Question Pleco Shyness And Better Food Questions?

Larry O'Donnell

Active Member
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Hellertown, PA
2 years
Hello all,

Having recently upped our Pleco count from 1 to 3, I had a few questions as we delve more seriously into the species.

1) We have had a male Bristlenose for over a year now and since he grew out he is extremely shy. We've always kept him in a heavily planted tank full of driftwood but for the past 6 months or so he has taken to digging a cave under a log and hiding there in perpetuity. He's about 6 inches long now, is the biggest thing in the tank and we legit never see him. Are we doing anything wrong? Are some just that extremely shy? We've tried turning the lights down, but even in full dark we only catch fleeting glimpses of him.

2) Recently bought 2 more plecos when we upgraded the tank. Got a Golden Blue-Eyed and a Snowball Pleco (both thankfully less shy). What are your recommendations for wafer/bottom feeding food for them? We also have 6 large Cory Cats in the tank. When we had only the 1, we would just drop a Tetra Brand Pleco wafer in daily, but they never seem to eat them. Blanched cucumber/zucchinI is usually a big hit. I've heard good things about the "Bug Bites" brand of food but wanted to consult you all before purchasing new stuff. How should I feed my new guys?

Thanks in advance!

Mr. Kgnao

Well Known
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I don't keep a lot of plecos precisely because they are so reclusive. It seems strange to me to watch people drop hundreds of dollars on some of the more high-end varieties knowing once they get out of QT they'll almost never see them.

Take this with a grain of salt knowing it comes from someone who isn't really into plecos, but green beans right out of the can seem to be the go to food for most of the people I know who breed bristlenose.


Well Known
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The internet
5 years
A lot of pleco don’t come out much. Some people almost never see theirs. Mine is very active though.
I feed vegetables (cucumber, carrot, bell pepper), shrimp pellet, veggie rounds, algae wafer, and bottom feeder wafer. These are also food for my corydoras besides the vegetable stuff. The pleco usually only eats it in the evening and I give it 1 pellet after I turn the light off. It is gone by morning so I assume it eats it.

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