Help with my Pleco

[chinamike720]

I have a 10 gallon tank with 6 Black Mollies, 4 Tetras and 1 Pleco. The Mollies and Tetras are full grown and my Pleco is about an inch and a half. Everyone is thriving in the ecosystem, but my concern is that my Pleco is not able to eat. I feed him shrimp pellets, but every time I put one in, the other fish eat it before the Pleco gets to. I have tried throwing one in to distract the other fish and then throw another one towards the Pleco so that he can eat it. This has worked, but when the other fish see it, they go for it and the Pleco can't eat. I have tried a number of variations, but to no avail. Finally, my question: is there any other way I can feed my Pleco without the other fish taking his food? Thank you in advance and I look forward to hearing your advice.

 

[SpeedEuphoria]

feed it a thin slice of cucumber, it will love you and the other fish will give up

 

[rob28]

feed it a thin slice of cucumber, it will love you and the other fish will give up

thats exactly what i do for mine!! you may need to weight the cucumber down so that it doesnt float. i use a fork but some people are against a fork due to the potential for injury.

 

[black hills tj]

First of all, what kind of pleco are you keeping in a 10g tank? Very few will do well in such a tight space.

 

[rob28]

First of all, what kind of pleco are you keeping in a 10g tank? Very few will do well in such a tight space.

why dont you stick to his question.

 

[bluerose]

TJ's is a valid point... many plecos will become far too large for a 10 gallon. They usually start out small so novice/misinformed fishkeepers think they will be fine in that size tank but eventually it'll become a problem.

You could also try algae wafers- although my betta and tetras eat more of the wafers than the cories...

 

[rob28]

understood. i have 3 id sharks in my 55 gal and when i have a question in regards to my water quality, i dont expect/want comments in regards to my sharks eventual/potential growth to 4 feet.

thats my point...stay on topic

before any1 freaks out on me, im not saying this with an attitude either. just stateing my case.

 

[black hills tj]

Other than the size issue, the species of pleco will determine which diet is best for his fish. Just trying to look out for the fish and the owner here. I can shut my yap and ignore the thread if you'd rather....

 

[rob28]

Other than the size issue, the species of pleco will determine which diet is best for his fish. Just trying to look out for the fish and the owner here. I can shut my yap and ignore the thread if you'd rather....

dude....im sorry. didnt mean for it to turn out this way.

my bad

 

[black hills tj]

dude....im sorry. didnt mean for it to turn out this way.

my bad

Its all good

 

[chinamike720]

The Pleco in question is a high fin Pleco. I tried to get the smallest one I could find for exactly the reasons mentioned before. In regards to the cucumber suggestion, how often and how slim do I feed and slice the cucumber? I appreciate all the feedback.

 

[SpeedEuphoria]

fish dont need to eat daily, I guess it depends on your tank. If you have live plants then not feeding for 2 days is fine, as 1 day on not eating and another of scrounging the tank to find scraps/algae to eat.

 

[An t-iasg]

Plecos like cucumber slices, zucchini slices, and broccoli stalks (not the florets). Cut the cucumber or zucchini about 1/4 inch thick. You can boil the veggies in the microwave for a few minutes to soften them - don't cook them, just soften. Pour cold water over them to cool before putting in the tank. I used little lead fishing weights and thin nylon fishing line to keep the food weighed down. Pierce a little hole in the food and put the fishing line and a weight through it. Leave the line long enough to hang outside the tank. Tape the line to the tank edge and then it's easy to pull the line up to remove the food, if there's any left! Leave the food in for about 24 hours (remove sooner the next time if it gets too mushy).

 

[rob28]

i give my pleco a slice bout the thickness you would put in a sandwich. i do that every other day. keep in mind, my pleco is 7 inches long.

 

[An t-iasg]

Good point - my little pleco was about an inch and a half long!