Plecs Eating All My Plants

[NickAu]

Sorry still angry over the cat comment.
 
Plecos are beautiful creatures and can be quite tame, Mine are starting to accept food from my fingers.
 
Watch this video.
 
Video is NOT mine.
https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T1RUeQNtA

 

[andyG44]

I have read your comments regarding adding wood pieces into the tank, but I am not worried, not more than other building yard materials I have used in there. If by bad luck some stones or gravel happen to be contaminated or some plant be toxic or poisonous, then so be it. It has not happened yet (I think),
 
For what its worth the plec attacked one of the red plants and that was it for me, I have grabbed both of them (they are quick and they hide) and tomorrow they are going back to the shop. I have had one plec for over 3 years and the other for a year I think.
 
I hope now the plants will grow as they should.

 

[NickAu]

 To me plants are secondary they are there to serve my fish as food and shelter, If they get a bit chewed up so be it, I will replace them. Its the price of fish keeping in my opinion.
 
I have noticed that a lot of people who have planted tanks think more of the plants needs than the fishes.
 
If you fed them properly we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Its not the plecos fault they are malnourished.
 

 
, but I am not worried, not more than other building yard materials I have used in there. If by bad luck some stones or gravel happen to be contaminated or some plant be toxic or poisonous, then so be it.

WOW. Maybe somebody should put you in a small room and treat you like that.
 
@ Moderators.
 
Sorry about this, attitudes like this make me so angry, Please feel free to edit my posts as you see fit.

 

[andyG44]

The "small room" comment and your "anger" is completely uncalled for.
 
Please tell me, what exactly do you do different? Do you run chemical tests at three independent labs before adding a new ornament or food into your aquarium? Do you personally visit the Chinese factory that made your ornaments to see if they have used some dangerous chemical that could leak in?
 
Your personal attack is ridiculous.

 

[NickAu]

 
Please tell me, what exactly do you do different? Do you run chemical tests at three independent labs before adding a new ornament or food into your aquarium? Do you personally visit the Chinese factory that made your ornaments to see if they have used some dangerous chemical that could leak in?

Good question.
 
I do not use ornaments in my tanks. The only things in my tanks are live plants that I researched first to make sure they are safe for my fish, and drift wood, All purchased from my Local fish shop, so I know they are safe. I dont just grab some building material or wood and put it in the tank and think "If by bad luck some stones or gravel happen to be contaminated or some plant be toxic or poisonous, then so be it..
My fish are my pets and I try and train them to be hand fed I even talk to them, Ever had a Kuhli Loach sit in the palm of your hand in the water eating dinner? or A Betta who loves to play Flare and nip masters fingers then swim away fast only to come back and do it again?
 
Same for food, I did research on the best food to feed my fish, My Betta for example Eats New Life Spectrun pellets ( $22.99 for a 50 gramme jar ) Atisons betta pro ( $29.99 75 gramme jar ) Plus a range of Fresh/frozen foods. And you saw how i feed my plecos.
 
And I wasn't attacking you.

 

[Wildbetta]

The "small room" comment and your "anger" is completely uncalled for.
 
Please tell me, what exactly do you do different? Do you run chemical tests at three independent labs before adding a new ornament or food into your aquarium? Do you personally visit the Chinese factory that made your ornaments to see if they have used some dangerous chemical that could leak in?
 
Your personal attack is ridiculous.

 
While the "small room" comment might be uncalled for, his "anger" is not.  Most of the fish keepers on this forum really care about the welfare of their fish and seeing someone comment that they are going to feed their live fish to their cat/dog ect or going to flush them down the toilet just because it is doing something that it does naturally is very bothersome to these people.  The fact that first you say you don't feed your plecos is bothersome enough since every fish that is added to a tank NEEDS food even if it does eat some algae or acts as a scavenger.  Even people who keep ornamental snails and other invertebrates will feed them specific food instead of letting them scavenge full time.  IMO the fact that they both had lasted as long as they had without eating the plants is surprising.  Then there is the fact that you do not care what you put in your tank that is very troubling to anyone who cares for their fish.  There are so many different things that you could introduce by just sticking something into the tank without first knowing what it is and second if it is indeed safe for fish.  While there are plenty of things you can get to put in tanks (plants, wood, leaves, rocks) that you can find outside it is normally not recommended to do so.  Buying stuff from places that sell stuff just for fish tanks is a way to add stuff safely without the possibility of contamination.  

As a side note, plecos need either meaty foods, vegetative foods, or wood for their main diet and this depends on what type of plecos you have.  Since they finally decided to eat the plants suggests that they are more of the vegetative types. Plecos are hit or miss with planted tanks honestly.  They tend to uproot plants easily and can suddenly decide they want to eat a certain plant and no matter how much or what you feed will continue to eat that one plant.  I had this happen in one of my tanks.  The BN pleco decided it really liked my ocelot sword.  Eventually killed the sword but I still keep the BN because it is the fish I have the tank for and the plants are just decoration.  If a nicely planted tank without plant eating/moving issues is what you are looking for plecos are definitely not what you are going to want or any plant eating fish either.  It is probably a good idea that you are going to return them to the shop.

 

[NickAu]

I apologise for the small room comment.

 

[andyG44]

"seeing someone comment that they are going to feed their live fish to their cat/dog .... is very bothersome to these people"
 
Some people need to lighten up a bit then - this is not a cancer support forum where the audience includes mothers caring for their dieing children... Some may need to get a perspective in life. There is something called sarcasm and humour, which I was not aware had been banned in this forum.
 
 
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"All purchased from my Local fish shop, so I know they are safe."
 
Allow me to have my own doubts about the origins of manufacture and testing performed - you realise that there have been contaminants in medicines given to humans after having passed rigorous tests from scientific labs and government organisations and there are untold number of cases of chemicals and contaminants being used in food products for humans (present tense), and you think that the local fish shop guy will sell you something better?
 
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"IMO the fact that they both had lasted as long as they had without eating the plants is surprising."
 
It is not surprising it means there is enough food material that they live and grow without problems and that I am doing it right. It is actually 4 years for the larger plec which I was given as a gift and he was quite small then. The fact that they two are eating my plants is a twist in behaviour after 3.5 years (they have been killing plants for past 6 months).
 
 
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"Then there is the fact that you do not care what you put in your tank"
 
That inference is incorrect. I take reasonable precautions which in my opinion are more than adequate. From then on it's so be it. Again this is called perspective.

 

[fluttermoth]

Thread locked for mod review.