Pleco Eating Paint Off Decorations!

[Besty42]

Hi, this is my first time posting on tropical fish forums.

For the last couple of weeks I have started noticing white patches on my fake log decorations. I have recently added a rusty Pleco to the tank and was wondering if he was the cause of the missing paint. These are fish tank decorations so figure that the paint won't do him much harm but I'd prefer to check just in case they need to be removed, their health comes first.

Today I added a small piece of driftwood to the tank to hopefully stop him having a nibble on the fake decors. I soaked it in boiling water for three or four hours- took out-scrubbed in cold water-put back in new hot water ( repeated a couple of times) till little to non tannins are leeched out.

I wasn't sure if this behaviour was normal in a rusty pleco. I do feed him cucumber regularly which he absolutely ADORES and algae wafers are added to the tank daily for him and the six corydoras ( 3 leopard and 3 adolfoi) which potter around the bottom of the tank ( not that they get much, my platys and tetras are EXTREMELY greedy fishies!)

Anyone have any advice on what to do?
Anyone have experience in this happening to them?

Send pictures soon, Love to get some feedback

Thanks

besty42

 

[fluttermoth]

Yes, it'll be your plec removing the paint. He might not be actually eating it, just grinding it off and dropping it, and as you thought, it ought to be inert, but I would remove the fake logs, just to be on the safe side.

It might be an idea to vary his diet a bit more too; there's not much nutrition in cucumber! My plecs all like these; peas (lightly cooked and deshelled), blanched lettuce (a good green one, like cos, not iceberg), apple, broccoli stalks (split and blanched), melon rinds, tomato (end slices, without seeds), sweet potato (lightly cooked, just to soften it).

 

[Besty42]

Thanks for the quick reply, the fake logs with the paint removed have been in there for a couple of weeks and all fish are happy as lary so will leave them in, if more paint seems to go I will remove them. I hope the pleco will enjoy his new piece of driftwood, he hasnt't gone to have a nose yet but hope it will make a nice home. I will definitely start giving him apple and melon rind, and maybe some blanched lettuce as a treat.

Do you have driftwood in your tank for your plecos? If so are they a big fan or do they just rest on it?
I hope a more varied diet will stop him ruining my very expensive decorations!

Thanks again

 

[fluttermoth]

All my tanks have loads of wood in. I don't notice them actually eat much of it, but they do use it to suck onto and hide in.

 

[Shelster]

Corydoras are meat eaters too.
I recently bought some tropical pellets which is a complete food with multivitamins. Frozen blood worm goes down well too, just need to ensure they get to eat some rather than the quick swimming greedy fish. All my poor corys were getting was algae wafers, but they are much happier now

 

[Besty42]

Yes, I do feed my corys blood worms once or twice a week, the whole tank enjoys them except the pleco, who just stays on the decoration and never ventures on the bottom of the tank. I have added pepper today, all the other fish have had a nibble but can't see my pleco yet this morning. Thanks for the advice,I too was just feeding them algae wafers and I have definitely seen a change since introducing blood worms.

 

[Acetone]

I have mopani wood and driftwood For my L191 and you see it activley knawing on the wood. Never seen it eat wafers yet as I put these in when its dark so don't know if its my Plec, loaches or Barbs that are eating it. I do know it loves butternut squash I do not boil it as I know my L191 eats wood so a bit of tough vegges will not be a problem for him. I love varying the veggies I put in Cucumber rarley, Cabbage (dark green ones only), squash, Apple, peas (which all my fish go mad for) Melon Skin, turnip and sweed. I put small ammounts in leave it over night and take out what is left in the morning. I do this twice per week.