Help With Stubborn Pleco!

[matt_storey]

My pleco is burrowed in the end of a plane ornament i have in my tank and wont come out! whats the best way to get him out? im planning to get rid of the plane and rescape my tank!

 

[Plecostomos Fan]

Cant you just wait for him to leave then remove the plane, would think late evening will be the best time.

 

[emmettbaby]

Take the ornament out of the water, turn it upside down and shake it!!! TOTALLY kidding. Play the waiting game or lure it out with a veggie or its favorite food. I may not know a lot about plecos, but just about any animal's gonna leave it's hiding place if it can get an easy, tasty meal...

 

[england]

take out the ornament, grab a net,place over opening, then remove slowly from water, he should work his way down and into net, always works with me on my small pleco's

 

[simonas]

take out the ornament, grab a net,place over opening, then remove slowly from water, he should work his way down and into net, always works with me on my small pleco's

I;d agree with that I have that when I remove a pipe out of my tank there is always a plec lodged in it. They come out in the end

 

[micko]

Can I ask why it is your getting rid of the plane? Is it because he hides in it or is it that you just want a new look? If it was that's he's just hiding in it then I'd leave it in there, he's obviously happier in there than the rest of the tank. I have one that hides constantly and only comes out when the lights are off. Really nocturnal and will go straight back in even if the lights in the room go on. I've learnt to accept the fact that I know he's there but I'm not going to see him.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I have had to break apart a hollow ceramic driftwood and a terra cotta cave to get plecos out. I tried everything else including taking the cave out of the water and holding it mouth side down, shook it a bit. I have tried inserting the back end of a hose brush and trying to annoy it out, I have run a water pump into it to try and get it out. In the end the need to get these fish out- one for sale and one for a photo session setup when I transferred all the plecos to a bigger tank.

Unless you can nab the ornament when the pleco comes out for whatever reason, you may have no choice. If you have time, it will come out eventually unless it can't.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Can I ask why it is your getting rid of the plane? Is it because he hides in it or is it that you just want a new look? If it was that's he's just hiding in it then I'd leave it in there, he's obviously happier in there than the rest of the tank. I have one that hides constantly and only comes out when the lights are off. Really nocturnal and will go straight back in even if the lights in the room go on. I've learnt to accept the fact that I know he's there but I'm not going to see him.

How do you know he's still in there if you never see him?

 

[JenCliBee]

I have had to break apart a hollow ceramic driftwood and a terra cotta cave to get plecos out. I tried everything else including taking the cave out of the water and holding it mouth side down, shook it a bit. I have tried inserting the back end of a hose brush and trying to annoy it out, I have run a water pump into it to try and get it out. In the end the need to get these fish out- one for sale and one for a photo session setup when I transferred all the plecos to a bigger tank.

Unless you can nab the ornament when the pleco comes out for whatever reason, you may have no choice. If you have time, it will come out eventually unless it can't.

Haha... this is usually the case more than not.

To the OP, it really can be the matter of the waiting game. Leave foods out while lights are off and keep a look out lol.

 

[micko]

Can I ask why it is your getting rid of the plane? Is it because he hides in it or is it that you just want a new look? If it was that's he's just hiding in it then I'd leave it in there, he's obviously happier in there than the rest of the tank. I have one that hides constantly and only comes out when the lights are off. Really nocturnal and will go straight back in even if the lights in the room go on. I've learnt to accept the fact that I know he's there but I'm not going to see him.

How do you know he's still in there if you never see him?

Sometimes when the lights are all off including the room light at night time and I walk into the roomand switch the room light on I do see him but soon after he goes back to his hiding spot. He likes the dark.

 

[moochy13]

i had to net a BN a couple of days ago, andi wouldnt do it again. soon as she was in the net she speared out some spikes from her 'cheeks' that got caught in the net. not fun.