YSaC, Vol. 1386: Down at the bottom of that dirty ol’ fishtank

2012 November 19

Plecostomus – 4 inches and healthy


So I have a pleco. He is an awesome guy, very timid and shy but unfortunately I cannot care for him anymore. He is not getting along with my loaches and is scaring half of them with his antics. He is disease free and has been spoiled for the 5 months I have owned him. Call me ########## James

OK, read the title of this ad and then forget it. No seriously, get your mind out of the gutter. A quick Google search reveals that a Plecostomus is a fish:

Now, this still raises the serious question of whether Sparky here is engaging in some heavy-duty projection. Anyone who refers to a catfish as “an awesome guy” is possibly getting just a little too involved.

Plus – how does he know the Plecostomus is scaring exactly half of his loaches? (Stop it – those are fish too.) Has he counted? Is there some sort of tiny fish Gallup pollster in the tank taking a loach survey to determine responses to catfish antics? And if there is, is there a Nate Silverfish over in the corner doing a meta-analysis?

I suspect drmk is going to hit me when she reads that last.

Thanks for the post, Leah!

20 Responses leave one →
  1. 2012 November 19
    kelli permalink

    Why would I want a fish that has been spoiled for five months? It would smell terrible.

    Adores: 27
  2. 2012 November 19
    CapnMac permalink

    Reads Kelli’s comment.
    Is awed.
    Goes and lurks under the rock by the fake plant next to the treasure chest.

    Adores: 7
  3. 2012 November 19

    I spoil my plecostomus; I give him little algae bon-bons. The loaches aren’t scared so much as resentful.

    Adores: 8
    • 2012 November 19

      Dave, thanks for answering my question. I was wondering how you spoil an animal that you can’t feed because it eats waste products in a fish tank and you can’t pet because – well, fish tank. Maybe he has one of those little tetra bowls and he takes his pleco out for walks periodically? Maybe he tosses some of his own waste products into the tank to make sure the pleco has enough food? [exiling myself to the foulness corner, lonely and nowhere near as interesting as the innuendos corner].

      Adores: 5
      • 2012 November 19
        Windrose permalink

        [corey] Yancy, plecos eat algae, more than they eat waste products. If your tank doesn’t produce enough algae, there are algae wafers you can toss in. There is something very appealing about plecos, if you like fish as pets. [/corey]

        Adores: 1
      • 2012 November 19

        and you can’t pet because – well, fish tank

        Clearly you’ve never met my 5-yr. old grandson.

        Adores: 7
        • 2012 November 19
          Ziaheart permalink

          Or me. *sticks fingertip on the surface of the water* *wiggles fingers* *waits for curious fish to come and O my finger tip* *watches as it realizes it’s not food and indignantly returns to the bottom of the tank*

          Adores: 5
  4. 2012 November 19
    Ralph permalink

    Don’t run the time approaches
    Hotels and midnight coaches
    Be sure to hide the loaches.

    [corey] Fish have personalities like other pets; some are Type-A and some are timid. Anyone who actually watches the behavior in an aquarium instead of just dumping food in it knows which fish get along and which don’t. A 4″ Pleco is still an adolescent and probably acting like one. Mine are much bigger; they can grow to 2 feet+ and live 20+ years. Plecos often rush to the surface and gulp air, then crash dive back down to the bottom. Any fish in the way get slammed.

    Also, unless it has been molested, I have no idea how Sparky knows the Pleco is a “him;” you can’t tell by looking.[/corey]

    As far being “disease free,” I want confirmation from the Sturgeon General.

    Adores: 14
    • 2012 November 19
      Demon Duck of Doom permalink

      I can neither confirm nor deny these assertions, having had an emergency plectostomy at a young age.

      Adores: 5
      • 2012 November 19
        CapnMac permalink

        Sounds painful
        Plecto is a braid or plait in latin; -stomy refers to creating an opening for drainage surgically.
        Converting one’s tresses to drain purulence in an emergent situation would be complicated.

        A plectoectomy (alt plectotomy) would just be a haircut.

        Adores: 0
  5. 2012 November 19
    Brer Fox permalink

    All you gotta do is take his antics away from him until he learns to not scare the other fish. Duh. Use tough love.

    Adores: 2
  6. 2012 November 19

    Fish heads
    Fish heads
    Messing with their fish heads
    Loach heads–zero
    Plecostomus–one.

    Adores: 13
  7. 2012 November 19

    I did not get out of bed at 3 o’clock this morning and proceed to clean an aquarium that was quite ripe with algae, just so my widdle fishies would be happy and then when I was done, I did not squee with delight that the widdle fishies were fairly dancing with joy at the clean tank with the clean plants and the clean filters and the clean rocks and then I fed them and they devoured the food, no doubt as sustenance for all the widdle fishie games they’ll play while I’m away at work today.

    I.Did.Not.

    Adores: 7
  8. 2012 November 19

    If I ever met a Plecostomus? I’d thrash him from top to bottomus.

    Adores: 12
  9. 2012 November 19

    And now, number one, the loach. The loach.

    Adores: 6
  10. 2012 November 19
    Ralph permalink

    In Florida, this is an invasive species. People who are not familiar with them may try to take a Preposterous for a walk.

    Adores: 1
  11. 2012 November 20

    Punchity Punch Punch Me!

    Good Morning, Jock Custardtoe!

    Adores: 0

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