Missing Pleco?

HawkEye_Pierce

HawkEye_Pierce

Large Fish
#1
Jul 15, 2003
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Western New York
#1
Does anyone who own's a pleco ever had one disappear? I have only had mine for about 48 hours and I haven't seen him for about 24 hours...I am just nervous because I just got him and I want to make sure he is handling the new environment, etc...

I don't want to go digging in there and disturb everything...

thx
 

Davy

Davy

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#2
Jul 23, 2003
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#2
I don't have a pleco but I thought I would reply anyway. It's always stressful when a fish is put in a new tank and will probably hide for a while. A pleco being a bottom feeder has even more places to hide. Just wait and see if he turns up. Like you said don't dig around looking for him because that will stress him more. Just check the filter. BTW I saw the pic you posted of him. That's one cool looking pl*co!:D I hope he turns up.
 

mfj

mfj

Large Fish
#5
Jul 22, 2003
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#5
he is probably hiding. the small ones are terrific @ hiding. the only way i could find mine when he was smaller was to turn on the lights when it was dark and watch him scurry back to some hiding place.
 

Lotus

Lotus

Ultimate Fish
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#6
Aug 26, 2003
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#6
Plecos tend to be nocturnal anyway, so you might want to sneak in an hour or so after lights out to see if he's out cruising.

You can also try feeding him just before you put the lights out (either an algae wafer or piece of cucumber), and see if that coaxes him out.

You have quite a few bottom dwellers in your tank, so he may just be getting used to them.

I really hate it when you get a new fish and they are nowhere to be seen; it makes me very anxious too :)
 

C

Cankywanky

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#8
Aug 10, 2003
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#8
my pleco hates the light. when its night time and there are no lights on in my room i take my flash light and shine it around to see him. why doesnt he mind the flashlight shining in his eyes?
 

Dragonett

Dragonett

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#11
Aug 13, 2003
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#11
Mine likes to hide either in a hole in one of the rocks in the tank, or hang upside down from the bottom of the filter near the surface of the water. He will only come out when I turn the light off, if the light comes back on, you can see him dash around like crazy for a few seconds before he goes back to his hiding spots.
 

Iggy

Iggy

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#13
Jun 25, 2003
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#13
Love these guys, really good cleaners and really cool looking. Just a bit elusive eh?

Petey (my Pl*co), loves to hide too. Just like others have said, I turn off the room lights and wait a bit, and he will often come out to eat or hang off the underside of his driftwood cave.
 

HawkEye_Pierce

HawkEye_Pierce

Large Fish
#14
Jul 15, 2003
566
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Western New York
#14
I am glad to see that I am not alone in my quest for the missing pleco...I just took the handle from my net poking around a bit...to see if I could coax him out but he's a no show...

here's a link to a pic of my tank and the clown pleco himself...

http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11073

when I first got him he was out in the open (luckily I took the pic!!)...all the plecos I had in the past were always out on the open that's why I got nervous...

thx for your support!! *celebrate
 

HawkEye_Pierce

HawkEye_Pierce

Large Fish
#15
Jul 15, 2003
566
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Western New York
#15
well I cleaned my tank today and still no pleco...I figured with all the action going on he would dart somewhere...there is no way he could have jumped out because the tank is fully covered...and I tried the turning out the lights trick but still no pleco...:mad:
 

catfishmike

catfishmike

Superstar Fish
#16
Oct 22, 2002
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#16
have you checked all around you tank. there is always the possibility that your pleco took a flying leap and is now a kippered fish snack.had a swordtail do that to me once.i searched for the fish all around for about an hour.at that point i gave up.about a week later i found the fish dessicated,stuck to the side of the dresser i kept the tank on.my clown is a great hider and a master of disguise.it's camoflage works very well.it's most likely that your pleco is just well hidden.i hope so at least
 

Iggy

Iggy

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#18
Jun 25, 2003
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#18
Do you have an UFG? I once lost a fish because he pushed under the filter plate (literally below the gravel).

If your getting really worried, try lifting up anything that sits ontop of the gravel and looking underneath. They are experts at hiding.
 

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