How to feed a baby pleco

[cassandra87]

Hi! I just got a little baby pleco (only about an inch long) for my community 20 Gallon High tank. It's moderately planted, and contains 5 redfin tetra, 2 platys and 2 amano shrimp. I got the pleco to help with an algae problem, and he (Vernon) is slowly making headway on cleaning the glass.

During the day, Vernon likes to hang out on the heater. I can tell he's been cleaning the glass, because there are trails through the algae blooms. I'm not sure how else to feed him, though. I have some algae wafers, and I put in a tiny piece (maybe size of a rice grain?) every other day, but everyone in the tank loves them; sometimes all the fish will participate in carrying, chewing, and dropping the pellet. The algae wafers i have actually have meat in them, so I bought some pleco wafers. I set about a quarter of one on the driftwood last night then turned off the tank light, hoping the nocturnal pleco would smell and go for it. After walking my dogs, I came back in a shined my iphone light in the tank to see what was going on. I caught Gertrude (one of the Amanos) sailing through the tank gripping this wafer that had to be at least 3/4 of her body weight.

So my question is, how much do I need to worry about the pleco getting food? How often should i put in a pleco wafer, and how much? The tank also gets a small pinch of flake food, that the fish largely take care of at the surface.

Thanks!

 

[V227]

I wouldn't bother with the algae wafers. As long as you have driftwood for the Pleco to munch on, the few crumbs of flake food that reach the bottom should be enough.

 

[Angellove78]

Lol! Yeah the wafers my angels got bloated on them once and I never used them again. If you want to see him really go to town on eating something that the other fish don't eat. Zucchini slices. They love them. The other fish will eat at it alittle when it gets broken down. But they won't have much of a chance to. Try it, it's cool to watch them eat it. ??

 

[Angellove78]

Lol! Yeah the wafers my angels got bloated on them once and I never used them again. If you want to see him really go to town on eating something that the other fish don't eat. Zucchini slices. They love them. The other fish will eat at it alittle when it gets broken down. But they won't have much of a chance to. Try it, it's cool to watch them eat it. ??

Oh, and I take the skin off. Slice it to about 1/4" and shove it on your driftwood. Or something to keep it down on the bottom.

 

[cassandra87]

Thanks!! How often do you do that? I don't have any zucchini at the moment, but I do have some butternut squash I can try tonight. Do I need to cook it at all? And will the shrimp like it too?

 

[Angellove78]

No cooking. They like cucumbers too. And I don't give it to them all the time. Remember plecos get big. The more you feed them the faster they grow. All depends how big you want it to get and how fast. I give mine zucchini sometimes soak it in garlic juice from minced garlic.(just to build immune system.) Maybe once every 2 weeks or so. When ever . And I just leave it in there till it starts breaking up.but, I have 2 plecos in a 75 gallon. I got them about a month ago at about 2" now they're alittle over 2" and getting orange tips on they're fins they are so gorgeous! Anyways, just when ever you feel like it. Throw one in and watch. Lol! They act like a raccoon or possum getting in to a garbage can. Lol!

 

[Cohenjl13]

Just as a devils advocate, my 6 Otos and 2 plecos don’t touch the zucchini I used to put in the tank every other week for a couple months.

I stopped putting it in all to get her, the cucumber will turn to mush and you’ll have to use a net to get it out. If you leave it in to long then you’ll just have crud floating around your tank and cucumber seeds lol. Anywho, I hope your Vernon loves them if not clean it up before it’s a huge mess!

Ps, I got my clown Pleco when he was a baby and has always lived off drift wood. Every once in s while I’ll catch him on the glass or digging in the dirt

 

[cassandra87]

Follow-up

So, I put in some butternut squash, raw, on a bamboo skewer for easy removal, tucked under some wood. So far no takers. The tetra pecked at it and quickly became disinterested. Vernon swam that way, but he's easily spooked. He's scared of the bloodfins. I don't think they are being aggressive, but they are inquisitive and when they swim right up to him he goes back to his heater. I'm going to feed them and turn off the lights early and see if I can catch him.

 

[Angellove78]

Try tucking it behind the heater and the glass by him and feeding the others.

 

[cassandra87]

Thanks! I left the squash in overnight, I'll take it out in the morning. I'll try some by the heater tomorrow if it hasn't been munched on.

Will he gradually get used to his tank mates eventually? I hate seeing him spooked by the others. Although I'm probably obsessing a little bit about it.