# Why does my Pleco stay hidden all the time?



## MysteryMan (Aug 7, 2016)

I got this Pleco a few months ago, its as big as the rest of the fish and does not get picked on at all, yet all it does is stay under the same rock day and night. The tank is becoming algae covered all over and this 6 inch pleco should be able to clean it all no problem,

sometimes i shake the rock and he comes out but then a minute later he is right back underneath it, is there any reason why this happens? :fish:

thank you,


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## Vociferus (Aug 10, 2016)

What kind of pleco?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Agree we need to know what kind. Mine come out at night and eat the algae. That is their natural behavior.


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## awanderingmoose (Aug 11, 2016)

Most plecos don't eat algae, at least not primarily. And many/most are light averse, either nocturnal, or in nature found in heavily shaded/planted areas. Even if there's no threat in the tank, they're programmed to understand that light means danger, so they hide.


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## MysteryMan (Aug 7, 2016)

DJRansome said:


> Agree we need to know what kind. Mine come out at night and eat the algae. That is their natural behavior.





Vociferus said:


> What kind of pleco?





awanderingmoose said:


> Most plecos don't eat algae, at least not primarily. And many/most are light averse, either nocturnal, or in nature found in heavily shaded/planted areas. Even if there's no threat in the tank, they're programmed to understand that light means danger, so they hide.


thanks for the replies! 
I have no clue what kind of pleco, the fish store sold it to me out of their coy pond because i needed a decent sized one,

is there something i should do to help it come out more? if it doesnt eat the algae then its worthless to me

*** had 4 or 5 plecos over the years and they have always move around and eat the algae so this is a first for me


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## Aaron S (Apr 4, 2015)

When I talk to people who are getting fish tanks, I always tell them to only get a pleco if they like the looks of a pleco (and even then, NEVER get a common pleco). The reason is you can commonly end up with a pleco that just eats your fish food. Thankfully, my bristlenose pleco is perfectly happy eating the algae and is excited to be the only one in a 6ft tank. I doubt there is anything you can do to coax your pleco to eat. My suggestion is to get rid of him and either clean the algae yourself or get a new one that may learn to love algae. You may also try feeding the fish less, perhaps the pleco is getting enough food from leftovers that he doesn't feel he needs to eat the algae.


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## awanderingmoose (Aug 11, 2016)

MysteryMan said:


> I have no clue what kind of pleco, the fish store sold it to me out of their coy pond because i needed a decent sized one


My guess is if sold to you this way, it's probably a common pleco. You could post a picture, which may help, but a lot of plecos look fairly similar, so maybe not. The common plecos are generally not good algae eaters. When small, they'll consume a fair bit, but the larger they get, usually the less they will - it will normally remain some part of the diet, but not necessarily a major one. And they tend to be fairly nocturnal. How big is your tank? Eventually they'll get to be a foot long or so.

For best algae control, and mostly diurnal, my advice is to get a bristlenose pleco (ancistrus sp). They also stay considerably smaller, maybe 4" or so max, which makes them suitable for all but the smallest tanks.


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## MysteryMan (Aug 7, 2016)

i had a few bristlenose plecos, larger ones like 4'' and they kept getting killed by the largest fish in the tank, i have a 55 gal, 
but i just lost my largest fish after having her for 10 years so maybe now i can go back to having a more peaceful tank. she was a vieja species about 10 inches and was always tearing stuff up

UPDATE: so to help with this issue, i removed the giant rock that all the fish were hiding under, and re-arranged stuff. now the pleco is moving all around cleaning the glass so its a start lol


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## BuckeyeTez (May 10, 2016)

Aaron S said:


> I always tell them to only get a pleco if they like the looks of a pleco (and even then, NEVER get a common pleco). The reason is you can commonly end up with a pleco that just eats your fish food.


I think this depends on the fish and not a generalization of all common's. I have a 6" common who cleans my tank and rocks better than my old cleaning lady cleaned my house. I can't grow any algae for my fish to nibble on because he sucks it off the rocks faster than it can grow. I even bumped up the lighting time. Now he will graze on the pellets that land on the bottom but that by no means fills him up.

I had a large rock with holes in it that was grey and he literally chewed the paint off and made it look white.


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