Taming plecostumus

[Robert]

i've heard alot of people talking about how they have tame pleco's. how do you tame pleco's??

 

[wetwetwet]

Idk but I'd imagine it would take alot of time with your arms in the tank and tasty treats in your fingers....



www

 

[smithrc]

WWW - youve got a lot to answer for

having spent 40 mins with my arm in the tank up to my elbow....

Everybody in the 50gal except the phantoms, rino plec and the BA tetras, had a go at the algae wafer in my fingers... oh and my fingers and my arm (it tickles quite a lot)

I nearly bottled it when the clowns started 'clicking' on my fingers - they missed the algae wafer!

The sunrise plec took a bit of time to work up the courage but got there in the end.

I moved the wafer on to my hand and whenever he felt the warmth of my skin, he lost his bottle.

the rino popped out and had a look - glided past my hand and sat in this cave for a bit, then went back to sucking on the filter

Might try in again tomorrow - it was quite fun - watching them slowly gaining trust

 

[Sky042]

I know my danios and my gouramis will nibble my fingers. Never tried feeding from them. Though I used to hand feed my oscars when they were babies. once they got large though I had to stop

 

[kgrehm]

haha you guys are crazy! I stuck my arms in my 55 once to get the plants to stick to the bottom and my gouramis nibbled at my arm hair till it hurt so bad i had to stop. Hehe

 

[Mo99]

having spent 40 mins with my arm in the tank up to my elbow....

Not sure if this would speed things up or not but worth a try , attche the treat to a string and with your hands in the water motionless put the treat as near to the plec in qestion, whiel as soon as he gets close draw the string so the treat is moved closer to you hand , bit by bit he should get closer , you have to be motionless. this may not work very well if you a a community tank with other fish who are more tame as th treat is likely to be finished by the time it arrives nera your hand. I actually did this to net fish, and it works better than chaseing.

 

[aloaring]

Well Keith my African Butterfly fish has me trained, whenever hes hungry he starts swimming from side to side looking at me and I get up and feed him!!