#hemiancistrus subviridis

[cryptixotic]

𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝓅𝑜𝓃𝒹 𝒸𝒾𝓉𝒶𝒹𝑒𝓁

#botanical art #watercolors #pleco #antique #gourami #fish #Trichogaster trichopterus #hemiancistrus subviridis #fishblr

[anabantoid]

Pleco diet

I speak about what a malnourished pleco looks like to friends and on Discord often, but I don’t really take a moment to talk about what a malnourished pleco looks like here.

What are the signs of a malnourished pleco? 

Sunken eyes:

And sunken stomach:

as shown in the above pics (source 1) (source 2), this is commonly seen in newly imported wild caught plecos, especially when the LFS importing them doesn’t take the time to QT the fish and feed it, which will usually mean the fish will fail to thrive in your home and may die unless you know what you’re doing. I see this the most with wood eating plecos and plecos whose diets consist of aufwuchs, a biofilm of algae and microfauna. 

It’s important for you to research the diet of a pleco BEFORE purchasing the pleco itself, as you may end up getting a malnourished pleco who is in need of a lot of TLC and specialized foods before it can bounce back. 

It’s also important to remember that plecos are large animals that need to be fed regularly and a good variety of foods catered to each particular species’ diet. If you have a bristlenose, Ancistrus spp., you will want to feed it primarily fresh veggies, sweet potatoes, some fruits (papaya and melon) and some meaty foods like a cocktail shrimp. If you have a wood eating pleco like a clown,  Panaqolus maccus, you need to provide more than one piece of driftwood for it to rasp on and eat, and also offer squash and sweet potatoes as they seem to like the fibrous foods.

Also be careful of what pleco is labeled as what. The green phantom can either be Hemiancistrus subviridis, an omnivore that appreciates some meaty foods in its diet, or Baryancistrus demantoides, an aufwuchs eater which needs to be given plenty of veggies as well as an established tank filled with algae. They are superficially similar species, however the Hemiancistrus does NOT have the dorsal and adipose fin connected, while the Baryancistrus DOES. You have to take a close look to determine what species is what, and you can’t just get them and hope for the best and feed them whatever.

Plecos are great fish, my absolute favorite, they just need to be paid attention to and you have to do your research to know what you’re looking for and how to best care for the fish.

#fishblr #megs does guides #takes me three days to do a gourami post and takes me ten minutes to spit this out

[deactivatedxq83]

Earl grey, matcha, bubble tea, pu-erh, and herbal (bonus points if the selfie is w Wilson 💚)

Thanks for asking!!Earl grey: how do you take your tea?Always "black!" (In quotes because I don't just drink black tea. What I mean is that I never put anything in it, regardless of the type.)Matcha: favorite book?Yikes, that's really tough... Watchmen is definitely a front runner, but it's technically a graphic novel. I also really like The Plague by Albert Camus.Bubble tea: what ride would you pick at an amusement park?ALL OF THEM!!! And if that's not an appropriate answer, then the biggest, scariest, fastest, most dangerous one there! Preferably a rollercoaster, but I'm not picky!Pu-erh: three random facts about myself:1. My dream travel destination is a tie between Turkey and Nepal.2. My favorite species of freshwater fish is a plecostomus, specifically Hemiancistrus Subviridis, or a green phantom pleco!3. If someone offered me a proposition in which I would be able to pet a single shark once, but would immediately die afterwards, I would take it in a heartbeat. Herbal: post a selfieI'm gonna pass on this one, but I do appreciate the ask!!Thanks so much! 💚💚💚