[shane3fan]

I absolutely love my plecos, but I cant stand the fact that they are destroying all of my sword plants. I feed them veggies and sinking wafers and they still eat my plants like candy. I also have a mystery snail in the same tank and I assume he isnt helping the plants either. Other than getting rid of them are their any suggestions?

 

[mistergreen]

Is the tank hi-tech? Have the plant grow faster than what the pleco can eat

 

[shane3fan]

nah--its low tech and packed with swords that they are just rasping to death.

 

[Chrisinator]

I'm actually experiencing the same problems as you are. I moved my pleco into a breeder trap until I can get better lighting in order to have faster growth than the pleco and farlowella catfish can eat.

 

[10gallonplanted]

Spank it and tell it no.

 

[jedimasterben]

What kind of pleco? (I'm assuming common)

 

[shane3fan]

ancistrus

 

[iKine]

spank it and tell it no.

+1.

 

[msjinkzd]

what kind of pleco x 2?

Some are obligate grazers and are just not suited to planted tanks.

They have very complicated digestive tracts. The ones that eat plants actually have a disgestive tract that is significantly larger than their carnivore or omnivore relatives.

You could try feeding something like frozen brussel sprouts, which have a lot of cellulose and great nutritional value.

Also, you blanch them, drop them in, they sink...when they are ready to be removed, they float. Makes it easy!

 

[JSA]

Do you have driftwood in the tank? Most plecos need to rasp on wood to help their digestion. If that's missing, perhaps that's why they're going after the plants. I have the standard pleco and a bristlenose. Neither one bothers my plants.

Julia

 

[treasy]

Do you have driftwood in the tank? Most plecos need to rasp on wood to help their digestion. If that's missing, perhaps that's why they're going after the plants. I have the standard pleco and a bristlenose. Neither one bothers my plants.

Julia

Box of Rain is a great song

 

[wetworks]

Ancistrus includes the bristle nose plecos, right? Usually those are OK for planted tanks, but if you are having trouble you may have to move them to another tank or get plants that they won't eat. I had the same problem with my Rubber Lipped and L145 plecos, and I eventually had to move them into a non-planted tank. My swords were the first to fall prey to the plecos, I think because they have a larger surface area that accumulates algae and microscopic goodies; in the process of eating that stuff, the plecos just incidentally rasp off the outer surface of the leaf, which will eventually turn brown and die. I watched them do it for a while before I realized what was happening, and they did not look like they were actually eating the plants.

 

[Abrium]

You could try feeding something like frozen brussel sprouts, which have a lot of cellulose and great nutritional value.

Also, you blanch them, drop them in, they sink...when they are ready to be removed, they float. Makes it easy!

I am so going to try this.

 

[firefiend]

Spank it and tell it no.

hehe.

 

[mordalphus]

driftwood or cholla helps too if they like to eat it.