What Can A Common Pleco Eat?

[mariah]

I believe he is a common pleco (so i have been told). I cleaned all my algea out of my tank like two days before getting him. I had no clue my sister was going to give me 'spot' the pleco. He was given to my sister in a 10g along with a gold algea eater which she just gave to the pet store. Spot is 6 inches long. I have him with cichlids in a 55 gallon tank. There are cobalt blue, electric yellow, ob zebra and a strawberry peacock. I will post a picture of spot and the tank. I know he needs a bigger tank and that 55 gallons is way to small but that's all that can be done for now. When he is way to big i will give him to the pet store. Yesterday, i did up some cucumber and Spinach for him. I put it in a pot of boiling water for 30-40 seconds and the spinach a bit less. I left the skin on the cucumber. I put it all in the freezer. I don't know how much he eats but i did about 6-7 Spinach leaves and i have 24 little things of Spinach. I put cucumber in last night on a piece of slate and he never touched it. I placed it on the right side of my tank where it is open. What else is easy to feed him? I also have algea wafers but i know my cichlids will go crazy for it. They bring it and hide it so i know spot won't find it. Is there any tricks to anything? What if he doesn't eat tonight? I think i am going to try the spinach tonight and see how it goes. He has also never had veggies in his diet before, just the algea wafers. How old do you think spot is right now?

Also, please don't say anything like, the ph has to be different for the pleco and the cichlid and that it won't work... my ph is quite high( comes out of my tap like that) and a steady ph is better then one that would always change by trying to keep it lower or higher

 

[Rolance]

First off thats a nice looking tank!

I also have a pleco in a 55g that was given to me to keep for my fiancee who also had it in a ten gallon for years. He looks to be about the same size as yours. I'll attach a pic.

Yes, they should be in no smaller than about a 120 gallon but like you i have no choice right now. He is my fiancee's favorite fish. When he gets too big i will try to rehome him, but for now he is really enjoying the bigger tank. He absolutely loves algea wafers but like you my other fish hog it and move it into caves or in tight spots where he cant get it.

What i found i have to do is turn all the lights off and make the room dark as possible, wait for the other fish to "fall asleep" then i quietly drop in the wafer in an open spot and occasionally shine a light to watch him eat it. If it gets stuck somewhere i dip a net in and get it back where he can get it.

As far as other types of foods go im not sure but i definitely recommend getting some driftwood for him to chew on and get his nutrients from. He will love it.

 

[Rolance]

I dont think my picture worked. Let me try again.

This is one of the times he got to the wafer before the danios and otos.

 

[jwh0818]

I dont think my picture worked. Let me try again.

This is one of the times he got to the wafer before the danios and otos.

Nice that pic is priceless!

 

[Rolance]

Ugh him sorry idk what's going on with these thumbnails.

 

[Rolance]

wait, you can see my pics?

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Try blanched zucchini with the skin peeled and the seeds scooped out. My BN pleco loves it.

Also, he definitely needs driftwood in there, it is essential to his diet.

 

[Rolance]

^^ Thats prolly why mine loves these Algae Wafers. They are the Marinland XL sinking Zucchini wafers

 

[mariah]

wait, you can see my pics?

Haha great pictures! I couldn't see them at first but now i can see the last two.. still can't see the first picture though..your situation is the same as mine! I know its bot ideal but for the time being its better then what he/they were in for now. You can feed him with the light on? I am putting my fish to 'sleep' for a half hour then putting the spinach on a piece of slate in.

 

[mariah]

First off thats a nice looking tank!"

Thank you!! I am trying! Its been about a year having this tank if not a bit less. I am horrible with algea... every time i see some on the walls or slate i want to clean it.. maybe spot will keep it clean for me. I also change my slate all the time! My dad got me some slate corners from a house he was working on they ordered the wrong ones and they left them outside and never noticed its kind of tempting to go and get more slate just so i have different pieces to work with. I am always doing change.

 

[Rolance]

He will only occasionally be able to eat it with the lights on if he gets to it first. Ive also just now caught him with his whole head out the water and eating on the ramp of my HOB filter.

The slate you got looks really good and i love the dark sand you have too. My little bro has a cichlid tank that i help him with and we are about to change the coffee colored gravel to the same sand i have in my community tank. If you ever want to get some different rocks go to a Jim Stone Co. or some other landscaping place and get creek rock/river slate. We filled up a wheel barrel out there and it was only like $40. Heres some pics of some of the ways we had his tank set up.

 

[mariah]

He will only occasionally be able to eat it with the lights on if he gets to it first. Ive also just now caught him with his whole head out the water and eating on the ramp of my HOB filter.

The slate you got looks really good and i love the dark sand you have too. My little bro has a cichlid tank that i help him with and we are about to change the coffee colored gravel to the same sand i have in my community tank. If you ever want to get some different rocks go to a Jim Stone Co. or some other landscaping place and get creek rock/river slate. We filled up a wheel barrel out there and it was only like $40. Heres some pics of some of the ways we had his tank set up.

Yes, the sand.. i bought from a pet store and there is 50 pounds in there which i paid $60 for... in my tank right now is about half the slate i have right now and i paid under $30 for it. I live in Canada and we only have one little place around here to get it. I don't know if i can find the picture on my phone but i did have rocks in there from my back yard but i didn't like the idea or it touching the glass of the tank.. no body knows this but me and you now.. and who ever reads this, but i have hit the glass with slate a few times and there is chips inside.... :/ its fine!!! And always will be fine!!! Right!? :/ haha

 

[mariah]

He will only occasionally be able to eat it with the lights on if he gets to it first. Ive also just now caught him with his whole head out the water and eating on the ramp of my HOB filter.

The slate you got looks really good and i love the dark sand you have too. My little bro has a cichlid tank that i help him with and we are about to change the coffee colored gravel to the same sand i have in my community tank. If you ever want to get some different rocks go to a Jim Stone Co. or some other landscaping place and get creek rock/river slate. We filled up a wheel barrel out there and it was only like $40. Heres some pics of some of the ways we had his tank set up.

There is another picture with the rocks i have but would rather slate... there is also just a few pictures of how i have arranged my tank. Its new every month

 

[Fibsog]

Try algae tabs, algae rocks, blanched veggies. Also i dont think that is a common.

 

[mariah]

Try algae tabs, algae rocks, blanched veggies. Also i dont think that is a common.

Its not a common pleco..!??

 

[jwh0818]

Its not a common pleco..!??

Yes it is a common pleco

 

[mariah]

Yes it is a common pleco

Okay... i am so lost people keep saying yes and no then yes ughhh! :S does the pattern on the skin matter? Like how do you tell them apart?

 

[enrgizerbunny]

There is another picture with the rocks i have but would rather slate... there is also just a few pictures of how i have arranged my tank. Its new every month

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You got way too much time for scaping on your hands, lol.

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[Rolance]

Yes the nicks should be fine lol. The slate definitely looks the best. Your sand looks better than mine, I like the black. Mine is a tan color. I bought mine for $13 for 100 pounds at a pool store. I used about 75 lbs in my 55g

 

[mariah]

You got way too much time for scaping on your hands, lol.

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Haha do i ever! I have to always have change or things get boring