I got my plecs!

[Lakea]

I'll get some pictures when I can.

I promised myself I was not going to get fish til I got back from vacation, but after searching all the petstores locally for a clown plec I finally found one and I also found a bristlenose. So today I bought a clown plec and a bn plec. Do you think it might be a bit much to get a rn too? hmm...

I'll also say I pick one of the hottest days to get fish and my poor little car without air conditioning, ugh. So I bought and ice cold canned soda and put it in the bag holding the bags that held the plecs, don't know if that did any good. But I had to drive with my window rolled down and what do you know it just happens to start raining, we weren't supposed to have rain. Fun trip!

 

[Lotus]

Good to hear you found them I think you could add a rubbernose too, but wait a while, and make sure you have a cave (or overhang) for each plec.

Our LFS will usually give a polystyrene cooler if it's hot (the ones they get fish deliveries in). We'll usually take our own if it's hot and we're going fish shopping. It should keep the temp stable for an hour or so.

 

[Lakea]

Thanks! I am going to wait a bit and see how these two do. I have two rock caves and a big piece of driftwood so they will have their own places. Also today I got a couple of coconuts today and I am going to make coconut houses, I hear plecs love them. So I think there will be plenty of hiding places.

So far the BN has been out and about tearing through the algae, I was surprised at how fast he acclimated, not shy at all. The clown however has been attached to the driftwood, doubt I'll see him much.

 

[big54bob]

You might wanna add a few more hiding space esp driftwood<---- clowns knaw on these. More hidding spots the betters.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Its always exciting finding something you've been tirelessly searching for. Looking forward to the pics.

 

[Lakea]

I added a piece of driftwood from my 6.6g, had some nice green algae on it and the bn quickly found it. I am very surprised he is still hungry, he cleaned the entire tank last night (the clown may have helped), I thought it was at least three days worth of algae in there. But I cooked up some cucumber, lettuce, and spinach today so that will be ready and I get to start on those coconut house today.

I could only get a pic of the BN the clown is under the other piece of driftwood so I can't get a good shot.

 

[Lakea]

Here is my clown!

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Cool fish and nice pics!

 

[big54bob]

I envy your BN

 

[Lakea]

Thank ya'll! I just want to say, I knew plecs were big waste producers, but I have never seen so much poop, I swear they are worse than the 100 guppies, but it may just look that way because of the sand.

 

[Lakea]

Not the best picture, it was just a quick snap. I put in an Aquaclear70 powerhead and the clown has decided to make it his little hideaway.

I hear some plecos have a tendency to suck on the powerheads with fatal results. Is that common? Nasty way to die...

Anyway I need to start thinking of names, hmm...

 

[Lakea]

I probably should have waited, but he was just so gosh darn cute. Picked up a rubbernose pleco. He is just so cute!

I also put two of the coconut huts in the tank, to soon to tell what the plecs think. After the eternity it took to boil two I am kind of stand offish about doing two more.

I got a new heater the other day, a Vis-therm stealth and I had the know on 79, but today it got up to 82, so I turned it down to 75 and now its 80, I would prefer it to be 78, I don't know if it is just the heater or if it was warmer today? I don't know.

Last note I have thought of names, I am sure they aren't very originally, but the rubber nose really inspired me and plus I am a pirates fan.

The RN is Captain Davy Jones, the CN is Captain Jack Sparrow, and the BN is Captain Barbosa.

They are all in the tank now, seem to be doing great and pooping up a storm, I swear I am going to be vacuuming that sand like everyday, I have been offering veggies, but no takers yet, the BN probably ain't to hungry after clearing out the tank and the clown's been busy with the driftwood.

That's all for now, I swear I could write a book

 

[Lakea]

Another pic of Barbosa the BN - I noticed the side of his face looked odd, it must have been the flash because his face doesn't have that yellow patch.

And a full tank shot, one coco-hut in the front and the is behind the driftwood. No aquascaping, I just kind of threw things in, the bottom is a bit crowded now.

Forgot to mention that coco-hut in the front, that's is barbosa's, he chose it as soon as I put the coconut in there. I am thinking Jack (the clown) going to take the one in the back, but davy jones (RN) has chosen the rock cave at the right.

 

[Lakea]

Causality Report:

My poor clown died two days ago. He had a sunken in belly, which I was unable to see because of his constant attachment to the driftwood. He only detached from it the day he died, he looked fine otherwise. Maybe it was a parasite, maybe he got some kind of obstruction that kept him from eating right. Well I went back to the lfs I got him from (first time I ever bought from there) and the clowns I could see also seemed to have sunken bellies, they don't replace dead fish there, but I doubt I'd get another from that stock anyway.

Than mr. rubbernose, found his way inside of the powerhead, it was pure dumbluck that I even found him. He disappeared yesterday, so today I did a water change and turned over even rock and limb searching for him than I was like, I'll just stick my finger in the powerhead, and there he was curled up inside. How he even managed to squeeze in that little hole I'll never know.

Well today starts my vacation, the BN looks great, check his belly just in case and it looks good, and I know he's been eating, I put some shrimp pellets in there and he went nuts over them. Hopefully he'll still be there when I get back