Worried About My Pleco..

[Jess]

Hey,


A couple of problems...

I have had my Bristlenose Pleco for about 4 months. He was about 1/2 an inch long when i got him, and he's only grown to about an inch at the most! Is this normal? I feed him algae wafers and cucumber and its always gone in the morning so i assume he's eating it. Im just a bit worried that he's only grown half an inch in 4 months!!

Also, ive noticed he's been spending all of his time in a little plant pot. I know they tend to only come out at night, but ive always found that he's been fairly active in the daytime and he used to always come out around 8pm and would stay out all night. Ive not seen him out of his pot at all in the last 2 or 3 weeks!!! Im really worried... Could he be sick? i poked him today to get a look at him and he looks ok... but it seems quite odd!!

If anyone could help id be really grateful!

Thanks, Jess

 

[Jess]

anyone....?

 

[Earthgirl]

Jess;

Pleco's are certainly not your entertaining kinds of fish. On a normal basis, I can't find more than one in my tank (and if you look at my sig, you'll see that I have some to chose from). Does he look to be normal, no odd spots or ick?
They are nocturnal so you may find he doesn't really do a lot in the the day. Mine become more active (if you can call it active) in the evening, just before I feed them blood worms. Once in a while, one might dart from one end of the tank to other, as if to stretch out his fins or something.
hope this helped.
Elizabeth

 

[smithrc]

sounds quite normal...

our female is about 10 mounts old (judging by the size she was when we got her 8 months ago, compared to our 2 month old fry)

She is now about 2.5 inches long (maybe a bit less)

He was about 1" when we got him and has grown to about 4" now (6 months of us having him.)

Judging by our fry - they all grow at the same sort of rate to start with. when our male started to get bristles he also put on a groth spurt - puberty!

so size wise yours sounds ok.

are you sure he is a he?

As for behaviour - our pair are now a lot more reclusive than they were when they were young.

 

[Jess]

Hey,

Thanks for the replies! Sounds like im worrying over nothing! lol Maybe as he's getting older he's just getting a little less active?! He popped his head out of the pot when i put the algae wafer in tonight but didnt come out... then one of the swordtails started trying to eat it... lol

I think he is actually a she as it has no bristles yet. How old are they when they start to get them? I would have thought if it was male he'd have some by now!

I've put a link to a picture as it wont let me attach one on here... weird!! If you could take a look and tell me whether you think its male or female that would be great!!! Sorry its a bad picture... as i said, he doesn't come out much!lol If you click on 'prev' there's another picture of him!

http/groups.msn.com/JesssPage/fishpix.ms...oto&PhotoID=143

Jess

P.S. Excuse the dirty gravel! It has since been vacuumed! lol

 

[smithrc]

give him/her another couple of months and you'll know.

It does look a bit small for stubble yet

Our male was about 1.5" when we got him and had a few small stubles... hes a bit different now

 

[Jess]

No, nothing that i can see at the moment!! Ill give him a couple mroe months as you said! It doesn't really make much difference to me - but those bristles are pretty cute!