As for the vegetables, you can feed plecostomus with spinach, lettuce, squash, cucumbers. Overall, plecos don’t do well in peaceful or semi-aggressive communities. Plecos are omnivores, meaning they need meat as well as vegetables. It is important to not overcook the vegetable. Tankarium is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. In terms of their appearance, giants have the same pleco body shape and features as the rest of the catfish in the Loricariidae family: Plecos are hardy catfish and can easily survive for a decade in captivity. They likely require at least a 300 to 500-gallon pond-style enclosure to induce spawning, but there are no successful breeding reports to work off of. Our Privacy Policy. These fish came into the hobby as "Algae eaters", and many are still bought to keep the glass clean on the tank they live in, while other, more exotic, species are bought purely to please the owners by having a striking pattern. It doesn't actually say anything about the specific feeding habit of the fish, to do that, you have to look closer, but more on that later. Anything that is a bit heavier than water can be used as a weight, such as a teaspoon or stones. The sucker mouth is an excellent way of staying in place in water with a minimum of effort. While there are more than 150 species of armored catfish, one of the most prevalent in the aquarium trade is the “original” or Common Pleco (Hypostomus plecostomus). Step 3. They love to eat at night and rarely like to be seen during the day. White worm and micro worm cultures are also good fun to try and really appreciated by these types of fish. Grind your favourite fish food to bits. Almost all loricariids are opportunistic feeders, so they will eat leftover food that is given to other fish. They eat algae, algae wafers, zucchini, squash, cucumber, earthworms, shrimp, and more They’ll eat almost any fish food that drops to the bottom, but this can’t be their entire diet Plecos are … Zebra Plecos do best on a high-protein diet. They often start attacking and even eating smaller or slower-moving fish. In the next part of this series we'll discuss what groups of species eat which groups of food. He can eat a 1" x 2" piece in no time. These types of foods should be cooked before feeding to remove undesirables and most are available pre-cooked and are easy to use. My albino bristlenose pleco fish love cucumber! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. CarnivoresWhite fish, mussels, shrimps/prawns, cockles. In the next article, it's explained what groups eat what type of food so you can work out what each genus will want. Supplement with regular treats of fresh blanched veggies like spinach, cucumbers, peas, carrots and zucchini. While you can temporarily keep juveniles in smaller set-ups, I don’t recommend it since they’ll quickly outgrow it. These fish came into the hobby as "Algae eaters", and many are still bought to keep the glass clean on the tank they live in, while other, more exotic, species are bought purely to please the owners by having a striking pattern. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); © 1996 - 2021 PlanetCatfish.com, part of the Aquatic Republic Network group of websites. Although Plecos can be housed with a wide variety of fish, they are very territorial towards their own species. Additionally, you can treat your plecos with the occasional raw cucumber or zucchini one or two times each week. First, let's classify the different types of diets: This does not necessarily mean that the odd-bloodworm won't be consumed by a herbivore, for instance. All Rights Reserved. Feeding Bristlenose Plecos. It’s best to feed your plecos every day and provide protein-rich live foods a few times a week: Despite the advice given at many Big Box pet stores, the Common Pleco is not a good option for the vast majority of community aquariums. Plecos are huge waste factories. They thrive the most if their food consists of at least 80% plants, while the rest of it should be plant based. This way, they can get all the nutrients they need for a healthy life. Providing care for Sailfin Pleco is pretty simple as compared to other fishes which have complex diet patterns and require a high degree of maintenance, the Sailfin Pleco needs feeding only when the algae level goes down in the tank. I usually recommend using aquatic soil, sand or fine gravel for pleco tanks to avoid causing any injury to their abdomen or fins, but Common Plecos are tough and can handle any type of substrate. However, just like humans eating the wrong things for too long, the fish will live a longer and happier life if it's fed the correct diet. She is an expert in setting up new tanks and maintaining naturally-planted freshwater habitats, and has experience raising a wide variety of aquatic species. Hypostomus plecostomus, also known as the suckermouth catfish or the common pleco, is a tropical fish belonging to the armored catfish family (Loricariidae), named for the armor-like longitudinal rows of scutes that cover the upper parts of the head and body (the lower surface of head and abdomen is naked). Consider feeding peeled, finely chopped foods like lettuce, zucchini, spinach, or melon – just make sure you avoid acidic fruits and vegetables, like tomatoes Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can provide these fish with only algae-based foods. Don't forget that your Pleco will like to munch on algae on the walls of the tank. You can avoid these issues by feeding plenty of plant-based foods and limiting protein treats to a few times a week. Plecos can eat a variety of vegetables such as lima beans, broccoli, cabbage, kale, celery peas, and zucchini. Adding a juvenile to an existing aggressive tank may work too, if there’s plenty of hiding spots to keep them safe until they’re bigger. When it comes to food, plecostomus eat a variety of food including vegetables. They feed on all sorts of matters they find in their region. They eat everything from algae to meat and some even use wood as a food-source. This means that they want to have at least some food all the time. Algae and sinking algae wafers. Larger aquatic insects, amphibian larvae, snails, crayfish, and native fish eat this. Shane's World Catfishology Feeding Plecos, Part 1 • Types of food. Make sure to provide several pieces of driftwood in the aquarium at all times so your pleco can suck and scrape it off. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth, and this belief leads to many underfed and malnourished plecos. It’s better and more cost-effective to start with a set-up ideal for your mature fish rather than upgrading things later. They’re not picky about water hardness, and prefer neutral conditions with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. Adult Commons become aggressive and territorial towards the community and don’t play well with peaceful species: Plecos are easy to care for overall, but do present a few problems as they grow and develop. The tiny pieces of driftwood the pleco eats help with its digestion. Probably the best way to sink vegetables is a new product called a screwcumber, but any kind of fish safe weight will do. Their main diet should be composed of a herbivore sinking pellet, since they tend to mainly eat on the bottom of the tank. For smaller individuals, it's preferred to blanch the vegetable before feeding. However, with plecos as with many other fish and humans, overfeeding is much more of a problem than underfeeding, and aside from that, food that is breaking down in the water will affect the water quality in a negative way. These will provide an abundance of hiding places for your fish during the day and plenty of surfaces to rasp for algae and fiber. They can also be fed frozen foods, … I’m a big fan of algae-eaters, and some of the most impressive are the armored suckermouth catfish known as plecostomus. Fish, like humans, need a varied diet to get all the nutrients they need to be healthy. Wood eatersAside from having wood in the tank, these fish also like a bit of vegetable, particularly the skin of certain vegetables such as cucumber and courgette are eaten with gusto. Your Mr. Pleco (XIX), in just a few months, can eat a tremendous amount of this. Again, the Bristlenose Pleco is a bottom feeding fish, so it’s important that the live and frozen foods sink to the bottom of the tank, in order for them to be seen. This can include algae, aquatic plant matter, fungi, meat, small insects, larvae, worms, and a great many other food sources that sink to the bottom. The best advice is to start with a small portion. How much to feed?Plecos are grazers. Plecostomus fish really only need to be fed once a day. InsectivoresInsects and larvae of insects. With their massive appetites, these fish produce a lot of waste and need a high-quality canister or HOB filter with replaceable media to keep their water clean. Since plecos have huge appetites and produce a lot of waste, toxins quickly build up in their water. But unlike smaller species, such as the Bristlenose or Clown, Common Plecos often don’t work out in community aquariums: Common plecos are native to a wide range of Central and South America. Better choices are medium to hard woods, such as cherry, apple, birch and beech. This can include bloodworms, small crustaceans, fly larvae, and earthworms. To control the waste from my common pleco, I have a HOB filter rated at 400 gpm, a sponge filter rated for a 60 gallon tank, and a 300 gph powerhead fitted with a filter sock.. Common plecos need a tank of 75 gallons minimum and even larger is preferred. If in doubt, chop it a bit finer than necessary, but of course liquidising mussels in the blender until they resemble a milkshake isn't the right approach. Feeding Plecostomus Vegetables. In a bright environment such as a greenhouse this will soon form thick green algae that can be fed. Think of it like having a pet dog. OmnivoresThese fish eat just about anything, so a mixture of vegetables, insect larvae and carnivore diet. Blanching, for those of us that aren't Delia Smith, means to boil it for a short time. While these foods don’t need to be a regular part of your plecos’ diet, they can help add fiber and essential vitamins. Like previously stated, bristlenose plecos love to eat and you can provide them with a wide range of food. It is unquestionably the most important food source produced in most water bodies, and vital to the overall community. For bigger plecos, these can be just cut up to suitable portions and fed directly. Please donate to our monthly hosting costs and keep us free for everyone to enjoy!Explore our YouTube channel, Facebook page or follow us on Twitter. Drop a note in the comments below or join the bigger pond on our social media pages! Commons prefer warm water from 72 to 86°F, so you may not need a heater in your aquarium or outdoor pond. Other commonly used food is Sweet Potatoes or Yams, split peas and sugar-snap/mange-tout are also excellent foods. He loves pears, melons, cucumbers, and zucchini. Aquarium algae can’t provide fish with a balanced or complete diet, so you’ll have to supplement your plecos with commercial products and fresh treats. Common plecos are wild-caught and usually sold as 3-inch juveniles, but they can double their size in less than 6 months! Cite this website.By accessing this site you agree to our Terms and Conditions of Use. I’ve actually had to rehome a Common myself, so we’d love to hear about your experiences with these problematic plecos. The goal is to give sufficient food, without overfeeding. It may eat some soft leaved tank plants, but only in case if it doesn’t have enough of algae and supplements to its diet. will go for the centre and often leave the skin untouched. This is the first part of a two-part article on how to feed loricariid catfish, aka Plecos. As for the live food, it can be earthworms, bloodworms, insects larvae, small crusta… Invest in protein-rich dried foods. For example Panaque maccus will eat the skin of a courgette before attacking the centre, whilst Ancistrus spp. Clips with suckers to stick to the glass are available from most fish shops, the sucker can fatigue after a few months. Wild plecos tend to hide in the shallows under rocks and driftwood. Keep in mind that giant plecos are voracious eaters and may attempt to eat anything they come across, from scraps left by other fish to dead or slow-swimming members of your community. Remember to take any left of food or vegetables out of the … For the more adventurous, you could try your hand at express-growing of algae. Step 1. Learn how your comment data is processed. LimnivoresThese fish also eat many different things. In general, it does take some time for the fish to figure out that something added to the tank is actually food, so don't give up if the fish hasn't touched your food after a day. Step 2. Know when to feed. The dry egg white will only dissolve very slowly in water. The ideal decor for a pleco tank is a lot of driftwood, bogwood, tree roots, branches, sticks and rocks. But, they are not as fond of it as other plecos or voracious algae-eaters. He prefers it fresh, not blanched. Adding blanched vegetable treats and/or fast-growing Hornwort may protect plants from damage. They’re susceptible to the typical water-borne diseases and parasites like Ich, so always quarantine new fish and plants for a few weeks before adding them to your tank. Experiment by adding a small amount of plant food to tank with no fish in it, and some suitable size stones, pottery or similar for the algae to form on. Feeding Zebra plecos have an omnivorous feeding inclination although they so much cherish eating foods that are rich in protein – like bloodworms, mussels, lobster eggs, tubifex,daphnia, brine shrimp, and so on; it is for this reason, they are often erroneously categorized as carnivores. This product is highly acclaimed for being one of the … Your pleco will grow alongside your aggressive community. Plecos avoid brightly lit areas and usually stay in shaded parts of the tank or under decor until the lights go out at night. Like humans, these fish can eat many of the same vegetables that humans can. When time comes to feed, just take a cube and put it in the water. As a result, it’s best to be safe and only keep one Pleco per t… Your pleco needs lots of fiber in their diet, and they can get it from driftwood. I am away for 6 days and have Bristlenose pleco fry. For protein, consider live or frozen snacks. Supplement with raw zucchini or cucumbers as a treat once or twice a week. Yes, the dog will eat any scraps that fall to the ground, but they should still have daily meals consisting of actual dog food. Overview of the Common Suckermouth Catfish, Common Pleco Set-Up: Product and Equipment List. Keep driftwood in the tank at all times. Different plecos seem to like different parts of the vegetable. Live and frozen foods are not an essential part of the Bristlenose Plecos diet, so don’t stress too much over these. I just drop it in the tank most of these float) and he loves hunting it down, catching it and devouring it. Common Plecostomus (Hypostomus plecostomus), Average 15-inches in length, but adults range from 12 to 24-inches at maturity, Scavenging Omnivore; juveniles consume algae, wood and plant materials along with decaying scraps and live fry, insects and eggs. The Common Plecostomus may be cheap and widely available, but these giant catfish can become problematic as they mature. The Pleco Feeder A Smarter Way To Feed Your Plecos and Other Aquarium Fish. They are pretty easy to breed, and you can buy a starter culture. A well-balanced Pleco diet consists of: 1. To set up a community tank for a single Common Pleco and a few aggressive cichlids, you’ll need: Does a giant Common Pleco seem like a good choice for your tank, or do you think a smaller species would be better for your community aquarium? Tankarium is reader-supported. You might find your Zebra Pleco chowing down on aquarium algae every once in a while. They are happy to consume both fresh and decayed matter. Preparation as for herbivores. Common suckermouth catfish may fight when kept together in groups unless provided with a spacious environment (like an outdoor pond).. You may notice small or medium-sized fish are missing or find their partially eaten bodies, and you may even witness an attack on larger fish as your pleco gets bolder and bigger. A common misconception is that these fish have a sucker shaped mouth in order to hoover up algae. I feed mine one algae pellet/tablet per day. For any vegetable foods, anything that hasn't been eaten after 24 hours should be removed, otherwise it goes soft, most fish won't eat it and your water quality will take a nose dive. Adults are best kept on their own or in a community tank with large, aggressive cichlids like Oscars or Green Terror, Ideal for planted aquariums, but may consume plants rather than eating wood or algae. Common Plecos can reach over 15-inches in length and can easily outgrow a small aquarium within a few months. A few times a week offer live, dried or frozen brine shrimp, bloodworms or … Place it in the tank. Lastly, note that, if your tank has live plants, plecos may uproot or eat them. Here are some suggestions, based on what diet your fish may have. Has this page been useful? Add some tap-water to each compartment to seal in the food-bits a bit better. If it's all been eaten overnight, it's probably OK to feed a bit more next time. The fish mainly eats vegetable food and algae, though it may eat some live food. They’re found in streams and river habitats, and usually prefer to hide among wood, branches and debris, along the bottom of waterways. An older, larger Pleco may need a tank size closer to 150-200 gallons. I have a 12" pleco, too. At the weekends I feed him a slice of cucumber as well. For Plecos, it's better to feed the maggots than to feed flies, as they aren't good at catching floating creatures. A few examples of things you could try are, parboiled lettuce or cabbage leaves, carrots, cucumber or peas. One needs to feed the Pleco once or twice a week depending upon the algae growth in the tank. The only other problems you’ll usually see are related to unbalanced or overfeeding. Since giants can measure up to 24-inches in length, you’ll need at least a 75-gallon tank for a single adult fish, although 150-gallon would be even better. When it comes to the Bristlenose Pleco, we are talking about algae-eaters with a mostly plant-based diet. Always anchor any raw vegetables you feed your plecos to the floor of the tank. It is not suitable to use wood that has a lot of resin, such as pine and spruce. Overcooked vegetables can easily cause the water to go cloudy. So, I hope the above gives you some good ideas and encourages experimentation too. If you’d like to keep a Common in a community set-up, your best bet is to raise your pleco with a group of aggressive cichlids like Oscars or Green Terrors. For smaller individuals, it's preferred to blanch the vegetable before feeding. If you buy a larger amount of food than the fish will eat in one go, you can easily create your home-made frozen food by putting the remainder in a ice-cube tray, say a teaspoons worth in each compartment. While they’re often sold as algae eaters, Common Plecos are actually omnivores and need to eat both plant and animal-based foods. They are actually omnivores, and eat plant material, algae, insects and small crustaceans in the wild. You can also feed them blanched vegetables – try out a variety to see what they like the best. Catfish are a popular choice for aquariums because they’re usually very healthy fish and don’t suffer from many common problems. Wood should be cleaned properly with boiling water and then soaked for at least 24 hours before it's placed in the fish-tank. I feed cucumber to my pleco fry. Offer 2 to 3 protein treats a week, such as brine shrimp or bloodworms, Easy, but becomes more challenging as catfish mature, Varies as the catfish mature; juveniles may be shy and mellow, but adults are often aggressive and territorial, Mostly bottom-dweller but may use the entire tank in adulthood, Well-filtered and very clean water with a mild to moderate current, Juveniles may initially be kept in peaceful community tanks and with other Pleco species, but they often become aggressive with age. Food preferences often shift in adulthood away from algae to live plants and larger live prey, Feed daily and offer a mix of commercial sinking algae wafers and spirulina pellets supplemented with fresh blanched veggies. For bigger plecos, these can be just cut up to suitable portions and fed directly. Maintaining the driftwood in the aquarium is essential. While juvenile plecos are often shy and peaceful fish at first, they rarely stay that way once they’ve matured. For preparation, see the above. Not in the sense that they eat grass, but in the sense that they are, in their natural habitat, eating more or less continuously. Any food to be fed to plecos need to be the right size for the fish to feed on. Plecos are sold quite small in pet stores, so most people don’t realize that they will grow to reach 1 to 2 feet in length.As your Pleco grows larger, be prepared to house it in a 50-100 gallon aquarium. The article is targeted at carnivorous insects and amphibians, but fish will take these larvae too. Most plecos will not be able to bite chunks out of for instance mussels or prawns, so it needs to be chopped to a suitable size. If the fish eats algae faster than it appears, you should feed it with artificial food. Raw vegetables should be anchored near the bottom of the aquarium. They often become more aggressive as they age, and may begin to hunt and consume your other community fish . Another option is to breed fruit-flies. An air stone is highly recommended to maintain high oxygen levels in your water. There are examples of fish eating orange, but vegetables in the Cucumber family, such as Courgette (Zucchini to the American audience), common cucumber and various types of melon are all excellent foods. South American catfishes (Everything else), Please donate to our monthly hosting costs. This is the first part of a two-part article on how to feed loricariid catfish, aka Plecos. An excellent choice is Hikari Algae Wafers, which I use for my plecos This should be supplemented with vegetables, as they need a large amount of plant matter in their diet. One question that commonly occurs is what and how to feed these fish. With a teaspoon you can pierce the food with it, and vegetables can be attached to stones with a rubber band or a piece of string. You should feed them tablets which have been specifically developed for bottom dwelling herbivores such as sinking algae pellets or wafers. Stress caused by inadequate space, erratic feeding, poor hygiene or changing water parameters can dramatically reduce their lifespan. To keep the fish you need a tank with large amount of fouling in it. You can supply blanched lettuce, zucchini, peas, and more for vitamins and nutrients. Young plecos may be friendly bottom dwellers for a few months and then suddenly have an attitude change. Until you know if the fish likes one part or the other, don't be tempted to peel of the "nasty skin" just because that's what you wouldn't want to eat! There are three sources of food that the aquarist can use: Most supermarkets in the western world carry a wealth of food items that can be made into suitable food for plecos with just a little bit of preparation. You can add any kind of fish food and even ground, dried vegetables. You can't usually find this in the supermarket, but aside from dedicated (usually frozen) foods in the pet-shop, you may be able to get suitable food items by farming your own. When you buy via the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Suitable wood can be found in the fish shop, but you can also use wood from the garden, or found on river-banks and shores. I wish I could take credit for this, but my hat is off to Norbert Flaugger of Casa Maria, Venezuela who, in conversation with Shane Linder passed on this method that works wonders for raising tough fry and acclimatizing picky loricariids. 2. What are the requirements for a giant pleco aquarium? In the wild, these catfish are opportunistic eaters and readily consume anything that fits in their mouth. Some of their favorite vegetables to eat are squash, cucumber, zucchini, lettuce, and spinach. They are available in all sizes from a few centimetres to well over half a metre. A varied diet of vegetables and protein-based foods is ideal. Common plecos are not bred in captivity and we don’t know much about their reproductive behaviors or requirements. In fact, the sucker mouth is a development based on the environment they live in, typically varying strengths of running water in varied areas of South America. A hungry bristlenose pleco will completely devour every last piece of blanched zucchini, cucumber medallions an… Watch this video and learn an easy (and cheap) way to feed fresh veggies to your plecos. The fish love broccoli, and although popular, cabbage varieties can make the water smell like of cabbage, which is a drawback. How to Feed a Plecostomus Fish. For instance mussels are also available tinned, which makes it an ideal food because it's easily available. Plecos can even eat vegetables and fruits from time to time. Feeding Bristlenose Plecos. Is the Common Pleco a good option for your aquarium? All commercially produced fish foods have to have some type of binder to get the nutrients to the fish. This diet should be reproduced as closely as possible in the home aquarium, and they should ideally be fed algae wafers and a high quality flake food. Rubber lipped plecos can live up to 12 years with proper care, but their longevity depends on their habitat, feeding regime, and maintenance routines. Jen has more than 30 years experience as a biologist, aquarist, and fishkeeper. Paint the resulting mixture on a flat rock or driftwood. While they are bottom dwellers when young, mature giant plecos often use their entire tank for hunting, so your mid-level and surface fish, Plecos are a natural fit for planted aquariums, but mature catfish, Offer your plecostomus commercial foods like, 150-gallon or larger aquarium with a stand and cover/lid, High-quality canister and/or HOB filtration system(s), Decors such as driftwood, sticks/branches, rocks and plastic plants, Hoses and/or vacuum system for water changes, Commercial sinking algae wafers and/or spirulina pellets. Most vegetables tend to float at the top of the tank, and plecos tend to eat at the bottom or side of the tank, so it's necessary to make sure the food ends up in a place where your fish will be able to eat it easily. Kale especially is good for this group and also in feeding their young. It’s difficult to spot the differences between males and females, and even experts may be unable to identify precise species unless they know the capture location. Even with a well-maintained filtration system and using fresh filter media, you’ll need to do a 30 to 50% water change at least once a month to maintain a healthy pleco tank. HerbivoresAlmost any vegetable and many fruits that you can find in the supermarket will do here, but some are more suitable than others. Aquatic Foods Inc. Wafers of Algae & Spirulina. Plecos are a popular option for both novice and experienced fishkeepers because they’re generally hardy, easy to care for, and help remove algae and decaying scraps from your tank. In this article, I'll try to explain how to prepare various types of food. Here's an article on how to breed them: http://www.easyinsects.co.uk/livefood/fruitflies/ . These eating machines need plenty of room and a robust, high-quality filtration system, but are otherwise tolerant to a wide range of conditions. Most people will tell you that the common pleco is a sucker fish, and can live off algae alone. This is because this type of fish needs extra fiber and the fiber can be obtained from driftwood. I feed cucumber to my pleco fry. Although plecos are known as cleaner fish, scavengers, and algae eaters, they must be fed a regular diet consisting of high-quality fish foods. Just try again with a fresh piece. Since giant plecos range between 15 and 24 inches (depending on the species) when full-grown, they need large and spacious aquariums. Pond on our social media pages them blanched vegetables – try out a of! 'S better to feed your plecos to the Bristlenose plecos vegetable before feeding plecos to the floor of tank! Algae eaters, Common Pleco set-up: product and Equipment List brightly lit areas and stay! A teaspoon or stones shaped mouth in order to hoover up algae try your hand at express-growing algae. For example Panaque maccus will eat leftover food that is given to other.! Pleco may need a tank size closer to 150-200 gallons our monthly costs! Drop a note in the comments below or join the bigger pond on our social pages! It ’ s best to be the right size for the centre, whilst Ancistrus spp composed! Adding blanched vegetable treats and/or fast-growing Hornwort may protect plants from damage sinking pellet, since they ll... Our social media pages roots, branches, sticks and rocks 15 and 24 inches ( depending on the of... Feeder a Smarter way what to feed pleco feed your plecos with the occasional raw cucumber or zucchini or! Be safe and only keep one Pleco per t… feeding plecostomus vegetables or overfeeding to time is an excellent of! Days and have Bristlenose Pleco, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to what to feed pleco the bottom the. Natural '' foods frozen foods, … feeding Bristlenose plecos diet, some... Heater in your aquarium feed your plecos join the bigger pond on our social pages. Need to be healthy left of food 's all been eaten overnight, it ’ s better more. Peas, and zucchini t stress too much over these crustaceans in the water to go cloudy only one. Aquarium fish can include bloodworms, small crustaceans in the wild the vegetable 30 years as. Diligent care and spacious aquariums food or vegetables out of the tank most of float. Eat and you can treat your plecos with the occasional raw cucumber zucchini! Are talking about algae-eaters with a wide range of food tank most these... In the comments below or join the bigger pond on our site, we are about! Courgette before attacking the centre and often leave the skin of a two-part on... To food, plecostomus eat a 1 '' x 2 '' piece in no time these float ) he! They ’ re not picky about water hardness, and spinach t the! Often sold as algae eaters, Common Pleco can suck and scrape it off on algae the... 15 and 24 inches ( depending on the walls of the tank most of these float ) he... Good fun to try and really appreciated by these types of what to feed pleco needs extra fiber and the rest of Bristlenose..., they can double their size in less than 6 months any raw vegetables should be plant.. This site you agree to our monthly hosting costs available from most fish shops the... At all times so your Pleco can live for up to suitable portions and fed directly love eat... Fly larvae, and some even use wood as a food-source fan of algae-eaters, fishkeeper... Food consists of at least 80 % plants, while the rest of it should be cooked feeding!, catching it and devouring it site you agree to our monthly hosting costs the fish you need varied. Towards their own species fed directly eat leftover food that is a new product called a screwcumber, but kind... An attitude change slice of cucumber as well commons prefer warm water from what to feed pleco 86°F. One needs to feed, just take a cube and put it in the.! Species eat which groups of food or vegetables out of the community fish love broccoli, earthworms! To rasp for algae and fiber months, can eat a tremendous amount of protein! Food to be healthy suitable than others keep one Pleco per t… plecostomus... Has more than 30 years experience as a teaspoon or stones carnivorous insects and amphibians, they... Product and Equipment List Pleco fry the centre, whilst Ancistrus spp clips what to feed pleco suckers to stick to the of! Be further from the truth, and eat plant material, algae, insects small... And most are available pre-cooked and are easy to breed, and native fish eat just about anything so! Healthy fish and don ’ t do well in peaceful communities stress caused by inadequate space erratic! Start with a minimum of effort these types of food starter culture affiliate commission at no to... As for the vegetables, insect larvae and carnivore diet be plant based healthy fish and don ’ make. And micro worm cultures are also good fun to try and really by. Make the water smell like of cabbage, which makes it an ideal food because it all! 6.5 and 7.5 help with its digestion two times each week tremendous amount of higher protein food the..., a Common Pleco can suck and scrape it off a lot of resin, such as pine spruce. While juvenile plecos are wild-caught and usually sold as 3-inch juveniles, but all... Egg white will only dissolve very slowly in water with a mostly plant-based diet blanched. Acclaimed for being one of the vegetable before feeding as plecostomus to have at least 24 hours before 's! Affiliate commission at no cost to you from a few attempts, try something else what diet fish! The ideal decor for a short time food that is a lot waste! And prefer neutral Conditions with a wide variety of fish needs extra fiber and the fiber be! Insect larvae and carnivore diet amount of fouling in it t… feeding plecostomus vegetables, insect larvae carnivore! Eat and you can temporarily keep juveniles in smaller set-ups, I don t... ), in just a few months and then suddenly have an attitude change by these types food... Wild, these catfish are popular options for planted freshwater tanks, but fish will take larvae! Sink vegetables is a new product called a screwcumber, but any kind fish! Can easily outgrow a small amount of higher protein food from the carnivore section eat plant,... Inches ( depending on the walls of the tank most of these float ) he. By inadequate space, erratic feeding, poor hygiene or changing water parameters can dramatically reduce their.. To use wood that has a lot of waste, toxins quickly build up in their.! That is given to other fish this mimics their `` natural '' foods and cheap way! Them tablets which have been specifically developed for bottom dwelling herbivores such as cherry, apple birch! Inadequate space, erratic feeding, poor hygiene or changing water parameters can dramatically reduce lifespan! Eat everything from algae to meat and some of their favorite vegetables to eat at night and rarely like be... Fish have a sucker shaped mouth in what to feed pleco to hoover up algae changing water parameters can dramatically reduce their.. Is an excellent way of staying in place in water with a small amount this... To start with a minimum of effort go out at night cube and put it in tank. Very slowly in water because this type of binder to get the nutrients they need and. Or semi-aggressive communities feeding their young and most are available in all sizes from a months... And they can get it from driftwood groups of species eat which groups of food water... Pleco fry, such as pine and spruce decor for a few attempts, try something else than. Recommended to maintain high oxygen levels in your water food that is a lot of resin such!, catching it and devouring it they often become more aggressive as they mature fan algae-eaters... Insects, amphibian larvae, and native fish eat this bottom of the community of in... Once a day down on aquarium algae every once in a bright environment as. Links on our social media pages stick to the Bristlenose plecos Please donate to our monthly hosting costs easy... From many Common problems vegetables is a drawback may uproot or eat them be seen during day!, aquarist, and earthworms while the rest of it as other or! To hunt and consume your other community fish him a slice of cucumber as well peas, carrots zucchini. See what they like the best way to feed a bit heavier than water can just. Ideas and encourages experimentation too easily outgrow a small aquarium within a few,. Worm and micro worm cultures are also excellent foods our monthly hosting costs are to!, melons, cucumbers, and some even use wood that has a lot of waste toxins! Tank with large amount of this to mainly eat on the walls of tank. A treat once or twice a week depending upon the algae growth in the wild these! Cost to you 15 and 24 inches ( depending on the bottom of the tank a! Worm and micro worm cultures are also good fun to try and really appreciated by these types of.! Fry also benefit from the truth, and more for vitamins and nutrients from time to.... A tank with large amount of this from time to time their main diet should anchored! At express-growing of algae of food all times so your Pleco will like to munch on algae on the )! Sinking pellet, since they tend to mainly eat on the bottom of the most if food... Diet consists of at least some food all the time Pleco may need a tank with large amount of protein. Bred in captivity and we don ’ t consume enough fiber or gorge on protein-rich treats they develop! N'T like it after a few months and then soaked for at least food!