Updated: New Pleco!

[Crossfc]

So, I got this cute bugger to replace my common plec. It is only about 3". Wonder what I should feed him and how often. He is the only pleco in the tank. Pictures coming soon.

Edit: Here is the picture. I got it at 1:30AM. It snuck out from under the bogwood. I quickly got the camera and turned the lights on. Got a snapshot on it before it scurried back under the wood.

 

[Xcric]

throw some type of bogwood in there, when i had one he loved eating it

i'm still looking for another, the tank he was in crashed and he died over night while i was sleeping

 

[Sp3nc3r]

dont they grow really big? i dont think a 30g will be enough, but im not sure

good luck with your new guy

 

[RESGuy]

Cool, hehe he looks just like mine!

 

[dwarfgourami]

They grow sort of medium sized (10-11 inches), but have massively chunky bodies and crap like nobody's business, so I would have thought a 30 gallon would be too small.

 

[KathyM]

Yeah Royals grow up to 16"+, and their heads get huge. they need to eat bogwood and other than that are strictly veggie, so no algae wafers (that have fish/etc in the ingredients) etc. Mine eats green veggies (courgette, cucumber, nori) and likes melon too. the most important things are good filtration and bogwood for him to chew on. He will grow at about an inch a year, they're really slow growing, so you should be okay for now as long as your filtration is superb, as these are the messiest plecs you can get

Got any pics?

 

[Crossfc]

The tank will get bigger as the fish do too. No problem there. The poop factor is quite alarming. The area around my bogwood is laiden with black pleco poop. I want to suck it out but if I do, it'll take the water with it meaning I'd have to do water changes more than I want too. I already do 1 water change per week but I dunno if it is okay to keep the poop around that long.

Also, should I feed it daily with some veggies or maybe every other day since he has that giant lump of bogwood to keep it occupied?

 

[Bloo]

Is this your pleco from the pics in your signature ? If so, it doesn't look like Royal to me - more like a common

http/pics.livejournal.com/fakechinaman/pic/000085rq


http/pics.livejournal.com/fakechinaman/pic/00007xr7/g2

 

[KathyM]

Bloo - he says in the original post that he's replaced the common with a Royal

 

[Bloo]

Ahhh I saw that, but thought he would have updated pics or posted some new ones - and that common also looked teensy. Any chance of some new piccies Crossfc ??

I'd love to have a Royal, but they are too destructive for a planted tank
My lfs has a gorgeous one at around 8" for £100 - not cheap, but not a bad price I think for such a large slow growing fish.

 

[Crossfc]

It hides too much under the bogwood for me to take a picture. My plants are still alive but I don't have many. Hehe. I'll try to lure it out tonight with some juicy cucumber.

 

[Crossfc]

Well, I left a piece of cucumber in the tank and it didn't go for it at all. It must be still too shy still to leave the safety of the bogwood or the angelfish like to pick on it. Only had him since Friday.

 

[KathyM]

Don't worry, mine didn't eat veggies for the first few days (maybe a week?). He might want it leaving in for a bit before he eats it - mine don't go for the courgette until it's been in for a while sometimes. He'll come out of his shell - we thought ours was dead shy until this last few days when hes been out and about most of the time!

 

[Bex]

We've got a Royal too and he's been the same as KathyM's. He's been really shy for the last few weeks and the last fews days he's been out and about all the time. Ours eats plenty of wood - we got some nice big bits but he goes mad for cucumber! Sometimes takes him a little while to find it but there's not much left when he does!

Give him time and he will settle in!

 

[Crossfc]

It looks different than other royal plecs I've seen. It has a greenish tint to him/her.