What to do about cichlids hogging food

[swifty]

I've been trying to feed my pleco for the last 2 nights. The first time I tried, it was at normal feeding time and I dropped a veggie round from omega one near the driftwood my pleco is always on. After my cichlids ate their pellets my convict swarmed the wafer and it was gone in a few hours.

The next day I was informed to try feeding it at night, after the lights are off to drop in a round. I dropped it in and although it was dark from all but the ambient light in the other room I witnessed my convict again, swarm the round.

Last night I tried another night feeding, but this time I dropped one on the right side of the tank which the convict again swarmed, and the other on the left near the driftwood. I watched for about 20 minutes and still didn't see the pleco emerge. I woke up this morning to a convict that looks stuffed, so I'm unsure if she even gave the pleco a chance to eat some.

The male bristlenose is pretty territorial with my female convict, as anytime it approaches the driftwood and he sees her he will chase her off, so I don't think shes out-competing him for it.

I didn't feed today because I don't want her to get over-fed if she's eating the pinch of pellets and these extra wafers.

Any suggestions from experience/tips online I haven't seen?

Btw, she has literally grown .25 of an inch in the last week since I switched my pfs sand for black moon sand.

 

[Aski247]

Try a slice of cucumber or zucchini, the cons should be less inclined to mess with it.

You may have to weigh it down because the slices will float.

 

[Malawi Freak]

Honestly I have put in algae wafers maybe twice in the last year for my plecos.

 

[Convict2161]

They eat trust me. Mine are fine and I rarely add wafers.

 

[jseiverd]

They usually dont go for it at first but they will get a clip and put blanched cucumber slice in it

 

[Lucifer]

They eat trust me. Mine are fine and I rarely add wafers.

I agree mine are fine as well if anything throw some sinking cichlid pellets in.

 

[swifty]

Well I just tossed a cube of zucchini in and it was promptly attacked by the convict, lol.

 

[HUKIT]

Well I just tossed a cube of zucchini in and it was promptly attacked by the convict, lol.

I think the key here is the fish are still active, even with the lights off they will remain alert for a period of time. I feed my plecs New Life Spectrum O2 wafers daily but I wait a few hours after the tank lights are off, this way the other fish are mentally turned off which allows the plecs to forage uninterrupted. Luckily my wife is a insomniac and she "volunteered" to perform this task, the plecs have never looked better.

 

[Convict2161]

I think the key here is the fish are still active, even with the lights off they will remain alert for a period of time. I feed my plecs New Life O2 wafers daily but I wait a few hours after the tank lights are off, this way the other fish are mentally turned off which allows the plecs to forage uninterrupted. Luckily my wife is a insomniac and she "volunteered" to perform this task.

Haha that's great! Gotta get my wife to help out now. Good info HUKIT!!

 

[ff.rice]

This is awesome..... I was wondering the same thing! What about in the morning before work? Are the plecos still doing their things then? And are the cichlids still calmed down at that time? Or does it need to be in the middle of the night?

 

[HUKIT]

Haha that's great! Gotta get my wife to help out now. Good info HUKIT!!

God bless her for putting up with me for so long, plus it took 19 years of marriage before she started helping with my addiction.

This is awesome..... I was wondering the same thing! What about in the morning before work? Are the plecos still doing their things then? And are the cichlids still calmed down at that time? Or does it need to be in the middle of the night?

I think that would depend on the ambient light the tank receives in the morning, I've got some tanks downstairs where the fish are motionless sleep mode until mid afternoon when the light penetrates the blinds, where as the upstairs tanks the fish are active when the sun comes out early am. So your indiviual set up will vary.

 

[swifty]

I think the key here is the fish are still active, even with the lights off they will remain alert for a period of time. I feed my plecs New Life Spectrum O2 wafers daily but I wait a few hours after the tank lights are off, this way the other fish are mentally turned off which allows the plecs to forage uninterrupted. Luckily my wife is a insomniac and she "volunteered" to perform this task, the plecs have never looked better.

Not sure when else to try tbh. The lights are on a timer and go off about 5 pm, and I get home at about 10-11 pm. I try to feed at about midnight, so I thought it'd be enough time.

Last night I dropped in another after the convict swarmed the first, and this morning one square is half-eaten the other was just nibbled at.