The Disappearing Pleco

[Fishmanic]

Plecos love to hide especially during the daytime.  I have a BN pleco that I kept in my 35 gallon tall hex and he did a great job keeping the glass clean and eating leftover food on the substrate.  He would hide under the driftwood log I had in the tank and you wouldn not be able to see him.
 
Two days ago, I moved him to my 29 gallon tank as it had more algae on the tank walls and  on some on the plants so I figured I'd see if he'd help clean up the leftover food that would appear on the white sand and the algae.   Shortly after,  I couldnt find him in the tank.  Looking closely he was hiding under a large anubias leaf.   The next day I found him on the underside of the large driftwood.  I was considering getting him a cave.  
 
Today I couldn't find him anywhere.    I have a large 4 inch by 15 inch piece of marble that I used to sink the large piece of driftood in the tank.   I finally found him.  He had made a nice little cave for himself under the marble by removing an area of the white pool filter sand that I have for substrate.    
 
Here's a few pictures.  You can see the marble under the driftwood and can see the area he dug under the marble.  If you look closely you can see his bushy nose in the opening.  I think he'll like his new home and now I won't have to buy a cave for him.
 
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[eaglesaquarium]

Yup... that's what they do.  Mine did the same thing with a large rock I had in the tank... he dug his way under it and made that his new home. 

 

[Fishmanic]

He probably won't be too happy when I have to remove the driftwood and marble base to do my thorough cleaning at least once a month as detrius and leftover food accumulates around the marble base.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Definitely won't be... but he'll get over it.

My guy will cling to the rock until he feel exposed, then will flip to a new spot on the rock, or whatever.  He doesn't like to be told where to go.

 

[NickAu]

Yup typical BN. You could always buy  him a cave,

 

[betta fish]

I have a female albino that spends most of the time out in the open rasping on the driftwood , glass or plants, she has plenty of caves and driftwood to hide under where she does occasionally go but I wonder if this is more of a male thing perhaps to attract a female? I do know they are definitely more noctural and prefer to hide during the day.

 

[NickAu]

 
I wonder if this is more of a male thing perhaps to attract a female?

I think you may find it is, My albino female is out n about most of the time. I think I read some place BN Plecos over 2 inches can breed. I know mine did.

 

[guppiegirlie]

My little albino male has done this in my tank, He has his usual hideout cave but I noticed this morning the smaller piece of bog wood I added after my substrate change, has a lovely little hollow underneath which has kind of created a little cave.

He was happily sat there this morning before the lights came on then sat for a while, I think deciding where he liked best!

His good old faithful cave won out in the end ha