Pleco Food

[Lostchemist]

I have 1 gold nugget pleco and 1 candy striped pleco and both appear to be quite healthy. I feed them zuccuni, and they lunch on my other plants. But i was reading and saw that they are also carnivorous. What do you guys think is the best food for them? To suplement there diet.
Do they eat tubaflex worms?

 

[Matt W]

My plecos eat just about anything that hits the bottom. I have noticed they really enjoy blood worms though

 

[gregg604]

The only thing my 3 plecos will eat are those sinking algae tablets.

 

[mrbigisbudgood]

Originally posted by gregg604
The only thing my 3 plecos will eat are those sinking algae tablets.

Same here, I've never seen my pleco looking for food other than sinking vegetarian tabs.

 

[OrionGirl]

It is essential to know what kind of 'pleco' you have in order to provide adequate nutrition. For carnivorous fish, providing meaty foods is very important to their well-being. Carnivorous fish fed only plant matter will not get adequate protien and will suffer in the long run. Carnivorous fish often can not adequately digest plant matter--they lack the needed bacteria in their gut.

Blood worms, glass worms, beef heart, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, meaty sinking tablets (Hikari makes one that is specifically for cats that has lots of protein), shrimp pellets, and community formula frozen foods will all help provide the fish with meatiness they need to thrive. Blood worms are available frozen--these are easy to feed, but shouldn't be the only meaty food you supply.

 

[Lostchemist]

Thank you OrionGirl, I am putting my order in to get some Hikari food. I think my plecos will love it!

 

[L046]

You can feed them frozen bloodworms, try not to get the live ones. Plecos are scavengers which mean they accept any type of sinking food, but some species however do enjoy more meaty diet eg L46 and some prefer more vege diet, eg panaque.