Plecos and wood

[Tangcollector]

So I picked up some L280 plecos a couple of months ago and I have lost a couple of them. The water parameters are good and the others look healthy so I am figuring it may be a diet issue. But my question is do meat eating plecos need wood to eat. My zebras never touch it but these guys tear it up and poop it out. I am wondering if I should take it out so they focus more on the high protein stuff that I feed them. Any advice would be great.

 

[JLW]

Hypancistrus vandragti (L280) is in the same genus as the zebra plecos, and I've never encountered them eating wood. Ever. I'm actually surprised they can eat it, with their small teeth. My guess is that its fairly waterlogged, softened wood they're chewing up?

In nature, they likely chew up submerged driftwood to get at insect larvae and other crustaceans growing in them, which your tank probably lacks. It could likely be that they're desperately hunting food in there, and just not getting enough to eat otherwise. Also, as you suspect, it might be that they're just so full of sawdust that they can't get enough nutrition when they realise, "Hey, there's food, just... out in the open."

I'd pull it out - I don't see any reason that they would need it.

 

[Tangcollector]

Hypancistrus vandragti (L280) is in the same genus as the zebra plecos, and I've never encountered them eating wood. Ever. I'm actually surprised they can eat it, with their small teeth. My guess is that its fairly waterlogged, softened wood they're chewing up?

In nature, they likely chew up submerged driftwood to get at insect larvae and other crustaceans growing in them, which your tank probably lacks. It could likely be that they're desperately hunting food in there, and just not getting enough to eat otherwise. Also, as you suspect, it might be that they're just so full of sawdust that they can't get enough nutrition when they realise, "Hey, there's food, just... out in the open."

I'd pull it out - I don't see any reason that they would need it.

Thanks Josh, That is a great analysis Those were my thoughts exactly other than them not getting enough food.

 

[Wet Sleeves]

Tangcollector A cool trick is to pull the wood out of the tank, mix up some Repashy Igapo Explorer and pour it on sections of the wood. Make sure you pat the wood surface dry so it can cure fully. They should tear it up once you put it back in the tank. If you have issues getting to adhere or stay on the wood for long enough, you can mix it with a little of the Morning Wood which is a lot harder of a mixture.