# Young Albino BN Pleco



## LittleWatty (May 13, 2012)

So, I recently acquired a very young (under 1 inch) albino bristle nose pleco, and its currently in a 10 gallon tank (will be upgrading to a 20 at some point). So far so good, but I have no idea how to be sure he's actually eating. My tank has recently finished cycling, there's no sign of algae in the tank, but he/she/it doesn't show any interest in algae wafers, so I usually just suck them up with my turkey baster when they get really broken down, so as not to spike ammonia. He also seems to prefer sucking on the glass instead of the two pieces of driftwood I've got in there. I don't know if it's eating, and I have no idea how long they can go without an actual meal.


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## MSG (May 8, 2012)

Young ones need food. Whenever you have a salad, give him a piece of the veggies. Make sure there's no dressing. So ask them to leave the stuff on the side..

I was about to get one of those too, but didn't have time to feed him so I'll wait. 

If you don't eat salad, get some zucchini/squash or spinach. Slice very thin and dunk it some boiling water for 10-15 seconds. 

1 slice of either veggie should be sufficient for now.


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## DKRST (Jan 11, 2011)

If you blanch the zucchini (boil 3-5 minutes, then dunk into ice water to stop the cooking), it will sink on it's own and be softer for the young pleco. Mine never care for spinach or lettuce for some reason. 

You can slice an entire zucchini, blanch it, then lay the slices onto a thin cookie sheet or plastic placemat and freeze. Dump the well-frozen pieces into a zip-loc and then just take a piece out when it's feeding time. For a single pleco, you might even slice each round piece into quarters. I blanch 5-6 zucchni at a time, then feed for a month+ out of the freezer, but I also have 8 adults and more than 50 BN fry on hand at the moment! NOTE: frozen pieces will float until they thaw, then they sink.


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## LittleWatty (May 13, 2012)

Only veggies I have on hand that aren't frozen are carrots, beets, and some lettuce (not Iceburg). The lettuce is called "living lettuce" and is packaged as a whole plant - roots and all. They last longer that way (and, being a college student with no roomies trying to eat healthy, the longer I can get fresh stuff to last, the better!). Would that work, if I just took a leaf and blanched it? So far all I've done is give him algae wafers, but as I said, I usually take it out if its in there for a really long time.

When I first got back to my apartment after getting some groceries, I saw my pleco hanging out on a decoration. Haven't seen him since >.> but, the back of my tank is pretty densely planted. Hoping he hasn't gotten himself stuck somewhere. He manages to find the smallest crevices to swim into, as this picture is evidence to (he's in the driftwood - I thought it was flush against the glass, but apparently not!)


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## DKRST (Jan 11, 2011)

I think your pleco's probably munching on almost invisible things on the tank sides and plants, as well as the algae tabs. They can be shy, so it's probably feeding when the tank lights are out. I wouldn't sweat it too much, but keep dropping in an algae tab periodically. If you don't have fresh stuff, don't worry too much, but try to snag some greens from the campus dining hall to try them out!


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## LittleWatty (May 13, 2012)

Since I don't have a meal plan, I can't get anything from there XD but... a friend of mine still does, so I might be able to get him to pay for me so we ca get some veggies for him once everyone moves in.


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## laoshun (Apr 3, 2012)

those young albino BN can produce poop that covers the bottom of a 10 gallon tank in 1 day.


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

i adore my bristlenose. he definitely eats the algae wafers, loves fresh veggies, and sucks on the glass and filters too. He's been here for a few months, and is getting large. i think he probably gets food that falls to the bottom too, though it might not be much- my betta girls are piggy. I wouldn't worry too much though ;3 unless he's ill, he should have the instinct to go find food when he's hungry, and as long as it's available, he should be good


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## LittleWatty (May 13, 2012)

Well, I haven't seen him touch algae wafers (left in overnight) or a small piece of lettuce (not iceberg) that I put in there for him over the past few days. I think I might have a planaria infestation though, so I won't be complaining if he's eating those XD His stomach isn't the dark brown color that it was when I got him, though. Hasn't been since the day I got him, and it looked like he was full of either food, or fecal matter. So... I don't know. I'm leaving the lights on for a few extra hours a day, to maybe create an algae colony in there or something, just to be sure he has SOMETHING.


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## LittleWatty (May 13, 2012)

I don't know if this is a normal appearance for BS pleco's, but his face almost looks like its starting to hollow out. Maybe I just didn't notice when I got him, maybe its just started happening. I don't know. But I gave him another algae wafer, and even directed him to it, and even though he would sit right on it, he wouldn't eat it. Just sat there, then eventually moved away. But, since he knows where it is now, maybe he'll eat it.


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

I recently purchased a young BN. I'm having the same issues as you. He avoids veggies, barely touches wafers, and clings to the glass for dear life.

However it might be due to snails beating him to the algae wafers (I gotta say, it's a great way to get rid of them).


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## LittleWatty (May 13, 2012)

I've had my boy for a week today, and he hasn't touched anything I've given him. I dunno what to do anymore. Every couple days I'll drop in an algae wafer, but maybe I'm just giving it to him too early, as I've read they're nocturnal. Perhaps, by the time he does want to eat, they're too squishy for him, so he won't. Tonight I"m going to try dropping a wafer in about a half hour after I turn out the lights, see if maybe that does the trick.


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

My boy must be weird then. He's a giant pig, and eats all that he can find.

He's been here for a few months though.


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## LittleWatty (May 13, 2012)

Yeah, I've heard Pleco's can be pigs once they actually settle in and learn who's going to be feeding them (much like our beloved bettas XD). Mine just seems reluctant to get to know me. Swims away whenever I find him, and he happens to be close to the glass.


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

awee. hm. he'll get used to you


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## Pilot00 (Jul 24, 2012)

Feed him in the night and get away from the tank, they are nocturnal and can be shy at times.


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## LittleWatty (May 13, 2012)

Well, I tried giving him an algae wafer about an hour after I shut the lights off last night. Didn't touch it. In fact, it looked like he hadn't moved all night, as he was in the exact same spot I found him in before bed.


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## LittleWatty (May 13, 2012)

Well, I found it dead this afternoon. Starved to death, I guess. Had it a week, and it wouldn't touch anything I gave it. Time to go take it back. Might get another pleco at a later date and hope I have better luck.


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## Pilot00 (Jul 24, 2012)

Damn, i know that feeling. I had a bala once he wouldnt eat a damn thing for a month or so.


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## djembekah (Feb 13, 2012)

i'm so sorry  you did what you could, maybe he was sick.


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## LittleWatty (May 13, 2012)

He could have been. I returned the fish for the 30 day guarantee, and wasn't going to get anything else, until I saw they had some albino bn plecos in stock, which is rare (the Petco I bought the first one from isn't my normal Petco, its about a 30 min drive away). So... instead of a money back exchange, I got a fish swap. Dead fish for live fish. So, I'm trying again. This time, I'm going to put him in something smaller for a couple days to keep track of where he is and if he's eating.


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