Small pleco, hungry goldfish

[Deminox]

Finally got my tank fully cycled. 29 gallons two small fancy tail goldfish. Added one small bushy nose pleco, he's just under 2" now.

First 2 nights he completely cleaned a big quartze rock i had in the tank covered in algea.. there isn't much algea elsewhere in the tank.

I blanched zucchini for him, it sinks and my goldfish ignore it. ..until they see him snacking on it then they chase him away and peck at it. Then they ignore it. . Until he goes to eat it again.

There a good method to make sure my little pleco gets enough food? I distract the goldfish with their own food when i feed the pleco but that only keeps them away as long as they have food to eat. I don't want to over feed and cause an imbalance in the tank.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Toad]

Feed him at night after all the lights are out in the room.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[fish wrangler]

Have you tried algae pellets? I would put 5 into my 29 gallon jn different spots so my common pleco could munch on one while the other fish pecked the others. Just my experience.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Fishfur]

You might also try providing some sort of hiding place for the pleco, a cave or something, maybe a couple of them. Piled up rocks would work. You could put his food underneath a hiding spot, where the goldfish would be less able to harass him. The suggestion to place food in a few places is a very good one too. Used to do that with my horses.. always one more pile of grain than there were horses, so everybody got their share.

 

[Deminox]

I've tried pellets no luck. But zucchini on a fork and tucked into a little cave seems to be working, though i sometimes wake up to find my goldfish snuck in the little opening.

If there is a string of poop coming from the pleco i assume that means he is getting enough though, right?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Fishfur]

Poop means he's eating for sure, but not necessarily that he's getting all he needs. Observe and see if he's growing. Growth means he's getting enough to grow and that's about all you can hope for.

Unfortunately, both plecs and goldfish are voracious consumers that produce a lot of poop for their size. In this case, so far, it would seem they're not exactly ideal tank mates, though once the pleco gets some size on him, he should be able to fend for himself better. Maybe only feed him at night, since plecs seem to like eating at night, and it might deter the goldfish from harassing him while he does.

Even fancy goldies will become too large for a 29 at some point. Well fed goldies grow fast.

 

[Deminox]

In my current apartment the property management won't approve anything bigger than a 29/30 gallon, anything else is considered a "large aquarium". But I'm out in 10 more months and will be upgrading to a 55 then. I bought the fancy goldfish at a small size and same with the pleco anticipating the time it will take them to out grow what i have. I may have to add a third filter with an amonia pad towards the end or do more frequent small water changes and gravel vacs.. but i can't wait for them to get a bigger home (and me too for that matter. My human to sqft living ratio is too small. I feel like I'm in a 2gallon tank!)

I have been giving the pleco cucumber, and zucchini. I have an algea rock growing in a clean bowl of water by my front window as well that ill switch out with his current rock that he devoured in a day.

Anything i should look for in color of waste? I know my goldfish are doing good when the waste is lighter in color and streams out easier. Lost one to airbladder from living on only flakes, poor guy got constipated to death.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Angela1108]

Have you tried cucumber Instead? Mine go crazy for it. Just out a rock in the middle of the big chunk to make it sink


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Deminox]

Oh hes been all over the cucumber and the zucchini when i put it in. The trouble is the bossy fancy tails. They have no interest in his food until he is on it. Hes taken to hiding on the tank wall behind the bubbles from the aerator stone. I think he spends too much time there to be eating enough.

When i first got the newest goldfish she bossed around the smaller one i already had, but now they school together. Im hoping they will acclimate to my bushy nose, I don't want him being so stresses he cant eat..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Coursair]

I use a veggie clip for the Goldies to eat their Cukes and Zucchini and Romaine.
Then the Pleco should get his at the bottom.

Don't forget shelled green peas weekly for the Goldfish and NO floating food.


Smoke signals from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Fishfur]

I've a friend who's switching over to goldfish and for awhile, had to keep far too many of them in far too small a tank, while getting their large tank ready. The guy he bought them from was closing a pond and wasn't willing to wait 'til their tank was ready. But by doing daily, large water changes, he's managed to keep them in good shape.

This temporary tank is entirely bare, which makes cleaning it quite easy. It would not work for an extended period of time, but in your case, with only 3 fish, simply doing more water changes will help. Nice to know you thought ahead and planned for them to have larger quarters.