Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
birdwidow

Interesting Pleco behavor

birdwidow
17 years ago

I keep a common Pleco with my 2 huge Goldies and yes, I know not to keep one of any great size with them, although a well nourished Pleco is no more inclined to chew on a fast, healthy Goldie than it would any other fish.

This one is half the length and barely a tenth the bulk of the Goldies, keeps the glass clean and is quite tame; for a Pleco.

In fact, it seems to have picked up behavor and feeding clues from the Goldies, who will eat from my hand and need to be gently pushed away from it when I am cleaning the tank.

Their tank is so clean and algae free, I was beginning to be concerned that Pleco wasn't getting enough to eat, in spite of my dropping algae wafers behind the background plants after the lights had gone off in the evenings.

Alas for poor Pleco; the piggy Goldies smelled out even those, and stole most of them, even in the dark.

Yet, Pleco seemed fat, healthy and growing, so I was mystified until few weeks ago, I noticed it moving about in what appeared to be a dying fish swimming pattern.

Healthy Plecos simply do not swim sideways and upside down in open water! I was about to "rescue" it to a hospital tank, when it became obvious as to what it was doing.

It had one of the small Koi pellets in it's mouth, and was so concentrated on chewing it, it simply couldn't anchor down.

Pleco's are not surface feeders! But this one is.

Now, when I feed the Goldie's, I watch Pleco, and sure enough, it swims up to the surface to wait for a pellet to land against the edge, gloms onto it, then goes into it's litte mad munching, open water "dance."

After which, apparently sated, it resumes a Pleco-normal, on the bottom or attached to the glass position.


What is particularly interesting, is that I drop the pellets on the end above the airstone that covers the entire wall of the tank and produces so much bubble, it roils the water surface, so the pellets dance across the surface to the opposite end, and give the Goldie's something to chase.

They chase: Pleco just goes to the side where it has learned they will end up, and waits.

Either Pleco is smarter than the Goldies, or less so, and isn't interested in playing.(??)

Has anyone else ever seen this type of behavor? I'd be interested to hear of it.

Comments (2)

Sponsored
MAC Design + Build
Average rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars18 Reviews
Loudon County Full-Service Design/Build Firm & Kitchen Remodeler