Concerned fish aren't eating

[pwrflpills]

I have a 3-4" Clown Pleco and 2 new and small Otos. I have put nickel-sized Hikari sinking algae wafers (usually a half wafer) in at night, every couple nights or so, for the pleco since I got him/her and he seems to be doing fine (year+). I just got the 2 Otos and while my tank glass is clean now, I want to make sure they are getting enough/the right stuff to eat, esp. now that the glass is clean.

It seems that the wafers that I use barely get touched. In the morning they have become a blob of dissolved algae that the snails seem to enjoy, but it looks like barely any has been consumed by the fish. I don't want to support the snail population and I obviously don't want to over-feed.

Should I put just a tiny piece of wafer in for the Pleco? I worry that because he is so big that if I put in a tiny piece that he won't be able to really work with it. But of course, that's something I came up with on my own.

Is there a better food to give Otos?

And is possibly feeding these guys at night not the way to go?

 

[Zagz]

No feeding them at night is fine. Were the wafers that you fed the pleco before eaten by him before the otos? I would add only another half a wafer for the otos. It takes time for them to eat sometimes in a new environment. Also try feeding some zucchini or some cucumber for both the plec and the otos.

 

[neilanh]

Welcome to AA!

I'm not familiar with clown plecos specifically, but my plecos prefer to eat at night. I give my largest one a half of an algae wafer every 2-3 days, right at lights out, and just assume he eats it. lol

Otos are more finicky eaters. I have never seen mine eat processed/packaged foods. The only thing I've ever seen them eat, other than algae, is blanched veggies, with cucumber seemingly their favorite. I don't believe otos are nocturnal, so daylight feedings for them as well.

 

[pwrflpills]

Were the wafers that you fed the pleco before eaten by him before the otos?

I'm not sure what you mean. Yes, the pleco has always eaten the wafers in the past, if that's what you're asking. Sometimes it's gone the next day, sometimes it looks like he doesn't even touch it.


I don't see the otos go for the leftover algae wafer - they pretty much just hang out in the top, front corner of the tank on the glass. By the next day the wafer is covered with snails.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Zagz]

I did mean did he eat the wafers before. Otos don't always eat the wafers so you can notice it. Algae wafers are also a good way to get rid of unwanted snails. You can try feeding the otos in the daytime, a few flakes perhaps. They will most likely enjoy the veggies if you try them. My otos go crazy for zuc.