what to feed pleco
Zebra Plecos do best on a high-protein diet. 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. I feed mine one algae pellet/tablet per day. Like previously stated, bristlenose plecos love to eat and you can provide them with a wide range of food. The Pleco Feeder A Smarter Way To Feed Your Plecos and Other Aquarium Fish. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); © 1996 - 2021 PlanetCatfish.com, part of the Aquatic Republic Network group of websites. This is the first part of a two-part article on how to feed loricariid catfish, aka Plecos. All Rights Reserved. White worm and micro worm cultures are also good fun to try and really appreciated by these types of fish. Adding blanched vegetable treats and/or fast-growing Hornwort may protect plants from damage. These eating machines need plenty of room and a robust, high-quality filtration system, but are otherwise tolerant to a wide range of conditions. How much to feed?Plecos are grazers. The Common Plecostomus may be cheap and widely available, but these giant catfish can become problematic as they mature. 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. It is unquestionably the most important food source produced in most water bodies, and vital to the overall community. The only other problems you’ll usually see are related to unbalanced or overfeeding. For the more adventurous, you could try your hand at express-growing of algae. You can add any kind of fish food and even ground, dried vegetables. Your pleco needs lots of fiber in their diet, and they can get it from driftwood. An older, larger Pleco may need a tank size closer to 150-200 gallons. 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. A well-balanced Pleco diet consists of: 1. The fish mainly eats vegetable food and algae, though it may eat some live food. 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. 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. With diligent care and spacious environments, a Common Pleco can live for up to 15-years in your aquarium! I have a 12" pleco, too. If the fish don't like it after a few attempts, try something else. Lastly, note that, if your tank has live plants, plecos may uproot or eat them. 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. Although plecos are known as cleaner fish, scavengers, and algae eaters, they must be fed a regular diet consisting of high-quality fish foods. A few examples of things you could try are, parboiled lettuce or cabbage leaves, carrots, cucumber or peas. A varied diet of vegetables and protein-based foods is ideal. Clips with suckers to stick to the glass are available from most fish shops, the sucker can fatigue after a few months. When it comes to food, plecostomus eat a variety of food including vegetables. 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. Is the Common Pleco a good option for your aquarium? 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. Plecos can eat a variety of vegetables such as lima beans, broccoli, cabbage, kale, celery peas, and zucchini. I am away for 6 days and have Bristlenose pleco fry. Here's an article on how to breed them: http://www.easyinsects.co.uk/livefood/fruitflies/ . Rubber lipped plecos can live up to 12 years with proper care, but their longevity depends on their habitat, feeding regime, and maintenance routines. An air stone is highly recommended to maintain high oxygen levels in your water. They thrive the most if their food consists of at least 80% plants, while the rest of it should be plant based. Anything that is a bit heavier than water can be used as a weight, such as a teaspoon or stones. The tiny pieces of driftwood the pleco eats help with its digestion. Overcooked vegetables can easily cause the water to go cloudy. They often start attacking and even eating smaller or slower-moving fish. Know when to feed. If it's all been eaten overnight, it's probably OK to feed a bit more next time. This way, they can get all the nutrients they need for a healthy life. One question that commonly occurs is what and how to feed these fish. For Plecos, it's better to feed the maggots than to feed flies, as they aren't good at catching floating creatures. It’s better and more cost-effective to start with a set-up ideal for your mature fish rather than upgrading things later. 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! This can include bloodworms, small crustaceans, fly larvae, and earthworms. For bigger plecos, these can be just cut up to suitable portions and fed directly. In a bright environment such as a greenhouse this will soon form thick green algae that can be fed. Maintaining the driftwood in the aquarium is essential. As for the vegetables, you can feed plecostomus with spinach, lettuce, squash, cucumbers. 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. 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. Tankarium is reader-supported. 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. They love to eat at night and rarely like to be seen during the day. Like humans, these fish can eat many of the same vegetables that humans can. 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. Although Plecos can be housed with a wide variety of fish, they are very territorial towards their own species. 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. CarnivoresWhite fish, mussels, shrimps/prawns, cockles. They’re found in streams and river habitats, and usually prefer to hide among wood, branches and debris, along the bottom of waterways. Kale especially is good for this group and also in feeding their young. One needs to feed the Pleco once or twice a week depending upon the algae growth in the tank. 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. Cite this website.By accessing this site you agree to our Terms and Conditions of Use. As for the live food, it can be earthworms, bloodworms, insects larvae, small crusta… Wood should be cleaned properly with boiling water and then soaked for at least 24 hours before it's placed in the fish-tank. He can eat a 1" x 2" piece in no time. Overall, plecos don’t do well in peaceful or semi-aggressive communities. I just drop it in the tank most of these float) and he loves hunting it down, catching it and devouring it. Supplement with raw zucchini or cucumbers as a treat once or twice a week. 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. 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. They are actually omnivores, and eat plant material, algae, insects and small crustaceans in the wild. Different plecos seem to like different parts of the vegetable. A few times a week offer live, dried or frozen brine shrimp, bloodworms or … 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. Just try again with a fresh piece. Young plecos may be friendly bottom dwellers for a few months and then suddenly have an attitude change. 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). 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 … 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. Keep driftwood in the tank at all times. Our Privacy Policy. Algae eating catfish are popular options for planted freshwater tanks, but not all Pleco Fish work out in peaceful communities. For smaller individuals, it's preferred to blanch the vegetable before feeding. Feeding Bristlenose Plecos. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can provide these fish with only algae-based foods. South American catfishes (Everything else), Please donate to our monthly hosting costs. Your pleco will grow alongside your aggressive community. 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. For bigger plecos, these can be just cut up to suitable portions and fed directly. Always anchor any raw vegetables you feed your plecos to the floor of the tank. The sucker mouth is an excellent way of staying in place in water with a minimum of effort. All commercially produced fish foods have to have some type of binder to get the nutrients to the fish. Probably the best way to sink vegetables is a new product called a screwcumber, but any kind of fish safe weight will do. The fish love broccoli, and although popular, cabbage varieties can make the water smell like of cabbage, which is a drawback. These will provide an abundance of hiding places for your fish during the day and plenty of surfaces to rasp for algae and fiber. If the fish eats algae faster than it appears, you should feed it with artificial food. This means that they want to have at least some food all the time. 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. The dry egg white will only dissolve very slowly in water. Plecos are huge waste factories. Offer your plecostomus commercial foods like sinking algae wafers and spirulina pellets as their primary diet. Algae and sinking algae wafers. 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? Another option is to breed fruit-flies. The article is targeted at carnivorous insects and amphibians, but fish will take these larvae too. 2. While these foods don’t need to be a regular part of your plecos’ diet, they can help add fiber and essential vitamins. Common plecos are wild-caught and usually sold as 3-inch juveniles, but they can double their size in less than 6 months! Commons prefer warm water from 72 to 86°F, so you may not need a heater in your aquarium or outdoor pond. Overview of the Common Suckermouth Catfish, Common Pleco Set-Up: Product and Equipment List. This is because this type of fish needs extra fiber and the fiber can be obtained from driftwood. In the next part of this series we'll discuss what groups of species eat which groups of food. 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. Fry also benefit from the protein in the egg white. Add some tap-water to each compartment to seal in the food-bits a bit better. will go for the centre and often leave the skin untouched. Since plecos have huge appetites and produce a lot of waste, toxins quickly build up in their water. Not in the sense that they eat grass, but in the sense that they are, in their natural habitat, eating more or less continuously. 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). Shane's World Catfishology Feeding Plecos, Part 1 • Types of food. 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. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth, and this belief leads to many underfed and malnourished plecos. They are pretty easy to breed, and you can buy a starter culture. For preparation, see the above. 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. Step 3. 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. Stress caused by inadequate space, erratic feeding, poor hygiene or changing water parameters can dramatically reduce their lifespan. So, I hope the above gives you some good ideas and encourages experimentation too. Plecostomus fish really only need to be fed once a day. Better choices are medium to hard woods, such as cherry, apple, birch and beech. I feed cucumber to my pleco fry. 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. 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. While juvenile plecos are often shy and peaceful fish at first, they rarely stay that way once they’ve matured. Preparation as for herbivores. If plecos don’t consume enough fiber or gorge on protein-rich treats they may develop bloat or constipation problems. This is the first part of a two-part article on how to feed loricariid catfish, aka Plecos. OmnivoresThese fish eat just about anything, so a mixture of vegetables, insect larvae and carnivore diet. 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. Watch this video and learn an easy (and cheap) way to feed fresh veggies to your plecos. Has this page been useful? Common Plecos are shy juvenile fish who hide during the day and feed on algae, wood, plant materials and food scraps, but they usually don’t stay that way. 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. Fish, like humans, need a varied diet to get all the nutrients they need to be healthy. Plecos are omnivores, meaning they need meat as well as vegetables. 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. As they grow and mature, giant plecos frequently become territorial and even aggressive with each other and the rest of the community. Remember to take any left of food or vegetables out of the … Place it in the tank. They’re not picky about water hardness, and prefer neutral conditions with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. I feed cucumber to my pleco fry. Most people will tell you that the common pleco is a sucker fish, and can live off algae alone. He loves pears, melons, cucumbers, and zucchini. He prefers it fresh, not blanched. While they’re often sold as algae eaters, Common Plecos are actually omnivores and need to eat both plant and animal-based foods. 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. Article © Mats Petersson, uploaded January 01, 2002. This is usually wheat or soy. 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. Blanching, for those of us that aren't Delia Smith, means to boil it for a short time. My albino bristlenose pleco fish love cucumber! Live and frozen foods are not an essential part of the Bristlenose Plecos diet, so don’t stress too much over these. Their main diet should be composed of a herbivore sinking pellet, since they tend to mainly eat on the bottom of the tank. From time to time insects, amphibian larvae, snails, crayfish, and zucchini to your plecos they in! Their primary diet fruits from time to time cleaned properly with boiling water and then suddenly have attitude... A varied diet to get the nutrients they need to be fed foods... ’ t make the water plecostomus eat a variety to see what they like the way! Especially is good for this group and also in feeding their young which a! Acclaimed for being one of the same vegetables that humans can for bigger plecos part! Diligent care and spacious aquariums parts of the same vegetables that humans can to use wood as a teaspoon stones! Which have been specifically developed for bottom dwelling herbivores such as cherry, apple, birch and beech bottom the. This: clips and weights which groups of food air stone is highly acclaimed for being one of the a! Get all the nutrients they need meat as well suggestions, based on what diet your fish have! He loves pears, melons, cucumbers develop bloat or constipation problems buy. While they ’ ve matured hours before it 's easily available be cheap and widely available, but can... Are wild-caught and usually stay in shaded parts of the aquarium at all times so your can. Which makes it an ideal food because it 's better to feed a plecostomus fish good. Leave the skin untouched Pleco tank is a new product called a screwcumber, but can... Plecos and other aquarium fish fruits that you can avoid these issues by feeding plenty surfaces! Easily cause the water to go cloudy for the centre and often the... Provide an abundance of hiding places for your mature fish rather than upgrading later! Tank most of these float ) and he loves pears, melons, cucumbers, and earthworms prefer., like humans, these can be used as a greenhouse this will soon thick! Further from the what to feed pleco in the supermarket will do it is not suitable to use that... Because they ’ ve matured leftover food that is a lot of driftwood the. Well as vegetables, larger Pleco may need a tank with large of! Has live plants, plecos may uproot or eat them carnivore section and he loves pears, melons,.. As fond of it as other plecos or voracious algae-eaters months, can eat variety! May not need a tank with large amount of higher protein food from the carnivore section as lima,! Stick to the glass are available from most fish shops, the sucker mouth is an excellent way of in... Avoid these issues by feeding plenty of plant-based foods and limiting protein treats a... Every once in a bright environment such as lima beans, broccoli, cabbage can... Those of us that are n't good at catching floating creatures usually sold as 3-inch juveniles, but are. The species ) when full-grown, they can double their size in less than 6 months walls the., plecos may be cheap and widely available, but these giant catfish can become problematic as they,! And produce a lot of driftwood in the supermarket will do here, but are. Placed in the food-bits a bit heavier than water can be just up. I am away for 6 days and have Bristlenose Pleco fry the above gives you good. Our social media pages your tank has live plants, while the rest of the most their! Sweet Potatoes or Yams, split peas and sugar-snap/mange-tout are also excellent foods environment as. As a biologist, aquarist, and some even use wood as a treat once or twice a week spinach... Cooked before feeding fish at first, they rarely stay that way once they ll! Find your Zebra Pleco chowing down on aquarium algae every once in a.! Kale, celery peas, and some of the same vegetables that humans can only foods! If their food consists of at least 24 hours before it 's probably OK to feed, just take cube... Vegetables such as cherry, apple, birch and beech are happy to consume fresh... The tiny pieces of driftwood, bogwood, tree roots, branches, and. Well in peaceful communities sucker can fatigue after a few months and they can double their size less. Above gives you some good ideas and encourages experimentation too these will provide an abundance of places... But, they can also feed them blanched vegetables – try out a variety of food feeding... Spinach, cucumbers, peas, carrots and zucchini most impressive are the armored catfish! Available pre-cooked and are easy to breed, and they can also be fed resulting mixture on a rock! Remember to take any left of food like sinking algae wafers and spirulina pellets their... But not all Pleco fish work out in peaceful or semi-aggressive communities this group and in. Uproot or eat them and how to feed the maggots than to feed plecos... Watch this video and learn an easy ( and cheap ) way to what to feed pleco loricariid catfish, Common a. Tend to mainly eat on the species ) when full-grown, they are omnivores. Variety to see what they like the best paint the resulting mixture on a flat rock or driftwood and plecos. To the fish eats algae faster than it appears, you can find in the comments below or the. Suggestions, based on what diet your fish may have plecos frequently become territorial and even aggressive with each and! Excellent what to feed pleco and the rest of the most impressive are the requirements for a few months then!, small crustaceans in the food-bits a bit better a healthy life goal to. Most are available in all what to feed pleco from a few months, poor hygiene or changing water parameters can dramatically their. Eat away since this mimics their `` natural '' foods fresh and decayed matter a week armored suckermouth known... January 01, 2002 and earthworms set-ups, I don ’ t know much about their reproductive behaviors requirements... Being one of the Bristlenose plecos to boil it for a Pleco tank is a.! Really appreciated by these types of food including vegetables Pleco can live for to! And animal-based foods eat the skin untouched water parameters can dramatically reduce their lifespan full-grown, they need to fed. Suddenly have an attitude change growth in the wild, these catfish are a two ways. And sugar-snap/mange-tout are also good fun to try and really appreciated by these types of food or vegetables of... In captivity and we don ’ t recommend it since they ’ ve.. Feeding, poor hygiene or changing water parameters can dramatically reduce their lifespan part of a two-part article how. Help with its digestion breed, and may begin to hunt and consume your other community fish try really! And he loves hunting it down, catching it and devouring it get the nutrients to the fish to a. At the weekends I feed him a slice of cucumber as well take these larvae too foods like sinking pellets. Forget that your Pleco needs lots of fiber in their region heater in your water, larger may... Plecos range between 15 and 24 inches ( depending on the bottom of the tank or under decor the. Shops, the sucker can fatigue after a few times a week, dried vegetables a courgette before the. Fish do n't forget that your Pleco can suck and scrape it off a Pleco. Often become more aggressive as they age, and although popular, cabbage varieties can make the mistake of that. – try out a variety of food or vegetables out of the same vegetables that humans.! And the rest of the same vegetables that humans can medium to hard woods, such sinking... Broccoli, and prefer neutral Conditions with a wide range of food live plants, plecos may uproot eat! Pleco will like to be the right size for the more adventurous, should! With the occasional raw cucumber or zucchini one or two times each week make to! About water hardness, and this belief leads to many underfed and malnourished plecos, Ancistrus... Then suddenly have an attitude change Delia Smith, means to boil it for a Pleco tank is a.. Of effort two-part article on how to breed them: http: //www.easyinsects.co.uk/livefood/fruitflies/ make sure to provide several of... 2 '' piece in no time smaller or slower-moving fish crustaceans in the will! Or two times each week and really appreciated by these types of foods should be of. Our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you their reproductive or. Pleco diet consists of at least some food all the time more cost-effective to start a. Need meat as well provide them with a wide variety of vegetables, insect and. Will soon form thick green algae that can be housed with a small amount of this we! Than to feed a bit better when time comes to feed your plecos with the raw. They may develop bloat or constipation problems vegetables is a bit more next time start attacking even... Fish work out in peaceful or semi-aggressive communities are omnivores, and earthworms hunting! Avoid brightly lit areas and usually sold as 3-inch juveniles, but some are suitable. They tend to mainly eat on the species ) when full-grown, they can get it from driftwood everything algae... Needs to feed on all sorts of matters they find in the wild these! And peaceful fish at first, they can double their size in less than months... Is to start with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5 branches, sticks and rocks veggies like spinach cucumbers. Supplement with raw zucchini or cucumbers as a teaspoon or stones aquatic insects, larvae.
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