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Help with My Peculiar Pleco?


AndreaW
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It was advised I ask about my peculiar Pleco, Gary. We call him *special* because he's not like any other Pleco we've ever had.

We bought him back in 2019 if I remember right. He was sold to us as a "Common" Pleco. He's never sucked/rasped/suctioned on glass or anything else. I've also never seen him eat, but I would assume he eats or he wouldn't still be alive and 8" long. I was going to say I've never seen him poop either, but my daughter reminded me of the nick-name I gave him, "Sir Gary Poops-alot." So yes, when he was younger, he would leave garlands all over the tank, but in the past year or two I haven't seen him poop. I'm beginning to think he's a zombie. I feed the fish flakes, algae wafers, cucumbers, green beans, brine shrimp etc. Of course, I never know what he eats as I never see him interested in anything. 

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Beyond not rasping or sucking on anything, he just wedges himself in awkward spots, or sits with his nose in the gravel like this:

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His nose is flat and not the normal pointy nose I've seen on every other "Common" Pleco I've ever had. I tease my son that he's flattened his nose from sitting on it too long -- or chasing parked cars.

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So, is he (or could be a she) a deformed Common, or a different species or an alien? Anyone have any ideas for me?

Seriously, I would love to help him be happy and it would be great to know he's eating (and pooping). I've considered rehoming him to someone with a bigger tank, but it would be nice to "get to know him" a little better and I am waiting to see how he likes my new planted tank.

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Aww @AndreaW he's a beautiful fish. I'm no Pleco expert (though I've never kept one, I do love them) but he does appear to be a sort of Common- there's probably a proper name. It does appear to me that he has a malformation in his front area like you've pointed out and he looks as if he's slightly curved downward so maybe he cannot suction. I'd suspect he wedges himself into places to feel more natural (especially if it's up against the glass) and for some protection- though I feel like that's normal for any fish such as this (my Otos wedge themselves into awkward spots all the time). If he's alive and not sick he's obviously eating something though wouldn't it be cool for you to know what and when? As I often say if you're not eating or pooping you aren't living. He appears to be doing both and looking good doing it. 

Edited by xXInkedPhoenixX
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I’ve been running this around in my head, did a little searching to see if I could find anything, but I haven’t really come up with a definitive species for Gary.  I think s/he is a common pleco, but not a typical color even though s/he is a fairly typical pattern.  S/he definitely looks like there is a facial deformity and s/he probably can’t suction onto the glass.  It’s called “short nose” by pleco breeders but I’m not sure what it’s from.  It is said to be a defect and they should not be bred, but that’s not likely to be an issue for Gary.  Have you tried posting pics of Gary on any other fish forums to see if someone has any other thoughts on species?

I’m not sure what the face burying and nose standing is about.

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On 3/19/2022 at 8:12 PM, Odd Duck said:

I’ve been running this around in my head, did a little searching to see if I could find anything, but I haven’t really come up with a definitive species for Gary.  I think s/he is a common pleco, but not a typical color even though s/he is a fairly typical pattern.  S/he definitely looks like there is a facial deformity and s/he probably can’t suction onto the glass.  It’s called “short nose” by pleco breeders but I’m not sure what it’s from.  It is said to be a defect and they should not be bred, but that’s not likely to be an issue for Gary.  Have you tried posting pics of Gary on any other fish forums to see if someone has any other thoughts on species?

I’m not sure what the face burying and nose standing is about.

@Odd Duck ~ Thanks. I've never heard of "Short nose" but it makes sense. I posted pictures of him on a local group but its a small group and haven't got any responses yet. 

@xXInkedPhoenixX ~ It would make sense that a deformation could prevent him from suctioning on the glass as I've never seen him do it (and I've never known another Pleco that doesn't do it). It probably explains why he props and wedges himself into corners as his way of adapting to it. 

@lefty o ~ Haha, seriously! Now if I could get snails that don't poop I would be set!

One good thing about this particular tank I have him in is the current is strong enough and with the UGH filter everything gets swept up and there's no visible detritus in the tank which is a huge win!

 

So far, it seems like the consensus is that he has a deformation, which makes sense given his uncommon look and behavior. I've been going back and forth on whether or not to re-home him as he's in a tank that is less than an ideal size for how big he potentially will get. At this point, I'm thinking I will keep him and watch his behavior to see if I feel he's uncomfortable. If I re-homed him, it would probably be to someone in a local club and I guess I could mention he has a deformity but he's a "poopless" variety! :classic_laugh:

Of course I've been eyeing a 75G long but I haven't convinced my husband yet and sadly, we have a small house without a fish room -- at least until the kids move out.

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@Odd Duck ~ With your suggestion, I began researching and did find some articles and forum posts about "snub nosed" Plecos, and the theories behind why it would happen. It definitely looks like Gary has a severe case, and it probably has been exacerbated through the years by him sitting on his nose so much more because of it. I do believe he is not able to suction onto things and it will probably prevent him from rasping on the wood. I'm going to make sure I drop some extra food in the bottom of the tank at night for him after the others have had their fill and hopefully he will have enough to eat. 

I found this in my research:

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In reading the articles, it appears that severe deformities would probably prevent snub nosed Plecos from surviving in the wild because of the inability to efficiently eat.

We have a bunny we fostered and then later adopted who had teeth that grew at an odd angle so they wouldn't wear down. She also had teeth that grew quicker than most, and the combination of the two meant she always had teeth too long that had to be trimmed at least monthly. She couldn't eat food properly and was often very underweight. We finally made the decision to fork out the big bucks to have the surgery to completely remove the front teeth and now she eats very well and has gained weight. She is definitely a bunny that never would have survived in the wild and if bred properly, would have been culled by the breeder. We are glad to have her as part of our family, and the extra bonus? -- she can't chew on cords or furniture! But she does poop a lot more than Gary. :classic_wink:

Gary IS special and I do understand him a lot more and will take the time to make sure he has plenty to eat. So far, he seems to be enjoying the new tank setup and likes to sit/hide under one of the arches. I can't wait for the plants to grow in and give him some more cover. :classic_smile:

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On 3/20/2022 at 12:02 AM, AndreaW said:

We finally made the decision to fork out the big bucks to have the surgery to completely remove the front teeth and now she eats very well and has gained weight.

Good choice on extracting the faulty incisors.  They do just fine without them and otherwise she would need frequent trims for the rest of her life.  The rabbit incisor issue could potentially be a similar kind of issue as snub nosed plecos.

In the tank the plecos seem to do well enough, but since they aren’t sure exactly the cause, they recommend against breeding. I think some got bred and more showed up in the next generation, so it does appear likely to be genetic.  It’s thought to sometimes be genetic in rabbits, too, since it runs much more in certain breeds.

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