Not enough algae for pleco

[Glene20]

I have a young bristlenose pleco. Have him about 2 months and hes eating every bit of algae in the tank. I feed him the wafers but is there any way I can get algae to naturally grow in the tank??

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[Sk3lly]

I have a young bristlenose pleco. Have him about 2 months and hes eating every bit of algae in the tank. I feed him the wafers but is there any way I can get algae to naturally grow in the tank??

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I really wouldnt recommend trying to grow algae in your tank. Can be a nightmare to get rid of if it establishes itself.

If you really want to though, then upping your lighting times normally does the trick


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[Coyne]

Something to consider is that there are different kinds of algae and that you may end up growing a type that your Pleco won't eat.


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[Mebbid]

Algae is really not a great food for plecos. I wouldn't worry about it and just keep feeding him algae wafers.

 

[Sk3lly]

Algae is really not a great food for plecos. I wouldn't worry about it and just keep feeding him algae wafers.

And some veggies if you like


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[Karatepig]

They also love to chew on driftwood if you don't already have some in your tank. I'm not sure if it's really considered a food source, but, you know.

 

[Pamiam]

Plecos are omnivores, they also need meat. As they mature, they feed less frequently on algae and more on regular foods.

Depending on your species, many plecos need driftwood for part of their diet, the lignin in the wood help with their digestion.

Hope this helps

 

[Glene20]

Thanks for the replies. I dont actually have any driftwood. Can I just buy any driftwood ? Is there certain types. And what veggies could you suggest? Thanks

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[Mebbid]

Thanks for the replies. I dont actually have any driftwood. Can I just buy any driftwood ? Is there certain types. And what veggies could you suggest? Thanks

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Cucumbers, romaine, and nori sheets

You can use pretty much anything for driftwood. Most pets stores will sell it or you can go out and find some around a river. Just make sure it's well worn and not rotted as well as barkless.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

BN Plecos DO need driftwood in their diet.

I blanch and freeze all of my veggies. Romaine, broccoli, zucchini and peas are all I've fed so far.

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[Pamiam]

do not take driftwood from an outside source as it has not been properly prepared.

Microscopic or other small creatures live on the woods outside, not to mention the pollutants that can contaminate the wood such as rain, sewer run off etc.

There was a post awhile back, where a person added wood from a near by stream and it killed all his fish.

Buying wood from a pet store is safe.

 

[Mebbid]

do not take driftwood from an outside source as it has not been properly prepared.

Microscopic or other small creatures live on the woods outside, not to mention the pollutants that can contaminate the wood such as rain, sewer run off etc.

There was a post awhile back, where a person added wood from a near by stream and it killed all his fish.

Buying wood from a pet store is safe.

I have to point out now that all wood comes from the outdoors. All of that wood is subject to the same environmental effects as the wood you find in your own neighborhood. There's also no spectacular way that they prepare it other than a possible sand blasting to remove bark. Now there are some woods albeit very few that contain poison for fish bit that's why you use well weathered wood that came from waterways. All of the potential toxins will have leeched out.

 

[Glene20]

Thanks. I'll go petshop today and buy some driftwood

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[Sk3lly]

Microscopic or small creatures sounds great to me. Would certainly stop me buying live foods such as dapnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm!!


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[Glene20]

I think there saying they will cause more harm than good to fish haha

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[Mebbid]

Scavenged driftwood is usually boiled or baked to kill anything on it before it goes in your tank.

If you really want to buy some go for mopani or manzanita. Both very nice types of wood. The mopani is super dense and will sink right away, its what I use to attach my locally scavenged driftwood to to make a bit more complex looking aquascapes.

Just beware, the store bought stuff isn't weathered as much as the scavenged stuff so you will be fighting with tannins constantly. They will cause a drop in your ph. I would recommend getting some purigen to absorb it. Store bought is also notorious for developing a fungus like growth (nobody is sure whether its a fungus or bio film) it can usually be sucked off with a turkey baster. I'm fairly certain that it happens because the wood isn't well weathered and still has something in it to cause the growth.

 

[CCXGT]

I have a young bristlenose pleco. Have him about 2 months and hes eating every bit of algae in the tank. I feed him the wafers but is there any way I can get algae to naturally grow in the tank??

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Not enough?!

Does your pleco fancy a holiday in my tank? Haha


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[Plecolover18]

Plecos shouldn't eat naturally grown algae for food, there not the best algae eaters either. Using wafers is good but I would use cucumber slices, lettuce and seaweed clippings. I would have in some driftwood for him and make sure that is boiled for 24 hours too

 

[loachy dance]

Cheap wood

I used crapapple for by 2 bn plecos, its fruity and they love it. We had to cut down a small tree that was tangled in electric wires and i put odd looking cut shapes in there. Its fine to use your own trees fallen branches if they are hardwood and have been boiled and dried. Note only if you dont use pesticides. I als peeled the bark off first to be safe. In the long run you can design your own shapes and its essentially free.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

I don't get the "tank algae is bad, so give them algae wafers instead" thought process. Spirulina is algae that has been grown and dehydrated- what's the difference?!. Some fish keepers attribute a good crop of algae to the long life of their fish. In particular was the owner of a 23 year old kissing gourami.

My bn pleco is a great algae eater. Though he's spoiled and prefers veggies and wafers, he'll eat more algae given I reduce his feeding some.

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