Pleco dietary needs...

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divja.dristi

AC Members
Oct 24, 2005
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should i blanch zucchini?

should i blanch zucchini before feeding it to my otocinclus cats? if yes, then how long should it be boiled? is the blanching for easier digestion or easier sinking?

also, do otos really need a piece of driftwood in the tank? why? where would i get some wood and how should i go about adding it to the tank?

thanks so much,
hannah
 

ChileRelleno

500+ jumps-n-counting,SKYDIVE!
Feb 10, 2005
540
2
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55
Mobile, AL
divja.dristi said:
should i blanch zucchini before feeding it to my otocinclus cats? if yes, then how long should it be boiled? is the blanching for easier digestion or easier sinking?

also, do otos really need a piece of driftwood in the tank? why? where would i get some wood and how should i go about adding it to the tank?

thanks so much,
hannah
For Oto's I would blanch the zucchini, blanching softens the food making it easier to eat and sometimes with some foods helps it sink.
Oto's do not (As far as I know)'need' wood in their diet as some Plecs do, Oto's will do best/thrive with some live plants if possible.

Most LFS carry asst'd wood decor for aquariums or you can order on-line form various sources. Boiling and/or soaking is the preferred way to prep wood for the aquarium.
 

Galaxie

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Feb 4, 2005
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I've been feeding my 11-inch common plec a quartered zucchini half every 2 days...along with 2 algae tabs and 2 spirulina tabs per day. That zucchini doesn't last long. By the 2nd day, even the rind is disappearing. I guess if he likes rind I'll leave it in there. Otherwise, I just need to do some shopping and see what veggie is the cheapest. (I hate zucchini and cucumbers! Awesome fish food!)
 

ChileRelleno

500+ jumps-n-counting,SKYDIVE!
Feb 10, 2005
540
2
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55
Mobile, AL
Galaxie said:
I've been feeding my 11-inch common plec a quartered zucchini half every 2 days...along with 2 algae tabs and 2 spirulina tabs per day. That zucchini doesn't last long. By the 2nd day, even the rind is disappearing. I guess if he likes rind I'll leave it in there. Otherwise, I just need to do some shopping and see what veggie is the cheapest. (I hate zucchini and cucumbers! Awesome fish food!)
Have you tried loading their zucchinni or cucumber with shrimp pellets, carnivore sticks and so on, like cloves on a ham?
 

Galaxie

AC Members
Feb 4, 2005
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ChileRelleno said:
Have you tried loading their zucchinni or cucumber with shrimp pellets, carnivore sticks and so on, like cloves on a ham?
Not yet. I just heard about doing this as you mentioned it. Not sure I've seen these in the LFS, but I assume shrimp pellets are like cichlid pellets. Carnivore stick sounds like something at the Hunan Buffet. :joke:

(Kinda interesting story....kinda gross too...but.... about 2 years ago I gave the oscar a feeder goldfish. It was kinda big, so he gulped down the rear half and spit out the front half. Within a few minutes, the pleco was munching away happily. Before then I thought plec's were purely vegetarians, so I began feeding him spirulina tabs. Learning about how to keep any particular creature happy makes aquaria an interesting hobby.)

Thanks for the informative post. :thm:
 

divja.dristi

AC Members
Oct 24, 2005
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ha HA!

tonight i cut a few quarter-size slices of zucchini, blanched for 1 minute, dropped them in the tank...the 3 otos found them almost instantly. they are just so d*mn cute. thanks for the advice! i'll try spearing the zucchini with shrimp pellets, and let you know what ensues.
--hannah
 

Halo

Puppies with Fins!
Sep 18, 2005
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You're not mentioning one vital fact of proper pleco nutrition... It's fun feeding them! Weather they are nibbling on koi treats, diving for shrimp pellets, or hulling out a zuchini, feeding time is always a special moment for plecos. It's when you're most likely to get a great look at these, sometimes, shy fish, and when you're most likely to interact with them. My three commons have all learned that hands are the source of good food, so they nuzzle right up to mine whenever I stick them in the tank. How many other fish out there seem to appreciate being pet?



Add to that a rich variety of favorite foods that only cause your fish to be more robust, and feeding time for the plecos becomes the central highpoint of your aquarium keeping.
 

jagarundi

Bonafide, 100% Cichlid Lover!!
Oct 6, 2004
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This post is an eye opener. No wonder my Pleco's have been sucking all over my Channel Cats! I'll start feeding them some lettuce and Carrots this evening in a spot only they can get to.
 
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