Rhino Pleco question

[TorturedSOUL]

So the last couple of days my rhino pleco has been trying to suck onto my fire eel. It just latches on to him, I don't see it doing any damage to the eel, but it is a pretty big pleco and he seems to hold on pretty hard.

Is my pleco trying to eat my eel?

 

[willy:-)]

Your fish is hungry and trying to find algea on the eel. This happened to me once but I removed him because it was sucking off scales. You should supplement your plecos diet or make sure he is getting enough food. Good luck!

 

[Egypt]

Plecos will do this. You have to feed them just like you feed your fish. They love veggies and algae waffers. Mu Rhino eats all of my plants so now I just feed him extra waffers and shrimp pellets. If you don't feed him he will go after your fish. He is starving.

 

[wataugachicken]

my bulldog pleco used to do that when i put my black moor into the main tank. it wasn't that he was hungry, just very territorial and a little hateful. the goldfish kept trying to eat all the algae tablets and the pleco would come out of nowhere and attack the moor to defend his food, even if he wasn't eating at the time. he enjoys lying in wait and using the food as a lure, now he does it to the bristlenose babies but they're too quick for him. the goldfish is kinda slow mentally and physically and couldn't take a hint.

 

[Blinky]

Are you spot-feeding the pleco? How large is s/he? Once in a while even a well-fed plec will choose to prey on tankmates - evidently other fishes' slime coat tastes good - but most often plecs who do this are starving. My rhino is still a baby, just 3.5" long, and can put away a Hikari algae wafer in a surprisingly short time! His appetite rivals that of my full-grown male bristlenose, who is longer and much heavier-bodied.
If you're not spot-feeding, try giving your rhino thawed frozen veggies like zuchinni (courgette), green beans, spinach, peas etc. As well, you can give him/her bottom-feeder wafers, algae wafers and occasionally meaty foods like shrimp.