L264 Sultan Pleco

[BigBen1989]

Hi everyone.

I have a sultan pleco who has been doing so well recently for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I couldn't get it to eat, but have managed to tempt it onto some courgette stuffed with bugbites, so I'm optimistic that this will turn around quickly.

My second question is what size caves would they need? I'd like a half moon shape, but I don't know how big to go. I currently have a rectangular cave structure, but my keyholes head in there and give him a nip so he has a few splits on his fins, although nothing major.

I've attached a couple of pics of the current caves, the rocks I intend on making a river bed, with ceramic caves pushed in, and the sultan himself. You can see he needs significant weight gain from the picture.

 

[Magnum Man]

I just bought a couple more little baby, King Tiger Plecos L-333... but a Sultan was on my buy list, before I picked up the 333's so I'll be watching your thread... looks like an awesome fish

 

[BigBen1989]

They are beauties, just want mine to look his best again.

 

[Magnum Man]

I think it's a great idea poking the feed into the vegies like that... confident you'll get him going good, with ideas like that

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I never stuffed my veggies for my ancistrus with anything. As for a better quality veggies alternatives for for algae and veggie eating plecos consider Repashy Soilent Green and maybe even Super Green.
https://www.shop.repashy.com/products/repashy-soilent-green
https://www.shop.repashy.com/products/repashy-super-green

The 333 are omnivores who love meat. I have kept them as well as the following Hypancistrus L66, L450, L236, L173, zebra and contradens.

I have fed an assortment over the years including Fluval Bug Bites. But these days I pretty much feed my plecos Frozen, Repashy, Ebo-Aquaristik and what is kleft of my kensfish sticks (I sold most of them at a recent fish club auction as I bought the Ebo from them in Germany. There are sellers in other countries, including the USA, but I bought about 9 pounds directly.}
https://www.nature2aqua.de/product-category/ebo-aquaristik-premium-fish-food/?lang=en

Here is what Planetcatfish.com suggests for feeding your Leporacanthicus joselimai:
Feeding

Not a fussy eater. Primarily herbivorous, but appreciates some meat in its diet. Will eat sinking pellets and vegetables such as cucumber, and relishes meaty foods such as krill. According to some reports, in nature it feeds on insect larvae. Fry require more protein in the form of baby brine shrimp, etc.

 

[BigBen1989]

Thank you. The stuffed food was more for attraction than anything else. It isn't something I'll be doing regularly.

What sized cave would be appropriate? I'll have to order online as none of the shops near me stock stuff like that.

 

[Magnum Man]

can you use a section of PVC plastic pipe, & cover it with rocks or gravel, if you don't like the look... I think that's pretty popular with cave dweller care givers

 

[BigBen1989]

I could, but I really don't like unnatural looks. They are also round, which I want to avoid to stop the Keyhole Cichlids joining him.

 

[Magnum Man]

a jig saw or similar could split the pipe in half lengthwise , & it could pretty easily be camouflaged with gravel, rocks & or some plants

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Plecos prefer a tight fit. I got most of my caves from https://plecocaves.com/shop/ There are other options as and basically he does clay caves. For other materials you need to shop elsewhere.

 

[BigBen1989]

Need a UK site I can get them from Amazon but I wasn't sure if the size.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I suggest you head over to https://www.planetcatfish.com/index.php which is an excellent resource. There are members there from the UK, including the owner, Jools, who is in Scotland. If you post and asking for suggestions as to where to buy plecos caves in the UK, you should be given the best options available.

 

[BigBen1989]

Thank you. I know of planet catfish and use it for everything in terms of research, but I thought the forum had died a death, like many others, but there have been a few posts in the past couple of days so I've asked in there.

 

[Ichthys]

I’ve never bought a ‘plec cave’ because I can’t see the point. A cave can easily be made by arranging a couple of rocks or bits of wood together.

 

[BigBen1989]

I like to have slot something in to rocks if I have a few in a tank.

Ps, I recognise that cat