Pleco Dietary Thread

ChileRelleno

Candiru
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Nov 14, 2005
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I've noticed here and at other sites the questions pertaining to feeding plecos,
Amazing to think what some believe :eek:
The alarmed threads about Plecos (starving plecos) injuring/killing tankmates by eating their slimecoat/tissues are indicative of this.
In response to this I wrote a little article on feeding Plecos, I've posted this elsewhere with excellent response, I think I'll post it here too.
........................................................................................................................................................................................................

Remember to research the pleco species... Each species has a different diet requirement!

Pleco dietary needs... Supplementary foods.

I'm seeing a oversight amongst a lot of fish-keepers with Plecos.
The trend is to just throw a few algae wafers in after lights out and think that that is enough supplementary food for them.
Its not! :irked:

Plecs may start off just fine eating algae in the tank and/or algae wafers along with whatever scraps they find as small juveniles, but as they mature their needs change.
Most Plecs are very opportunistic omnivores*, in other words they'll eat just about anything they can get a hold of but primarily subsist on vegetables/fruits.
A plecs digestive system is designed for a diet high in bulk fiber and low in protein, they need large amounts of vegetable/fruit matter and occasional protein. Their digestive system is designed to handle a lot of bulk material to attain a their nutritional needs, they need more than just a few low bulk/high protein algae wafers and whatever food they find leftover or a little algae growing in the tank.
None but the largest tanks could support enough algae to feed even a medium sized Plec, and while enough algae would have bulk it is very low in nutrition.

A Plec without fiber bulk (vegetable/fruit) in his diet, is a Pleco that feels like he's starving most of the time, even if he's getting enough nutrition to survive and grow.

It'd be like be like you getting only a slice of bread per day that has enough calories, protein, fats, sugars and asst vitamins for you to survive and grow...
But you'd be horrendously hungry the rest of the time.

Excellent daily vegetable supplements are, romaine, spinach and other leafy green lettuces (Iceberg is very high in bulk but very low nutritionally.) that have been blanched* first, cut/sliced zucchini, cucumber, sweet potato, broccoli stems, peas and beans (blanched and skinned), and others.
Fleshy fruits of various types can be fed too, Plecs in the wild feed on fruit fallen into river from overhanging trees. Papaya, breadfruit, cantaloupe/honeydew melon are a few examples, experiment and find what your fish likes.
It takes most Plecs a few feedings to discover and realize these are food, but after that there is no keeping them away. Some fish will even guard these foods to keep other fish away.

I found it very hard when housed with other fish to get such delights as worms and small scraps of cut fish/shrimp, shrimp pellets and other sinking food tablets/pellets down to the Plecs.
Other fish can be sooo greedy.
My solution was to load their zucchini or cucumber with shrimp pellets, carnivore sticks and so on, like cloves on a ham.
Just securely attach it with clips or rubber bands to a rock or wood, makes it easy for your Pleco to find and eat it.

*As stated above "Most Plecs are very opportunistic Omnivores", but some are primarily carnivore (e.g. Zebras etc), some vegetarian and others (e.g. Panaque etc) require wood (Yes, wood!) in their diet to survive.
*Blanching; too quickly prepare a food by placing it in or pouring boiling water over it. Leafy greens 5-30 seconds, or longer for other vegetables, the idea is to wilt or soften the food so its easier to eat.

There are hundreds of different Plecos, please research your specific Plec and its needs thoroughly.
I implore all of you with plecos who do not currently regularly supplement their diet with vegetables/fruit and/or other appropriate food sources to do so.
I guarantee you will notice a increase in growth and improved physical appearance.

For detailed profiles/specific needs of various Plecos I highly recommend these two sites.
www.planetcatfish.com
www.plecofanatics.com
 

StiffMeister

Fire Eel
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Jun 14, 2006
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nice article. gives a good impression on why to feed veggies next to pellets. you wrote it in a nice way. i do want to comment on daily veggies. might be nic efor the fish but not for the tank. i usually feed veggies once or twice a week. water will go to hell if done more often and filters clog way faster. i also keep the veggies in the tank for a mere couple of hours. the fish dont mind as they will eat it straight away and it will deffo keep the water up.
 
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davo

Aimara
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A few things to add or disagree with in the article-
- There is no need to blanch- thats just getting rid of nutrients for no reason- the plecs can eat it from any age.
- Plecos dietry needs may change as they age- not just in amount of foods but also the food type.
- I don't consider these as supplementary feedings- these should be their diet. Supplementary gives the impression its something to be added too- which it isn't.
otherwise good mini awareness article.


LOL, and some plecos are lucky with algae wafers, and just get the scraps from other fish, and is there to eat algae. I dont tend to use pellets, and all my plecos get a massive range of foods and the ratio is changed for each pleco depending on its preference towards meaty foods, or vegetarian. You can feed them so many different vegetables- basically everything, and there is a wide variety of meats to eat. Even the most herbivorous plecos should get meat, and you can see the difference just in their colours. The same goes for the need of a bit of veg for the carnivores. It's important for the digestive tract- they need the roughage. The other thing is many plecos NEED bogwood- and its not just the panaques that benefit. It's important as it is part of the teeth grinding, roughage intake and important hemicellulose. It's easy to tell the difference between a well fed pleco and one that isnt (not just looking at weight).
 

WyldFya

Baryancistrus demantoides
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Dec 23, 2005
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davo;551922;551922 said:
LOL, and some plecos are lucky with algae wafers, and just get the scraps from other fish, and is there to eat algae. I dont tend to use pellets, and all my plecos get a massive range of foods and the ratio is changed for each pleco depending on its preference towards meaty foods, or vegetarian. You can feed them so many different vegetables- basically everything, and there is a wide variety of meats to eat. Even the most herbivorous plecos should get meat, and you can see the difference just in their colours. The same goes for the need of a bit of veg for the carnivores. It's important for the digestive tract- they need the roughage. The other thing is many plecos NEED bogwood- and its not just the panaques that benefit. It's important as it is part of the teeth grinding, roughage intake and important hemicellulose. It's easy to tell the difference between a well fed pleco and one that isnt (not just looking at weight).
A few things-
- There is no need to blanch- thats just getting rid of nutrients for no reason- the plecs can eat it from any age.
- Plecos dietry needs may change as they age- not just in amount of foods but also the food type
- I don't consider these as supplementary feedings- these should be their diet. Supplementary gives the impression its something to be added too.
otherwise good mini awareness article.
:iagree:

To add to that, although in general plecs that start going after slime coat CAN be a sign of poor nutrition offered by the keeper, it isn't always a sign. Often if they acquire the taste, they will not stop going after it, and even can start hunting other fish. I have had three now that have become not only slime coat suckers, but also hunters. They were fed 1 market shrimp every other day. That still didn't stop them. It depends on the individual pleco.
 

davo

Aimara
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Yes, missed that. Its happened to me, and i know its not cause its not being fed. Sometimes it just happens...
 

WyldFya

Baryancistrus demantoides
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Dec 23, 2005
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Yeah, and then it sucks (pun not intened) cause then you either build the tank around it, or sell it.
 

davo

Aimara
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Jan 9, 2006
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Right this has been a long time coming to make the answer to "pleco feeding" as a sticky, and this thread had the best basis ChileRelleno ;)

So to add to what has been said, here is some more info.
Bascially ALL plecos are OMNIVOROUS. Like every animal, plecos need a balanced diet.
However, it is important to look up your species to know the ratio of what to feed your pleco- carnivore:vegetarian. Carnivores need some vegetables in there diet, and vice versa.

The size/age of your pleco also has a massive bearing on what you should feed it. For example, hypostomus plecostomus as a juvenile, needs a lot of roughage in its diet, and leans more towards the vegetarian side of an omnivore. However, as it grows and reaches sub-adulthood more and more protein rich foods should be given.

Another, commonly looked over food source is bogwood. Natural softwoods make it easy for a pleco to gain lignin, which is a chemical compound found in cell walls etc. it doesnt degrade easily, but plecos still need a good supply as it helps keep their digestive tracts in order. they also gnaw their teeth down aswell as the wood fibres add to their roughage intake. It is absolutely essential to some pleco genus, such as panaques.

Feeding at night time, may be considered better as plecos are a nocturnal species, and are more active and look for food at night time. Hence, feeding just before lights out is a good thing, to let them feed in the dark.

Feeding plecos together: Think of the compatibility of your plecos, some species will easily out compete others for food, and hence some will starve as a result.

Here is a list of some suitable food sources for plecos:
*I have not including the many types of sinking pellets and flake food, because although a useful addition I dont believe them to be as useful as fresh or frozen foods such as those below and would never use them as a main diet, but merely supplement.

Meat/Protein based foods:-
  • Worms- bloodworms, blackworms, nightcrawlers etc (a side note, i've never had a young carnivorous plec refuse worms)
  • Mysis
  • Beefheart
  • Prawn
  • Shellfish- mussels, cockles etc
  • Squid
  • Silversides
  • Spirulina
  • Brine Shrimp
  • Crustaceans
  • Other Insect Larvae
  • Fish Eggs
  • Krill
  • Daphnia
  • Chicken Liver

Vegetables (remember to wash all veggies of unwanted bugs and blanching veggetables isn't necessary- it takes away nutrients):-
  • Cucumber (This is not at the top for a reason, it is actually one of the least nutritious foods)
  • Zucchini
  • Potatoes (I would soak these for a long time and wash thoroughly as they contain a lot of starch that is bad for water quality, although otherwise a great food source)
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Shelled Peas
  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Lettuces
  • Cabbage
  • Courgette
  • Yams
  • Parsnips
  • Squash
  • Suede
  • Spinach
  • Beans (green and lima are best)
  • Mushrooms
  • Asparagus
  • Egg plant/Aubergine
  • Cauliflower (stalk)
  • Sprouts

Others:-
  • Melon
  • Bogwood
  • Mango
  • Apple
  • Pumpkin
  • Kiwi
  • Rotting Leaves (or live)

Please add any feeding tips or techniques here to help squash the myth of "plecos eat algae".
Remember to add your thoughts and views on what foods people have had the best success with:
Vegetables: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=756271#post756271
Protein based foods: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76735
Prepared dried foods: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=943254#post943254

Cheers
 
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davo

Aimara
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rottbo;634578; said:
but most ingnorant peoples response is "no they are only there to clean the glass" then I ask does your glass stay clean???? "no" hmmm I wonder why
yes, and a dead pleco to go with it, and still cannot put the 2 and 2 together....:(
 
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