Feeding my pleco...

[G-Lizard]

I've a Bulldog Pleco. He's a great fish, and enjoyable to watch. Lately he's stared moving around a lot more, particularly when the light goes off when he goes completely nuts! I've little visible algae in my tank (possibly because I've also got 5 Amano shrimp). Can anyone tell me 1) how do I know if I'm feeding my pleco enough; 2) what do plecos eat apart from algae (all I feed my tank at the moment are wafers, and occasionally blood worm). BTW, it's a planted, 70 litre tank and I've also got 10 green tetra, 2 agazii(?) cichlids and 6 harlequin rasboras. There's also some kind of horned snail (not an assassin) in there somewhere...

 

[shellyx]

I've a Bulldog Pleco. He's a great fish, and enjoyable to watch. Lately he's stared moving around a lot more, particularly when the light goes off when he goes completely nuts! I've little visible algae in my tank (possibly because I've also got 5 Amano shrimp). Can anyone tell me 1) how do I know if I'm feeding my pleco enough; 2) what do plecos eat apart from algae (all I feed my tank at the moment are wafers, and occasionally blood worm). BTW, it's a planted, 70 litre tank and I've also got 10 green tetra, 2 agazii(?) cichlids and 6 harlequin rasboras. There's also some kind of horned snail (not an assassin) in there somewhere...

Hi, i had a bulldog and I fed him algae wafers, bloodworm, brine shrimp, flakes, shrimp pellets and his favorite cucumber. Hope this helps

 

[Canary bird]

I feed my Pleco cucumber or cooked broccoli at least once a week, he also gets shrimp wafers every day (usually 2 or 3) and high protein sinking pellets every other day, and anything else he stumbles upon, I don't have algae in my tank either .

 

[Canary bird]

This is my Pleco having a chunk of cucumber for his dinner

 

[Mattyfelts]

This is my Pleco having a chunk of cucumber for his dinner

beautiful fishy!

 

[Baddog671]

Plecos are opportunists and in the wild will eat the greater part of anything that falls into the water, especially vegetation. That being said, most common veggies and fruits can be feed to them. Favorites seem to be cucumber, zuccini, cauliflower, and apples.

I've seen them eatting deadfish as well, but I think that is a starvation last resort. Worms and brineshrimp are options, and I bet they would suck up some baby shrimps if you had one in a shrimp tank.

A well feed Pleco will be a pooping machine!

 

[G-Lizard]

Thanks all. I've just got a few courgettes in so will see how he gets on with a little bit ?

 

[Canary bird]

My plecos favourite is broccoli, unfortunately it makes the water stink so he usually gets cucumber ,
I think you have to cook the courgette ?

 

[Gaz77]

This is my Pleco having a chunk of cucumber for his dinner

i have just got a Pleco how do you get the cucumber to sink?

 

[aquandrew]

i have just got a Pleco how do you get the cucumber to sink?

tie it to a rock or bring some water to a boil and drop a cucumber slice in for 15 seconds, that will blanch it and cause it to sink on its own

 

[FrankoQ]

tie it to a rock or bring some water to a boil and drop a cucumber slice in for 15 seconds, that will blanch it and cause it to sink on its own

Thanks for the tip!

I have plans on getting me a gold nugget pleco. I now know how to feed him.

 

[Canary bird]

I don't cook the cucumber, I bought a screwcumber off eBay , it's great

 

[bikergal]

Buy a clip with suction cup to hold the cucumber slice. I bought mine at Petsmart. It suction cups on glass at side of tank. Easy to reach and keeps vegetables from floating up.