# Pleco - not eating - help



## k1dk01 (Feb 23, 2010)

hi

i've got a queen imperial tiger pleco and he's stopped eating, its been nearly 10 days since i know he last ate something 

he wont eat - hikari sinking wafers [used to be his fav] - frozen bloodworm - tetra variety wafers

he hides in his cave all day and comes out at night and appears very active and seems happy swimming about the tank and sucking on the glass, altho there is no trace of algae on it as i have just resetup my tank and cleaned the glass [no chemicals used] and put in a layer of jbl aquabasis under the gravel so i know theres no algae for him to feed on, is there any chance he is getting something from the bogwood in the tank while im asleep ?

how long can he survive without food ? his stomach is starting to appear concave/collapsed!

what can anyone suggest i try giving him ?

many thanks

regards

a worried k1dk01...

some additional info :-

todays results
ph - 7.6
ammonia - 0
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 30

its a 150ltr tank with tetratec ex7000 filter

31 march - 7x danios + 5x clown loach + 1x lemon tetra caught and returned to LFS leaving pleco on his own in 75% full tank and the pleco is eating every other day
26 april - pleco caught and placed in bowl of same tank water with heater for several hours while main tank is cleared out and setup again - original water was held in containers and returned to tank after setup - once water was at same temp the pleco was returned

& pleco hasnt eating since this day


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## kdanna (May 7, 2010)

My only experience with plecos is with the common pleco my boyfriend and I got about 4 months ago. And to be honest, i've never actually "seen" him eat. He wont accept any food we put in the tank for him, but he seems to survive perfectly well by cleaning the glass and plants (of course, hes still quite small). But maybe try giving him some different foods? I've always heard they appreciate leafy vegtables, cucumbers, squash... Also spirulina flakes (if other fish dont eat them first) or wafers (if they make those?). Just a suggestion. Not sure how long they can live without taking in any food at all, but he may be getting some algae that you just can't see.


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## k1dk01 (Feb 23, 2010)

update - finally some courgette, after a trip to 2 supermarkets, eventually had to go to a farm shop to find some - sheesh!

i drooped it right outside his front door and he's come straight out and all over it within minutes, even with the lights on, so for the firts time in 11 days i finally know he is getting something :-D :-D :-D :-D

also found out he likes amazon sword plant the day after i put half a dozen in the tank, so hopefully now we are soon to be well on the road to a full recovery  

these smiles really are my first in nearly two weeks that has been a worrying time for daddy

i know i have to take pleco wafers out after a while because they go furry and foul the tank, but how long can i leave the courgette in for ?


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## iamntbatman (Jan 3, 2008)

He might've been sick with some sort of illness that didn't result in any other visible symptoms. It's good that he's eating now, though. Keep an eye on him and keep us updated!


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