozen foods & prepared items I never found a need to use beefheart. Once they get settled & eating I haven't found a carnivore-type food item they won't really eat. Bloodworms are usually a favorite though the can be hard to feed as they don't stay in a particular area very well. There are all types of commerical wafers & pellets you could feed, Hikari carnivore pellets is pretty well received by most meat-eaters. Mine get commercial pellets & wafers about 95% of the time & frozen foods whenever I can remember.

 

[PlecosOrBust]

Thank you all, I'll be looking for his tummy whenever I find him out of hiding like you said. One thing though that is good news is that when I purchased him, I had a look at his belly and it was rounded so, good deal! <3

 

[JackGillett]

beautiful fish mate! i want one but i have no space :wb:
i would try some prawns, as they love them and are easy to smell. :whistle:
also, get some mussel, only the white bit, and feed that (if he likes it) one or two times a week. also try cockle in the same way. if he has a rounded belly, especially carnivores, then he will last a while without food, (more than herbivourous cats). to keep him happy, i would say imo that frozen blooddworm, cockles, mussels, and prawns among other things will keep him very happy :yes:
h.o and take it easy

Jack Gillett

 

[macvsog23]

Good point on beef hart by Lornek8.

It is about the worst thing you can put in a fish tank it is fat and mussel.

Regards Bob

 

[Irene0100]

I expect he is eating at night. you may be expecting him to eat more than he does?
you could try a moonlight bulb or blue led torch and watch at night, even better if have infra red night vision (some video cameras have them.)

 

[PlecosOrBust]

I actually went out today and bought 2 Current moonlight LED's and places them on each side of my 80 gallon tank. One in the middle of each glass topping ( there are two ). It looks pretty good and my plecs are becoming active! I'm going to get one or two more then it should be good, still can't see them really well, cast alot of shadows. But thanks again!

 

[DJ-don]

adding to the beef heart thing
from what i heard is that it has animal/mammal proteins that are very bad for your fish
unless they eat mamals in the wild