http://forum.aqua-fish.net/ A forum devoted to aquarium fish, plants, techniques and fish keeping as a whole. en http://forum.aqua-fish.net/?topic=pleco-with-its-head-out-of-water#1 I just set up a tank about 2 weeks ago, and let it just run for about a week before setting fish in it. I bought a pictus (med), pleco (small) and albino cory (small). I have a 55 gallon tank that has real rocks, real wood, a fake hollow log, a large bubble stone, fresh water salt; I had bulbs in it but they started to grow what looked like water mold so I took them out. Well today I noticed that my pleco is sticking his head and sometimes almost whole body out of the water while he's sucking on the glass. Is this normal or is there something wrong with my tank? I've never noticed a pleco do such a thing, I've been keeping an aquarium off and on for the past 14 years, but this is my first 55 gal. Also, I think the pictus is eating all of the poor pleco's food! I've been feeding tropical flake and algae wafer, just bought some broccoli that I was going to steam tomorrow. I doubled the wafer and cut the flake in half when I noticed the pictus preferred that to the flake. But my pleco doesnt come out when I feed like the pictus does and Im wondering if there's any left for the pleco who randomly swims around the bottom to see whats there. aria 2009-12-21 http://forum.aqua-fish.net/?topic=pleco-with-its-head-out-of-water#2 My Pleco loves to hang upside down. He finds any place he is comfortable and hangs like a bat. He even hangs upside down against the plants. Your plecos is just chilling, relaxing and having a nice time. http://www.carolinafishtalk.com/ chrlesdikkenson 2009-12-23 http://forum.aqua-fish.net/?topic=pleco-with-its-head-out-of-water#3 Why are you adding salt? A week is a very short time for the tank to cycle, what are your water parameters? mickey 2009-12-27 http://forum.aqua-fish.net/?topic=pleco-with-its-head-out-of-water#4 Why are you adding salt? A week is a very short time for the tank to cycle, what are your water parameters? I've never worked with fresh water salt and the aquarium lady said that she recommended it with the fish we were getting and the ones we planned to get once the tank cycled to prevent and to treat diseases. So I did. I wasnt expecting the tank to cycle in a week, I know that it takes weeks to months for it to cycle. I also know that without either adding ammonia in small amounts constantly or fish the tank wont cycle at all. My tank is 80*f I use Jungle 5 in 1 strip tests - I just tested and my results are.... between 0-20 nitrate 0 nitrite between 25-75 for hardness 40 alkalinity 7.2 ph the ammonium test strip I have says 0.25 ppm aria 2009-12-28 http://forum.aqua-fish.net/?topic=pleco-with-its-head-out-of-water#5 if you are getting a reading for nitrates your cycle must be well on its way. I asked about the salt as the stores tend to try to sell you something that you don't need. I have never used it and never will. mickey 2009-12-29