Bushynose Pleco Newbie

**givemean_a** · 12-07-2012, 01:43 PM

Hi All,

About a month ago I purchased a small bushynose pleco, he's about an 1.5 to 2 inches long. He immediately made short work of any algae that was growing in the tank, but we've also been feeding sinking algae wafers and sinking hikari wafers. The sinking wafers end up disappearing but we have 3 other cory cats and the platys really love a good algae wafer too, so I can't be sure it's the pleco. We've tried putting cucumber slices in the tank, Sweet potato etc, but nothing happens to them. He seems ok but I worry he's not getting enough to eat. We have a piece of driftwood in the tank because I heard that was good for their digestion. Any suggestions on the veggies on how to get him to see them as food or whatever?

Thanks!

**KingFisher** · 12-07-2012, 01:51 PM

With mine, if they are getting enough food from the algae wafers wood and algae in the tank, they tend to leave the veggies alone, or at least take a long time before they will eat them. Sounds like yours is getting plenty to eat. If you look at his belly when he is stuck to the glass, it should have a plump round appearance. If it looks sunken in, he is not getting enough to eat.

**givemean_a** · 12-07-2012, 02:55 PM

I feel like I read, on this forum, that if you can see the V in their belly that they aren't eating enough. I think I was able to post a picture of his belly from a few days ago. It looks a little sunken in to me. :-(

Any ideas on how to get him to eat a little more?

Thanks.

**Brhino** · 12-07-2012, 03:03 PM

how long are you leaving the veggies in? Both my plecos had to be "trained" that the veggies are food... at first they'd ignore them for a while.

**givemean_a** · 12-07-2012, 03:15 PM

I've been leaving the veggies for 24 hours overnight. The cuke started to disintegrate. Did you have any luck with a "starter veggie" to train your plecos?