How often should I feed my pleco??

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Lynsey

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HI -
I have a 9" Sunshine pleco in my Oscar tank. I am wondering how often I should feed him. I have only had him for a little over a week and a half. I have been feeding him bloodworms, algae pellets, a beefheart mixture that I make and I tried a piece of zuchinni. I am just wondering how often I should be feeding him?
 

NJ Devils Fan

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Boil a piece of Spinich or Zuchini for about 10-15 seconds, rinse, and put into the tank. I would put more in once whatever is in there is completely finished.

HTH
 
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mokmu

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You can also not boil the veggies. Just rubber band them to a rock. I actually have feeding rocks that I rubber band the veggies on. I just pull out the rocks with the rubberband as soon as the veggies are gone.

Make the food as natural as possible and save your self electricity cost. Run the veggies through water and put them in the tanks. Pl*cs have rasping teeth that go through the veggies. They will be fine with fresh veggies.

Veggies are ONLY "cooked" or boiled to have them sink for the pl*cs who stay at the bottom.
 

Lynsey

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Thanks, I make the beefheart mixture for my Oscar anyways, so I will keep it up. It has spinach and peas in it too. The pleco seemed to like it. I think he really likes the bloodworms.


BUT............my question was how often should I feed him? not what should I feed him.
 

NJ Devils Fan

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I said you should feed when they finish what you put in the tank. Like you would put some zuchini in today, and the pleco doesn't finish it tomorrow, but does sunday, feed him sunday.
 

Ronne

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Leaving uneaten food in the water will foul the water. I usually feed my pleco after turning the lights off and remove what is left in the morning. It also depends what you are feeding. Lettuce will breakdown quickly so I take it out. Zucchini lasts longer so it can be left in for a few days.

Regarding the herbivore comment, plecos will definitely eat blood worms and almost anything else lying on the bottom. My sailfin pleco is addicted to the cories shrimp pellets.
 

NJ Devils Fan

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Spinich will not do anything to the water if you just leave it in the water for 2 days. I know thay for a fact because I do it all the time and never have a problem. I usually feed my pleco once, maybe twice a week.
 

Darkangel

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Feeding Plecos

Lets first off start by saying that not all plecos are herbivores. Most are omnivores and some are carnivores like the vampire and galaxias plecos. As "Sunshine pleco" does not tell what type of pleco you have I will recomend three feeding patterns. If the fish is a carnivore it should be fed daily with one day a week skipped or every other day. If it is an omnivore it should also be fed daily with an occasional day skipped. If however it is strictly a vegetarian type, it like Goldfish should have food in front of it all the time. Food passes through vegetarians very quickly hence the term "Like grass through a goose". There are others who will disagree but this is the way I decide on how often and how much to feed all my fish.
 

Lynsey

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My pleco is a L-14 aka Sunshine pleco aka Goldie pleco. I know that it is an omnivore. This is what Planet catfish suggests:
Sinking pellets and frozen bloodworm are ideal although all prepared foods that reach the bottom are accepted. This fish will eat most and shares with the wood-eating plecos the unusual habit of eating the skin before the flesh. Well fed fish may even leave the flesh so care should be taken to avoid decay and pollution from uneaten food.
I just didn't know how often I should be feeding. So far I have been feeding mainly everyday, but I have skipped a day inbetween once in a while.
 
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