Laura Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 Awww, Caper, he's beautiful! Striking markings on him, too. I'm concerned that there may not be enough algae in the tank for Mr. Big. Don't worry...he's probably already eating it! Algae would have been suspended in the water of your tank while it was in the pet shop. Since you used some of this water once you transferred the tank to your home, it will already be there. Even if you hadn't used any of this old water, the filter media and gravel you left unchanged will provide the correct balance for algae to take off in your tank. It's pretty persistent stuff...it will even go through the fish and come back out the other end . All algae primarily needs is light and CO2. It will get CO2 and other nutrients it makes use of from fish poo (of which there will be an inexhaustable supply ). You will have no problems with gathering algae since there are no plants for it to compete with. Mr Big will be an eating machine in no time - he may simply be feeling a little fazed by the move. Our Dyson (Common Plec) doesn't react very well to moving house either! It normally takes hime a couple of weeks or so before he will come out of hiding. Does your LFS sell pieces of driftwood? I know it's a bit more expensive to do it that way, but even a little bit would tide him over for a while. Plecs like to supplement their diet with a bit of cellulose. Hope this helps! . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRSkz Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 He is very striking. I have seen some lovely plecos myself and have thought "ooooo I want one" but I so don't want to be one of those people that get one, have it out grow my tank, then have to fined another home for it. I don't think that's fair, you must look ahead when you get a pet, and for those lovely creatures, ensuring you'll be able to provide them with adiquite housing for life should be a persons first thought when purchasing. Good on you for rescuing him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 ensuring you'll be able to provide them with adiquite housing for life should be a persons first thought when purchasing. Yep, what you said . Dyson is approx. 45cm long, including tail. His growth rate is slowing now, but we know he's still only half way there 8) . We moved him from his 4' tank to a 6' one roughly 6-8 months ago. We have couple of plecs that are eventually going to reach a decent size. Our first priority when we buy a new home is to check out what kind of support the flooring has - it's going to have to hold one hell of a lot of water one day . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 ive found my commons and BN dont touch algae, they nibbled a teeny bit when they were younger but they stopped now, and its lucky i dont have any anymore anyway (and yes i do know theyre not just eating it before i see it). mine go nuts over corgette and shelled peas (good for digestion too :lol: ). it did take them a few tries for them to catch on. i suppose once they try the maccas (corgette, algae wafers) they dont want brussel sprouts (algae) anymore always feed him like you would a normal fish, your fish (if your not over feeding) wont leave much behind for him to gobble up. im not too up on cats but do you know what type he is? he looks too striking to be a common but in saying that your cats are probably higher quality than most of ours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 Our common plec doesn't really bother much about algae in the tank (like a lot of common plecs), but goes crazy over algae discs. Our BN's do much more to earn their keep, but we do have the occasional battle against tank water that looks like diluted pea soup :-? . He loves peas and savages courgette within minutes . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted April 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 Thanks for the info on the algae! Mr. Big wasn't quite himself today, acutally I thought he was dead But I've been testing my water daily, Friday the ammonia was .25 and the nitrites almost .8, so I did a 25% water change. Today, the ammonia not 0 but less then .25, and nitrites .3. I'll keep a daily check until they are right on the button. I did approx 10% water change today. 10% daily would be ok wouldn't it...I mean, enough to help get the levels down but not too much to affect the cycle it's apparently going through???? As for what kind of pleco, I don't know. I've checked the web site I was given but its still hard to say for sure. I didn't want another pleco, but like I said couldn't see him destroyed. What I would like to have had were more ottos but any kind of pleco (ottos too) are hard to get here and have never seen a bristlenose. I was thinking of maybe putting an ad in the same paper where I found my tank...to see if I could give him to somebody with a bigger tank. But then I think another move too soon might be more harmful to him than letting him settle here for a bit...what do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRSkz Posted April 9, 2006 Report Share Posted April 9, 2006 I think that's a wonderful and very insightfull idea. My hats off to someone who puts the welfare of there animal above there own wants. I do agree that you should wait to let him settle for abit however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Posted April 10, 2006 Report Share Posted April 10, 2006 Or, if you find you become attached to him, you can just get yourself a really really big tank! . Think of all the pretty fishes you could have! . I might be wrong, but I have a feeling he's a Common Plec - and they do become pretty sizeable eventually. They do seem to be a bit lighter when they are young. When we first bought Dyson, he was lighter than he is today. He darkened up once he had settled into his tank, too. And like Sharn said, perhaps there are subtle differences in the cats available up your way. I'm guessing your LFS was a bit vague over what kind of plec he is? It'd be good to know how big he grows for certain - although I think he is going to be a biggie . They do take a wee while to grow that big, though - so there's plenty of time to start planning for that 6 foot tank now! Go on, you know you want to! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted April 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2006 Mr. Big died One evening, he didn't seem to be himself at all. It was if he was standing on his tail, I gently put a net by him and he didn't move. Then when he was down on the bottom I managed to put 2 algae discs very close to his mouth, but he didn't go near them. I even tried the zuccini but not interested. Anyway, when I went to work the next morning, I called my son to see how Mr. Big was...and he had died I feel bad...he really was a beautiful, graceful creature Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustcooktea Posted April 13, 2006 Report Share Posted April 13, 2006 That's such a shame, Caper! Perhaps the stress of the move was too much for him. He got the best possible care while he was with you so don't blame yourself in any way. His health may have already been in doubt with the previous owners winding down their tank and perhaps not putting as much time into it. Take care MCT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted April 13, 2006 Report Share Posted April 13, 2006 Sorry to hear that Caper.. I agree with MCT, his health may not have been the best before you got him. And we are certain that you did your best for him, and he can't ask for more than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Posted April 13, 2006 Report Share Posted April 13, 2006 Nooo! So sorry to hear that, Caper. Have some comfort in the fact you gave him your best, and gave him a chance your LFS wasn't able/willing to give him. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted April 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2006 Thanks all for your kind words I used to watch him in awe when he'd move, he was so graceful...except when he needed to be caught. Yes, I think the stress may have been too much for him. The people that I got him from (the people that I bought the tank from) the first thing they said when they saw my tank was "is your water ever clear". I knew he wasn't up to snuff, and it may sound terrible but if I had to euthanize him, I don't know what I would have done with him being so big. As it was, for the first time I had to kill one of my guppies, he was really weak and not getting better. So I took him out and fast cut with the knife...it was awful, but I sure hope he didn't suffer as he wasn't moving at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRSkz Posted April 14, 2006 Report Share Posted April 14, 2006 ok firstly let me express my sympathy's for the loss of such a lovely fish. Now let me just say, having most of the males in my family enjoy fishing, I have heard of a cat fish being hung on a line, out of the water, for 2 or 3 days and when the fisher man comes to collect him he gets a nasty surpize, the catch is still alive. I, personaly, would never put down a cat fish unless it's insides were on the outsides, or something very similar because they have a tendency to supprize you. just a thought for when your thinking of getting another cat fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted April 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2006 Thanks MRSkz I have heard of a cat fish being hung on a line, out of the water, for 2 or 3 days and when the fisher man comes to collect him he gets a nasty surpize, the catch is still alive OH MY GOSH That's scary and amazing at the same time... when I got home from work...I didn't even ask my son what he did with him, I didn't want to know...although, I know he didn't go down the "drain". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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