albino bushynose pleco

[I_love_dojos]

Hi,

I just got my first albino bushynose pleco on Sunday. He is about 1 inch long. I know they cannot live on algae alone, and have been offering him different things - Omega One Veggie tabs, Hikari algae wafers, homemade "snail jello", shrimp pellets, mashed green pea - but, I have not seen him eating any of it. He just goes around the tank sucking the sides and bottom. There is currently no gravel in his quarantine tank, but I do have a fake log and some fake plants, one of which is from the goldfish tank and has algae on it. I haven't seen him on the fake plant eating the algae, so I am assuming it is a type he doesn't like. Anyway, is this normal for me not to see him eat? Is there something in particular which he is sure to love to eat? I don't want him to die from starvation

I am also wondering about what type of wood he should have. I currently have a piece of cork bark wedged in one of the fake plants. (I had cork bark on hand for my red claw crabs, which are in a different tank, so I used that.) Is this type of wood ok, or should I get another type? I believe I saw something called Malaysian drift wood at HOT -- would this be better for him than the cork bark? I have not seen him on the bark at all. Do they require a certain type of wood to chew on?

He is very active, which I think is a good sign. I just don't see him eating anything, so I am concerned. I even checked him several times with the lights out to see if he was sneaking his eating, and he wasn't.

Any advice on what he would like to eat and/or what type of wood is best for him (and if he really needs wood at all) would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[Avatar]

Have at least a dozen scattered about ranging from 2 - 6 inches and have never done anything for them so to speak, leaving them instead to forage/scavenge which apparently they do quite well because all but one were raised from very young/small stock. Believe they rely mostly on the film of microrganisms/algaes that cover interior tank/hardscape/plant surfaces for food.

Regular hardwoods aren't as dense as "Malyasian" driftwood or as inert as cork (or stones/fake plants), so they're probably more conducive to the growth of certain bacteria and/or small organisms as at least some of them feed on wood giving rise to others that in turn feed on them thereby resulting in nutritious fare for scouring types like ABNs. You may need to supplement their diet to spawn them, but far as I can tell nothing special required to keep them alive and well as in four years I'm pretty sure I've never lost one.

 

[golsama]

It's easy to tell if an ABN is eating. When it is up against the glass take a look at its stomach. Typically, it will appear dark/greenish in color and will be "plump". If its stomach is sunken in then it isn't eating. My plecos go crazy for blanched zucchini and greenbeans. They also eat algae wafers, supersoft spirulina pellets, and shrimp pellets.

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[hollyfish2000]

I think Sam does not need to supplement his BNs as he has very established tanks. This does not sound like your tank will have a whole lot in the way of naturally occurring food, so I would definitely supplement (which I do for all my BNs). this is my suggestion:

get a zuccini. cut a slice stick it in a small cup with some tank water and nuke for 20 seconds and then either sink it to the bottom with a plant weight or tie it to a decoration or use a veggie clip to stick it to the side of the tank. You should notice the zuccini gets eaten. You could also see him attached to it if you come in quietly.

You can also look for poop in the tank to see if he's digesting stuff.

other than some spirulina flake and zuccini or cucumber, I feed the sinking algae wafers. One lil BN would only need a quarter of a wafer at a time.

 

[Tony]

Ugg... server ate my response.

Like Sam said, it's hard to find a more bulletproof/self-sustaining fish in our club. Until the tank gets more established, I'd just drop in a small chip off an algae wafer every other day or so. If he doesn't eat it now, give him a few days... he will. When fish get hungry, they get less picky.

As for the wood, I have these guys in about every tank I have set up (about 30) and only have wood in a few of them. While it may serve as a comfy spot for them to hang out, it is not a dietary necessity as it is for other species (Panaques, etc).

Good luck and don't fret... the little guy will be fine.

 

[chriscoli]

+1 on the wood.

I have it in most of my tanks. But they will eat it, which means they will poop more, so you have to clean more. Luckily, it's not a "must have" for common types of Ancistrus.

 

[I_love_dojos]

Thanks, everyone, for the encouragement that he will be ok and for the good advice. I bought him a zucchini and will offer him some. He must know I am trying to see his belly, as he is doing all he can to make sure he doesn't let me

BTW, we had 2 rubber nose plecos before this guy. Both of them died in less than a month. Are rubber nose plecos more delicate? After the two deaths, we gave up on plecos for a while until we saw this cute little guy the other day.

Thanks again!

Melody

 

[jonclark96]

I've had a hard time with rubber noses as well.


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[I_love_dojos]

I'm glad to hear we weren't the only ones who had trouble with rubber noses. It gives me more confidense that the BN will be ok

 

[verbal]

I'm glad to hear we weren't the only ones who had trouble with rubber noses. It gives me more confidense that the BN will be ok

BNs are generally the hardiest plecos.

A lot of the other plecos can be sensitive initially. I only tried a rubber nose pleco once and didn't have a lot of luck.

 

[Tony]

I've had a hard time with rubber noses as well.

Sorry to hear that Jon. They were nice.

 

[jonclark96]

Sorry to hear that Jon. They were nice.

Yeah, I'm bummed about them. I couldn't get them to eat. Tried pellets, algae discs, and veggies. I lost the first one a couple days after bringing them home. The 2nd one wedged himself in a pleco cave and croaked. Didn't notice it was dead for a couple days until I saw the telltale biofilm on the water's surface. The last one passed a few days ago. It was definitely emaciated and appeared to have starved to death.

 

[Tony]

Yeah, I'm bummed about them. I couldn't get them to eat. Tried pellets, algae discs, and veggies. I lost the first one a couple days after bringing them home. The 2nd one wedged himself in a pleco cave and croaked. Didn't notice it was dead for a couple days until I saw the telltale biofilm on the water's surface. The last one passed a few days ago. It was definitely emaciated and appeared to have starved to death.

Hence the blanching thread....

Sound like you aren't the only to have trouble with them though.