# I cannot get my pleco to show and stop hiding



## shawnmcc (Feb 14, 2008)

I have pleco in my aquarium that only comes out when there are no lights. I can empty the aquarium and she hides under the substrate attached to the bottom of the aquarium. I can tell she is still there because she pulls and moves plants around off the bottom of the aquarium. I can not get her to show her self any suggestions.


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## Fishmommy (Feb 16, 2013)

They are shy creatures. You might tempt it out with some raw shrimp on a veggie clip.


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## kcoscia (Jul 24, 2013)

shy and nocturnal


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## wicca27 (May 3, 2009)

what kind of pleco? most are nocturnal so they will only come out when the lights come off. by taking every thing out of the tank you have made it more uncomfortable so it will try and hide even more.


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## Kat12 (Aug 11, 2013)

Are most so shy? I have "commons" and albinos and they are around most the day where you can see them. My kids love them and insist on kissing the plecos (through the glass)


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## Fishmommy (Feb 16, 2013)

I have a large snow king who is out eating all day, but I also have had many fancy types that were never to be seen. 


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## Lornek8 (Jul 3, 2013)

Different plecs have different personalities. Usually after a period of adjustment many will come out and move about during the day. This depends a bit on the species and the habitat they are from. Ancistrus (the bushynoses) and Pterygoplichthys (commons, gibbiceps, snow kings, etc) are grazers and mostly captive bred and tend not to be shy in aquariums. Others such as the Hypancistrus (zebra plec & the like) are from deep water rocky whitwater habitats and tend to prefer subdued lighting and thus tend to be a bit shy in the aquarium.


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## mr.bigglesworth (Jul 6, 2012)

I guess I am lucky. My bristlenose all are very social and love to come to the front of the tank when I walk in the room and start begging for a wafer. They are almost never hiding when I am in the room, especially the huge one i like to call grandpa cuz he is really old. Grandpa tries to bully me sometimes he is so brave, he loves to flare at me with his full gill spikes displayed and one time he cleaned my hand and arm when I was doing maintenance in the tank, it felt really weird, he would scrape my arm for food with his teeth on his suckermouth, his teeth are pretty dull though so it tickled more then hurt. He will come out and look at me and then do this act for food as if saying, 'WELL?? What are you doing just standing their you lazy bum! Where's my wafer??' check this video I took of him a while ago in mid-act 



 I used to have a goldnugget that had the same social behavior. My rubberlip tho is very shy even though I have had him for almost 2 years. He loves to rest on this one anubias leaf up in front of a powerhead so his gills are blasted with oxygen water, but when I get too close he makes a run for it.


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## Snowflake311 (Apr 20, 2011)

Depends on the Pleco.

Bn plecos are out going and fun. I have a clown nose who is 5 years old she is always hiding never comes out unless it is night time. When she was younger I saw her more. Now I forget I have her.


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## shawnmcc (Feb 14, 2008)

I think the pleco is a mix but I am not sure never gotten a good look at her. I think it is a Colombian Zebra Pleco. But like I said it could be mix. She does come out at night she is smart enough to avoid the night vision on the camera I got one glimpse of her eye and that was it she was gone in a blur. I can tell she is in there because of the fact that the drift wood is being eaten the plants have bites out of them and there is poop that no snail could produce under the substrate and on top of it. She left a brown poop from the bottom the substrate to the top. Which was kind of funny.


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## Lornek8 (Jul 3, 2013)

Those Columbian zebras and those similar are most likely Hypancistrus. LIke I said previously, these come from the rocky light-starved depths of large deep whitewater rivers. They are more accustomed to poor lighting conditions (though many are captive bred nowdays) and tend to be a lot more skiddish than the other species previously mentioned. They will get accustomed to captivity and become more bold especially if offered meaty foods. They are also carnivorous or at least omnivorous with a preference towards meaty food though will take a nibble at green matter every now and then.


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## wicca27 (May 3, 2009)

i know my bristlenose were pretty shy, they would come out but if you walked up to the tank they would swim away.


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