How do Plecos get their food?

[Anthony8858]

I have a Pleco in my tank, along with some other fish. The other fish always get the food before it hits bottom.

I also add a Spirulina Disc to the tank, with the intention that the pleco will get it. However, all the other guys have a field day when I drop one the wafers in the water.

Is there any way to be assured that my Pleco wil get his necessary requirement of food?

 

[L046]

Try dropping the food at various corner of the tank, so that at least one can get to the bottom. If not feed the pleco at night when lights off.

 

[PumaWard]

You can also try rubber-banding a piece of zuccini to a rock. Most the other fish won't touch it because it's to hard to eat.

 

[valerie]

What sort of pleco is it and what are the tnaks mates?

Here are a few suggestions i have found helpful.

-feed after the lights have been off a while
-feed veggies and such attached to rocks, most fish will try to nibble it but not eat it.
-Build a cave jsut big enough for hte pleco and no the tnakmates, put the food in there.

 

[yhbae]

Very simple for me. Cut pieces of cucumber or zuchini, heat it up with water in the microwave for 1.5 minutes then remove the seeds. I simply drop them into the tank, which sinks. No stones or other weights and my bristlenoses always eat them clean - nothing for me to syphon out at the end. I think the fact that they are blanched allows them to eat faster hence no remaining residues. I usually put two pieces, each on the extremem corners of the tank.

I used to press down the pieces with a stone but I no longer do it since the parts under the stone were uneaten and get spoiled.

 

[snakeskinner]

I just drop a couple slices of fresh zucchini on the surface of the water to float around. My pleco would come out and eat on them upside down at night. I'll have to try yhbae's idea of cooking them to sink. Any method I've used to hold them under the water has been unsuccessful as my fish seem to free the pieces and they float anyway. I don't like any of the vegetable clips I've seen at the LFS so they just float. cya, Kyle

 

[valerie]

freezing them also soften and makes ten sick.

 

[fishypoo2]

I usually stuff the other fish with flakes, then drop in multiple tabs at different locations just before turning off the light. Another thought would be to increase lighting to 12 hours a day to grow some algae for the guy.