A Delicate Matter Of...plec Poo

[fishnovice]

My dwarfed adult common plec who is about 8inches including tail is producing long strings of poo as long as its body which is getting entangled in bogwood and plants. I know they are poo machines but I took this fish in about 3 months ago and didn't notice such poo initially. It's possible that the fish wasn't eating much at first as it came from a filthy neglected tank and took a while to realise that fresh veg was food but now loves it.

Is this poo normal for common plecs? It looks like a sort of transparent tube with darker bits of digested food in it. My L001 plec who is much bigger only produces 2in bits of"green spaghetti".though several pieces a day.

 

[fishnovice]

Is it normal for common plecs to produce 8inch strings of poo?

 

[SBL]

commons can be massive producers in the back end

 

[snowflake311]

yes long poop can be normal for Plecos. They are poop factorys. Most of the time the poop will break off but there are times where it just keeps growing. if it looks fine other wise don't worry.

 

[star4]

If he has been starved he will poop long long strings, my 2 did and at 14 & 16" it went from one end of the 4ft tank round the bogwood and back again, now their diet has been sorted they tend not to do great long strings it breaks off at about 4-6" now ( they are now 16 & 18" long, the fish not the poo ). Most of the commons & gibbys I have taken in half starved all have long poo untill their digestive system has righted itself, lots of bogwood for them to rasp on helps too.

 

[fishnovice]

If he has been starved he will poop long long strings, my 2 did and at 14 & 16" it went from one end of the 4ft tank round the bogwood and back again, now their diet has been sorted they tend not to do great long strings it breaks off at about 4-6" now ( they are now 16 & 18" long, the fish not the poo ). Most of the commons & gibbys I have taken in half starved all have long poo untill their digestive system has righted itself, lots of bogwood for them to rasp on helps too.

Thanks for the reassurance.

Actually my common plec has now stopped producing long strings and is down to 3in ones.Was just surprised at common's poo strings because the L001 who is much bigger (common is a stunted rescue) only produces 4cm "green spaghetti". Guess it depends on species and commons are well known poo factories!All placs have lots of wood in their tanks.