Do I actually Have a Pl*co

[DrOizo]

Supposedly Yesterday I bought a clown pleco. I have only seen it once and that was when I bought it and even then I only saw it for about 3 secs, I can't even remeber what its markings are like The only sighn that I've seen that it is still alive is a flurry of sand from beneath the Java Moss (If intelligence is correct, then that is where it lives) this evening. Will it ever get tamer? or Is he just nocturnal? Thanks for any help Guys

Edit it is a Vittata (Is that a Whole Genus of Plec or is it his specific type?)

 

[Tempestuousfury]

It's nocturnal. Cats like to burrow under the sand to hide during the day. If you don't have an undergravel filter don't worry. However, you might not see your plec much.

 

[MAM]

i had three once. only rarely, maybe once or twice a week i'd catch one early in the morning suctioned to the glass, otherwise, i never saw much of them. in fact, i saw so little of them that it took me a long time to realize when one had died, i'd find the body by accident really. (quite disturbing to move the cave and find the remains of a beloved plec......)

 

[ryan]

http/fish.orbust.net/clownpleco.html

This might help.

 

[DrOizo]

He's not a Clown though. He's a Vittata. Thanks for the link though

 

[ryan]

He's not a Clown though. He's a Vittata. Thanks for the link though

Oh sorry didn't read the EDIT. They are similar fish and have the same kind of behavior, I have kept both and the linked article I wrote will help.

 

[DrOizo]

Update.
I left the light of and suddenly turned it on and I saw a flash and a flurry of sand and supposedly that was him. Ahhh the Joy of keeping Plecs. I like him though. He's an individual.

 

[CatLover]

Yea, nocturnal he is. If he has plenty of places to hide (you can never go wrong with caves and logs) then he will eventually feel safer and become more social.
It's normal for him to be so shy, but I have never heard of a pleco that stays that shy forever. I rarely see my tiger pleco, but he is only 3 inches and in a 75G, so he can disappear into and under anything. Hurcimer, on the other hand, is quite social, even though he loves being in his log.
Plus you can't really miss something that's 13 inches long

I just thought of something.
Perhaps you could set up a lamp close to the tank and leave it on while all the other lights are off (including tank light). If you wait a little while he should come out and you will have enough light from the lamp to enjoy seeing him.
I have my computer close to my tank and at night with all the lights off, my monitor produces enough light for me to sit at the computer and watch my tiger pleco venture out.