Why won't my pleco eat veggies??

[Shane87]

I have a leopard sailfin pleco and he is very active happy and healthy but I want to vary his diet a bit. He used to eat pleco wafers but stopped eating them so I don't bother anymore. I don't know what he eats now and he seems to have slowed down growing atm but he must be eating enough as he seems healthy and poops more than anything I have ever owned lol any ideas?

 

[Shane87]

C'mon there must be some pleco pro on here?? Lol

 

[vanimal]

There must be enough algae in your tank or maybe he is eating your other fish's food?

 

[Shane87]

Yea he is Defo getting enough from somewhere but everyone else's pleco's seem to love fresh veg but not mine lol just wondered if anyone knew the reason

 

[abstract373]

What you giving em? I feed mine butter lettece romain zuchini and cucumbers i hold it down with a clip or sink it with a rock

 

[Shane87]

I have tried zucchini, cucumber and pear, he didn't touch any of them

 

[abstract373]

Hes got something that taste better in thw tank...hes eating you fishes foods

 

[Shane87]

I only feed them frozen cubes and hikari carnivore pellets with that and what ever algae he is finding will that be balanced enough do you think?

 

[abstract373]

If its happy and growing.you give it a balanced diet...the problem is its going to eat what it wants....(candy) lol

 

[Shane87]

Lol probably cheaper, thanks for your help.

 

[FreshwaterFishJunkie]

I have a common pleco and he eats 2 algea wafers a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. Also I have a big piece of driftwood in the tank for him to munch on. I tried veggies for 3 months when he was young but he would not eat them. Also I tried a diffrent brand of wafers and he refused them so I went back to the original brand he liked and then he started eating again. I have had my algea eater since he was a baby and he is now about 14 inches long and comes out in about 2 to 5 minutes after I put a algea wafer for him to eat. So as long as he is healthy and not overfeeding him do not worry to much.

 

[Shane87]

Yea I had mine from about 2 inches and he is about 8 inches now. he is healthy and active even in the day a fair amount so I'm sure he's fine just didn't want problems in the future from poor diet. And mine used to eat pleco wafers too but just 1 day stopped and hasn't wanted them since lol but thanks for the replies my mind is now at ease

 

[vanimal]

My pleco eats cucumber, algae wafers, bottom feeder tablets, and shrimp pellets.

 

[FreshwaterFishJunkie]

Oh yea forgot to mention I do put shrimp pellets for the bottom feeders in my tank. I think my pleco sometimes will find one and eat them too.