Feeding Pleco

flyte00

AC Members
Aug 7, 2006
44
0
0
45
Pennsylvania
www.flyte.org
Hi all.
I have been feeding my fish a more varied diet lately with lots of live food and such and just realized I've been ignoring my Pleco, Vacuum. What vegetables are best for him? Alot of people say cucumbers but since they have hardly any nutritional value for me, I'm worried they'd be like junk food for him.
I have an iguana that I feed a varied mixture of greens, collards, mustards, beet & turnip greens.. etc. I buy them, mix them and freeze them. Would these be good for my pleco?

Thanks!!

Sarah
 
Well i dont have a pleco myself but from what ive heard thell eat almost everything on the bottom. I feed algea pellets to my raphael catfish and it (looks like) its related to a pleco so maybe try that. Frozen bloodworms!- my cousin feeds his fish those for snacks and they go crazy! they love em!!
 
get some algae pellets or can go with some soft greens and see if that will work.
 
Hi :)
He gets Algae wafers already, I just wanted to give him something that he'd enjoy and that would be closer to his natural diet.
 
I feed my pleco algae pellets (Hikari is good), spirulina pellets and they like the occasional 'meatier' food like shrimp pellets. As far as vegetables goes mine prefer zucchini. I put a slice in some water in a bowl into the microwave on high for 2 mins (that way its soft and sinks). You can use pretty much any green vegetable (green beans, brocolli stalk, brussel sprouts, carrot). I take it out the next day if they haven't eaten it all.
 
you might look in to zucchini squash. I don't know but I think thats what I saw when I was at the Pet shop. Just an idea to look in to. :) A treat I do let my wonderful 6in. snow king pleco have is .,, i let the nitrate levels go up and real alge grows behind one of the decorations in the tank and after a couple of days I move it he goes nuts and has the whole wall cleaned in like 30min( its a 10gal tank) so its not much but he loves it ..
 
I feed mine cucumber, zucchini, leaf lettuce(cichlids also eat), and some people also seem to have luck with potatoes. I wrap mine in a wet paper towel and microwave for 25-30 secs.
 
Cucumbers have nutritional value.

But Zucchini, Spinach, Seaweed (sheets can be bought at some stores), etc... are all great as well. Varied is a good idea. If this is a common pleco some driftwood is very important in their diet as well.

Large bulky diets are a must to for a healthy pleco. A slightly rounded belly is a good thing. The more poop coming out of them the better.
 
what kind of pleco/catfish?

some species need wood in their diet some need more protien some eat mostly vegetable matter.
many common plecos need a varied diet of wafers and protien(they will consume flake)
 
AquariaCentral.com