feeding tips

[tomuel789]

hey everyone im new to keeping plecos and was wondering how do i feed them. i have a common pleco that is about 3 to 4 inches maybe. i bought him for algae control because my tank was being overcome with algae. anyway he surprisingly did exactly what i bought him for and cleaned it all up in a matter of about 2 days. there is almost no algae in my tank now so im just wondering what to feed him. thanks for your help

[Ashes2ashes]

IME my plecos LOVE nuked zuchinni, green beans, and algea wafers. :)

[tomuel789]

alright thanks. i have these bottom feeder sinking shrimp pellets and my corries love them do you think my pleco would be as fascinated with them?

[Ashes2ashes]

I've actually never tried those, but I would imagine they might like them. I think I have heard of other people feeding those to their plecos. I just try to give mine variety...they seem to be pretty healthy that way.

[tomuel789]

alright ill be sure to give em some greens. would they be happy with a rock with algae also. i heard you could put a rock and in water and set it in the sun until algae grows on it and then you could give that to them.

[Ashes2ashes]

That I have def never tried ..I actually hadn't heard of it, but I'm sure some more people will weigh in here with their pleco feeding tips, and some of them will most likely have done that.

[Rbishop]

yep works like a champ...though some plecos turn from just algae eating as they mature...

[fishorama]

Most common plecs are omnivores so veggies & sinking foods like pellets & wafers are all good. There's a sticky at the top of the pleco page with lots of ideas.

[Big Mike]

alright thanks. i have these bottom feeder sinking shrimp pellets and my corries love them do you think my pleco would be as fascinated with them? Yes my Plecos love them. I also feed them algae discs and the above mentioned fresh veggies.

[BettaFishMommy]

zucchini, cucumber, algae wafers, pellets..... all good foods for plecos.

you mentioned this is a common pleco. what size tank is it in?

[GEV83]

Ditto on what BFM said.

Also growing algea on rocks has been done by several people the only thing you got to worry bout is it getting contaminated from bird dropping and from chemicals some people spray outside for bug and weeds which will harm your fish if introduced to there tank.

[tomuel789]

ok thanks for all the tips. BFM he is about 3 inches right now and is in a bout a thirty gallon. i know hes gunna get big so i will probably have to get a replacement when that happens but the lady at petco said it takes a while for them to grow a lot. and GEV i was thinking of keeping it indoors, like just puting it in a bowl and water and set it next to a window. would that work?

[GEV83]

Yes that would work and would work just nicely. Oh and if it is truely a common pleco then ummm youll need a bigger tank sooner then you think since commons grow faster then most other pleco's if taken care of and fed properly.

[tomuel789]

ok thanks. i dont see a new tank in the near future so could you give me a suggestion on a smaller pleco i was origanly going to get a bristle nose but they were a little on the expensive side but if thats what i need i will most ceartenly do that.

[BettaFishMommy]

bristlenose would be a perfect size for your tank. what is the price at your lfs and are they albino or just plain ol' brown? if just a normal brown bn with the regular short fins i can't see them being more than 6 to 8 bucks maximum.

[GEV83]

Again Ditto on what BFM said lol. She is just full of good advice today.

BN's stay small maxing out at 5" but normally smaller. Commons grow to big to fast. I would try to trade the common in for a BN. Albino's may cost more then browns and long fins will cost even more. I would aim for a normal brown BN if your on a budget.

[Rjb3]

I feed my BN plecos Captain Bob's FRENZY.

[tomuel789]

well the BNs i saw were like 14 bucks and they had a sign for albinos which were like 6 bucks. ill talk to some more people about it and see if they would do it too. thanks everyone.

[BettaFishMommy]

14 is pricey for a plain bn!

if the albinos are cheaper, get two! lol. (in addition to aiding and abetting MTS, i also help people out with their MFS - multiple fish syndrome. hahaha!!!!!)

[GEV83]

Hey BFM dont try making up new abbreviations lol. MFS??? LOL your a dork.

[DGC]

Blend Zucchini, broccoli, peas, spinach, potato skins, a little multi vitamin and a touch of water, bring to boil, add gelatin, let cool, Place on a flat backing tray and set in refrigerator, once set cut into small blocks and freeze, once frozen break up so blocks are loose, feed them 2 or 3 blocks, Mine hears, smell hit the water and the hunt is on, once found it takes 2 seconds a block.

[USMC1765]

They have food for such fish I have 2 of them but they are scavengers, so just the left over food in the tank is probably adiquit . By the way they get huge and add alot of waste in the tank so you really need to change water often.

[tomuel789]

ok everyone important question here. how long would i have this pleco before he would outgrow the tank? its really important because if its for a very short time i will get a BN but if its a decent amount of time i will keep for a while.

[BettaFishMommy]

i would take the common back to the lfs now to try and trade it for a bn. as commons get bigger they are less desirable due to size and tank space needed.

[Ashes2ashes]

They have food for such fish I have 2 of them but they are scavengers, so just the left over food in the tank is probably adiquit . By the way they get huge and add alot of waste in the tank so you really need to change water often.


This is def NOT adequate. You want to raise a healthy pleco, and they need much more than just fish food leftovers.

I agree with BFM and anyone else who suggested getting a BN instead of keeping a common. BNs are awesome! You might be able to find one cheaper here on AC though. $14 is really pricey for a BN IMO. I am about to sell some of my brown BNs when they become sexable for no more than $6 or $7 each..and that is at most. If your LFS won't come down from $14, you might consider checking the classifieds here.