Do plecos need real wood?
I have a 29 gallon tank for tiger barbs and in it I was going to put a pleco soon. I have a small driftwood cave/stump thing and another more realistic piece acting as a tunnel since its hollowed out. these are both fake and I was wondering if the pleco will still grind down its teeth on one of them even though they're not real. Or do I need to somehow put a real piece of bogwood or driftwood in there? i like the pieces in there already because they provide plenty of hiding places for the pleco
Update:the pleco will be a bristlenose i know they only grow to 6"
Comments
It really depends on the type of Pleco. Some Plecos, such as the Common Pleco, don't really need wood in their diet. Others absolutely require it.
There are 3 types of Plecos that would fit comfortably in a 29 gallon. They are Clown Plecos, Bristlenose Plecos, and Pitbull Plecos.
The Clown Pleco absolutely must have wood. They are one of the most heavy wood-eaters among all Plecos, and they can not be successfully kept without real wood.
Bristlenose Plecos greatly benefit from having wood. Mine eats lots of wood. I've noticed with mine that he grew much faster once he had the right sort of wood in his tank, so it does make a positive difference for these guys.
Pitbull Plecos are kind've iffy on their wood needs, it is unclear whether it is helpful for them or not. So most people put wood in there with them just to be safe.
The reason Plecos need wood is not to grind down their teeth - they don't even have regular teeth, they are sucker fish. (You are probably mixing up Plecos and Puffers here). Plecos need the wood as part of their diet and to help them digest other things. The wood is roughage for them. Because of this, if the wood is too hard for them to rasp off then it will be useless for them, at least in a dietary sense. Woods like African Mopani Wood are too hard for them to manage. So get something soft like Malaysian Driftwood. It does not have to be a gigantic piece, just so long is there is some there. You should be able to tell over time that the Pleco is eating the wood because they will carve it with their mouths and its shape will gradually change. So while Plecos do really enjoy hiding in fake wood, it won't take care of their dietary needs at all. That's why you need real driftwood of a soft type.
Yes, you need to put a piece of bogwood or any sinking wood in the tank for the bristlenose to chew on. Bristlenoses, and many other plecos, like to chew on chunks of wood. When stomach content analyses are done on wild plecos, some of them have their stomachs full almost entirely of wood shavings.
There are a variety of theories about exactly what benefit plecos get from rasping wood and swallowing the wood fragments, but there is a strong consensus that they do get some benefit.
So give that little sucker something to gnaw on.
It'd be nice if you told us the exact stocking list of what's in the tank, but no way can you add in a common pleco- just that will over stock your tank. Depending on the number of barbs u have right now in it, think about adding a bristlenose pleco. They stay smallish.
no but you might need to rethink your stocking pleco's can grow big and that tank can easily be overstocked with just 1 pleco. it is good to have real drift wood as they will eat the algae growing off of it but it isn't necessary. i am sure they eat pieces of the wood as well.
i have had a pleco for 5-7 years it died from ick and lack of car from stunted growth. grew to about 13 inches long