Pleco won’t eat

[Danby]

Hi, I got what I believe to be a common pleco about two days ago, he’s in a 4ft 250L tank. I’m concerned for him as he won’t go near the drift wood I’ve provided, instead he tends to prefer a wooden-looking barrel instead. The barrel is plastic so he’s not eating it. I can’t seem to convince him to go anywhere near the driftwood. Along with this I’ve been trying to get him to eat a range of vegetables from zucchini to carrot and he won’t touch them, he also won’t eat algae wafers. There isn’t a lot of algae in my tank, so I’m concerned that he will starve. Is there anyway to get him to eat anything?

 

[SorryEh]

Hi, I got what I believe to be a common pleco about two days ago, he’s in a 4ft 250L tank. I’m concerned for him as he won’t go near the drift wood I’ve provided, instead he tends to prefer a wooden-looking barrel instead. The barrel is plastic so he’s not eating it. I can’t seem to convince him to go anywhere near the driftwood. Along with this I’ve been trying to get him to eat a range of vegetables from zucchini to carrot and he won’t touch them, he also won’t eat algae wafers. There isn’t a lot of algae in my tank, so I’m concerned that he will starve. Is there anyway to get him to eat anything?

Could be a couple more days until he eats, fish take awhile to calm down. Also make sure the light is off, plecos prefer to eat in the dark. Fish can survive a long time without food

 

[Colin_T]

How long has the tank been set up for?

Have you checked the water quality for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate & pH?
If yes, what were the results (in numbers)?

The fish looks like a Gibbiceps catfish (Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps) and should be a pleasant addition to a big aquarium. They are nocturnal as mentioned by SorryEh. The fish prefers to hide in the plastic barrel because it feels more secure there compared to the driftwood. You could try moving the driftwood to a different area or putting another piece of driftwood in the tank. But don't get too concerned about the fish's preferred hiding place, it is up to the fish where it hides and all we do is provide them with things to hide in, on, or under.

If the water quality is good then the fish should feed within a few days of being introduced into the aquarium. Have a look in the tank at night about 30minutes after you have turned the lights out, and offer the fish some food then.

Don't worry about the fish starving. Unlike mammals that use most of the food they eat to keep warm, fish take their body temperatures from the surrounding environment (the water). This means any food they eat is used for swimming and growth. A healthy fish can go for weeks or even months without food, so a couple of days is not an issue. If the fish hasn't started eating in a week then there could be an issue.

Most fish health issues are caused by poor water quality so make sure the water is good and the fish should be good

 

[mikey11]

relax.....its only been 2 days.....

if he isn't eating in 2 WEEKS then you can start being concerned

his belly looks nice a healthy and full....if a pleco is really starving their bellies will contour in

 

[seangee]

Oh and those pics you took - that's him eating .
Most of their work is done in the dark anyway.