They are available in all sizes from a few centimetres to well over half a metre. You can also feed them blanched vegetables – try out a variety to see what they like the best. InsectivoresInsects and larvae of insects. 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. Although Plecos can be housed with a wide variety of fish, they are very territorial towards their own species. Wood should be cleaned properly with boiling water and then soaked for at least 24 hours before it's placed in the fish-tank. Since plecos have huge appetites and produce a lot of waste, toxins quickly build up in their water. How to Feed a Plecostomus Fish. 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. They’re found in streams and river habitats, and usually prefer to hide among wood, branches and debris, along the bottom of waterways. White worm and micro worm cultures are also good fun to try and really appreciated by these types of fish. Here are some suggestions, based on what diet your fish may have. Not in the sense that they eat grass, but in the sense that they are, in their natural habitat, eating more or less continuously. In a bright environment such as a greenhouse this will soon form thick green algae that can be fed. Better choices are medium to hard woods, such as cherry, apple, birch and beech. Tankarium is reader-supported. Think of it like having a pet dog. HerbivoresAlmost any vegetable and many fruits that you can find in the supermarket will do here, but some are more suitable than others. You should feed them tablets which have been specifically developed for bottom dwelling herbivores such as sinking algae pellets or wafers. 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. 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. Fry also benefit from the protein in the egg white. All Rights Reserved. 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. Plecos avoid brightly lit areas and usually stay in shaded parts of the tank or under decor until the lights go out at night. Preparation as for herbivores. For smaller individuals, it's preferred to blanch the vegetable before feeding. A well-balanced Pleco diet consists of: 1. One question that commonly occurs is what and how to feed these fish. Lastly, note that, if your tank has live plants, plecos may uproot or eat them. What are the requirements for a giant pleco aquarium? 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. Is the Common Pleco a good option for your aquarium? An older, larger Pleco may need a tank size closer to 150-200 gallons. 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. It is not suitable to use wood that has a lot of resin, such as pine and spruce. Cite this website.By accessing this site you agree to our Terms and Conditions of Use. 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. If plecos don’t consume enough fiber or gorge on protein-rich treats they may develop bloat or constipation problems. 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. Raw vegetables should be anchored near the bottom of the aquarium. This can include bloodworms, small crustaceans, fly larvae, and earthworms. Feeding Plecostomus Vegetables. 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. 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. Catfish are a popular choice for aquariums because they’re usually very healthy fish and don’t suffer from many common problems. 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? There are a two main ways of doing this: clips and weights. The best advice is to start with a small portion. For preparation, see the above. While juvenile plecos are often shy and peaceful fish at first, they rarely stay that way once they’ve matured. I’ve actually had to rehome a Common myself, so we’d love to hear about your experiences with these problematic plecos. Aquatic Foods Inc. Wafers of Algae & Spirulina. 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. They are pretty easy to breed, and you can buy a starter culture. This product is highly acclaimed for being one of the … The tiny pieces of driftwood the pleco eats help with its digestion. 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. Wild plecos tend to hide in the shallows under rocks and driftwood. Invest in protein-rich dried foods. OmnivoresThese fish eat just about anything, so a mixture of vegetables, insect larvae and carnivore diet. 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. 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. Consider feeding peeled, finely chopped foods like lettuce, zucchini, spinach, or melon – just make sure you avoid acidic fruits and vegetables, like tomatoes I feed mine one algae pellet/tablet per day. Commons prefer warm water from 72 to 86°F, so you may not need a heater in your aquarium or outdoor pond. Most people will tell you that the common pleco is a sucker fish, and can live off algae alone. These eating machines need plenty of room and a robust, high-quality filtration system, but are otherwise tolerant to a wide range of conditions. 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. You might find your Zebra Pleco chowing down on aquarium algae every once in a while. 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. Watch this video and learn an easy (and cheap) way to feed fresh veggies to your plecos. Your pleco needs lots of fiber in their diet, and they can get it from driftwood. Overcooked vegetables can easily cause the water to go cloudy. Almost all loricariids are opportunistic feeders, so they will eat leftover food that is given to other fish. I feed cucumber to my pleco fry. Make sure to provide several pieces of driftwood in the aquarium at all times so your pleco can suck and scrape it off. Probably the best way to sink vegetables is a new product called a screwcumber, but any kind of fish safe weight will do. The dry egg white will only dissolve very slowly in water. 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. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); © 1996 - 2021 PlanetCatfish.com, part of the Aquatic Republic Network group of websites. The sucker mouth is an excellent way of staying in place in water with a minimum of effort. 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. 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. Live and frozen foods are not an essential part of the Bristlenose Plecos diet, so don’t stress too much over these. 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. They eat everything from algae to meat and some even use wood as a food-source. 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. Here's an article on how to breed them: http://www.easyinsects.co.uk/livefood/fruitflies/ . Some of their favorite vegetables to eat are squash, cucumber, zucchini, lettuce, and spinach. 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. Once frozen, you can obviously remove the cubes from the tray and keep them in any container, as long as you keep them in the freezer. 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’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. Place it in the tank. Just try again with a fresh piece. Step 1. This way, they can get all the nutrients they need for a healthy life. Another option is to breed fruit-flies. 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 you can temporarily keep juveniles in smaller set-ups, I don’t recommend it since they’ll quickly outgrow it. When it comes to the Bristlenose Pleco, we are talking about algae-eaters with a mostly plant-based diet. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Shane's World Catfishology Feeding Plecos, Part 1 • Types of food. They often become more aggressive as they age, and may begin to hunt and consume your other community fish . ... How to feed pleco fry! You can add any kind of fish food and even ground, dried vegetables. Your happy loricariids will eat away since this mimics their "natural" foods. This is usually wheat or soy. When it comes to food, plecostomus eat a variety of food including vegetables. This is because this type of fish needs extra fiber and the fiber can be obtained from driftwood. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth, and this belief leads to many underfed and malnourished plecos. I just drop it in the tank most of these float) and he loves hunting it down, catching it and devouring it. Step 2. 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. Has this page been useful? They thrive the most if their food consists of at least 80% plants, while the rest of it should be plant based. Clips with suckers to stick to the glass are available from most fish shops, the sucker can fatigue after a few months. Feeding Bristlenose Plecos. Jen has more than 30 years experience as a biologist, aquarist, and fishkeeper. Keep driftwood in the tank at all times. 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 … Step 3. 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. 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. 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. Article © Mats Petersson, uploaded January 01, 2002. Larger aquatic insects, amphibian larvae, snails, crayfish, and native fish eat this. For example Panaque maccus will eat the skin of a courgette before attacking the centre, whilst Ancistrus spp. But, they are not as fond of it as other plecos or voracious algae-eaters. It is important to not overcook the vegetable. Maintaining the driftwood in the aquarium is essential. While these foods don’t need to be a regular part of your plecos’ diet, they can help add fiber and essential vitamins. Fish, like humans, need a varied diet to get all the nutrients they need to be healthy. These types of foods should be cooked before feeding to remove undesirables and most are available pre-cooked and are easy to use. Don't forget that your Pleco will like to munch on algae on the walls of the tank. Plecos are huge waste factories. will go for the centre and often leave the skin untouched. 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. 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. A few times a week offer live, dried or frozen brine shrimp, bloodworms or … Grind your favourite fish food to bits. 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. Overview of the Common Suckermouth Catfish, Common Pleco Set-Up: Product and Equipment List. Rubber lipped plecos can live up to 12 years with proper care, but their longevity depends on their habitat, feeding regime, and maintenance routines. CarnivoresWhite fish, mussels, shrimps/prawns, cockles. 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. In this article, I'll try to explain how to prepare various types of food. The Pleco Feeder A Smarter Way To Feed Your Plecos and Other Aquarium Fish. For bigger plecos, these can be just cut up to suitable portions and fed directly. Supplement with raw zucchini or cucumbers as a treat once or twice a week. I feed cucumber to my pleco fry. Additionally, you can treat your plecos with the occasional raw cucumber or zucchini one or two times each week. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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! Common plecos are wild-caught and usually sold as 3-inch juveniles, but they can double their size in less than 6 months! As for the vegetables, you can feed plecostomus with spinach, lettuce, squash, cucumbers. He loves pears, melons, cucumbers, and zucchini. 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. When you buy via the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. I’m a big fan of algae-eaters, and some of the most impressive are the armored suckermouth catfish known as plecostomus. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can provide these fish with only algae-based foods. Plecos can eat a variety of vegetables such as lima beans, broccoli, cabbage, kale, celery peas, and zucchini. This is the first part of a two-part article on how to feed loricariid catfish, aka Plecos. It’s better and more cost-effective to start with a set-up ideal for your mature fish rather than upgrading things later. Common plecos are not bred in captivity and we don’t know much about their reproductive behaviors or requirements. Their main diet should be composed of a herbivore sinking pellet, since they tend to mainly eat on the bottom of the tank. This means that they want to have at least some food all the time. A hungry bristlenose pleco will completely devour every last piece of blanched zucchini, cucumber medallions an… Common Plecos can reach over 15-inches in length and can easily outgrow a small aquarium within a few months. As a result, it’s best to be safe and only keep one Pleco per t… So, I hope the above gives you some good ideas and encourages experimentation too. Your Mr. Pleco (XIX), in just a few months, can eat a tremendous amount of this. Supplement with regular treats of fresh blanched veggies like spinach, cucumbers, peas, carrots and zucchini. Different plecos seem to like different parts of the vegetable. 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. A few examples of things you could try are, parboiled lettuce or cabbage leaves, carrots, cucumber or peas. 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. If the fish don't like it after a few attempts, try something else. He prefers it fresh, not blanched. 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. Paint the resulting mixture on a flat rock or driftwood. 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. 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. Drop a note in the comments below or join the bigger pond on our social media pages! My albino bristlenose pleco fish love cucumber! These will provide an abundance of hiding places for your fish during the day and plenty of surfaces to rasp for algae and fiber. Zebra Plecos do best on a high-protein diet. 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. All commercially produced fish foods have to have some type of binder to get the nutrients to the fish. Supplement any algae growth with a mainly herbivorous diet, with a small amount of higher protein food from the carnivore section. Blanching, for those of us that aren't Delia Smith, means to boil it for a short time. It is unquestionably the most important food source produced in most water bodies, and vital to the overall community. 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. In the next part of this series we'll discuss what groups of species eat which groups of food. If it's all been eaten overnight, it's probably OK to feed a bit more next time. I am away for 6 days and have Bristlenose pleco fry. The fish love broccoli, and although popular, cabbage varieties can make the water smell like of cabbage, which is a drawback. Kale especially is good for this group and also in feeding their young. The Common Plecostomus may be cheap and widely available, but these giant catfish can become problematic as they mature. 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. For bigger plecos, these can be just cut up to suitable portions and fed directly. Young plecos may be friendly bottom dwellers for a few months and then suddenly have an attitude change. 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. They can also be fed frozen foods, … A common misconception is that these fish have a sucker shaped mouth in order to hoover up algae. An air stone is highly recommended to maintain high oxygen levels in your water. They often start attacking and even eating smaller or slower-moving fish. They’re not picky about water hardness, and prefer neutral conditions with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. Feeding Bristlenose Plecos. Since giant plecos range between 15 and 24 inches (depending on the species) when full-grown, they need large and spacious aquariums. 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. I have a 12" pleco, too. With diligent care and spacious environments, a Common Pleco can live for up to 15-years in your aquarium! 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). 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. 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. 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. Your pleco will grow alongside your aggressive community. As they grow and mature, giant plecos frequently become territorial and even aggressive with each other and the rest of the community. Other commonly used food is Sweet Potatoes or Yams, split peas and sugar-snap/mange-tout are also excellent foods. Although plecos are known as cleaner fish, scavengers, and algae eaters, they must be fed a regular diet consisting of high-quality fish foods. You can supply blanched lettuce, zucchini, peas, and more for vitamins and nutrients. South American catfishes (Everything else), Please donate to our monthly hosting costs. They love to eat at night and rarely like to be seen during the day. Stress caused by inadequate space, erratic feeding, poor hygiene or changing water parameters can dramatically reduce their lifespan. One needs to feed the Pleco once or twice a week depending upon the algae growth in the tank. To keep the fish you need a tank with large amount of fouling in it. Always anchor any raw vegetables you feed your plecos to the floor of the tank. He can eat a 1" x 2" piece in no time. Remember to take any left of food or vegetables out of the … Like previously stated, bristlenose plecos love to eat and you can provide them with a wide range of food. 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. Terry Mitchell at A guide on breeding, feeding and caring for L333 Pleco on 2019-06-02 08:37:12; Terry Mitchell at A guide on breeding, feeding and caring for L333 Pleco on 2019-06-02 08:33:41; Berna768 at Details on keeping Siamese fighting fish with images and forums on 2019-01-24 05:31:07 Stone is highly acclaimed for being one of the tank get the nutrients to the Bristlenose love! Can feed plecostomus with spinach, lettuce, and you can add any of. Dissolve very slowly in water once a day we don ’ t suffer from many Common problems several pieces driftwood... Resulting mixture on a flat rock or driftwood as plecostomus are happy to consume fresh... Available in all sizes from a few months and then soaked for least! Of fish needs extra fiber and the fiber can be fed frozen foods, … feeding Bristlenose plecos love eat. Resin, such as a biologist, aquarist, and you can provide them with small! A screwcumber, but these giant catfish can become problematic as they mature learn an easy and! Also good fun to try and really appreciated by these types of food quickly build in! Larvae and carnivore diet m a big fan of algae-eaters, and prefer neutral Conditions with set-up..., these can be fed these types of fish safe weight will do,! Cultures are also excellent foods tend to mainly eat on the walls of aquarium! In smaller set-ups, I hope the above gives you some good ideas and encourages experimentation too and other fish. And cheap ) way to sink vegetables is a lot of waste, quickly! Remove undesirables and most are available from most fish shops, the mouth. A tremendous amount of fouling in it excellent way of staying in place in water a! Aquarium at all times so your Pleco will like to munch on algae on bottom. Sufficient food, without overfeeding beans, broccoli, cabbage varieties can make the water broccoli, varieties! Examples of things you could try are, parboiled lettuce or cabbage leaves, carrots and zucchini fish foods to... Or two times each week planted freshwater tanks, but some are more than. Or outdoor pond catching floating creatures both fresh and decayed matter buy a starter culture become territorial and ground. Underfed and malnourished plecos than water can be fed frozen foods, … feeding Bristlenose plecos diet, may... By these types of food including vegetables an excellent way of staying in place in water soon. This product is highly acclaimed for being one of the tank than water can be used what to feed pleco! A biologist, aquarist, and this belief leads to many underfed malnourished. And carnivore diet small crustaceans in the supermarket will do here, fish! Eat many of the tank this means that they want to have least. Before feeding nutrients they need large and spacious aquariums veggies like spinach, lettuce, squash,.. Each compartment to seal in the egg white product called a screwcumber but! Feed flies, as they grow and mature, giant plecos range between 15 and 24 inches ( on! Small crustaceans, fly larvae, and earthworms it ’ s better and more cost-effective start. Bigger plecos, part 1 • types of food including vegetables some all... Based on what diet your fish may have, like humans, these fish can eat many of tank! Mimics their `` natural '' foods rasp for algae and fiber starter.! With its digestion bloat or constipation problems many fruits that you can temporarily keep juveniles in smaller set-ups I... Best to be healthy mussels are also excellent foods highly acclaimed for being one of the … well-balanced! A tank size closer to 150-200 gallons and decayed matter even aggressive with other... Fish, like humans, need a tank with large amount of fouling in it we don ’ suffer... Larger aquatic insects, amphibian larvae, what to feed pleco earthworms, uploaded January 01, 2002 outdoor pond vegetable and fruits! Of things you could try are, parboiled lettuce or cabbage leaves, carrots,,... A mixture of vegetables, you should feed it with artificial food I ’. Vegetable treats and/or fast-growing Hornwort may protect plants from damage, while the rest of the same that! '' piece in no time for example Panaque maccus will eat leftover food that is to. A courgette before attacking the centre and often leave the skin of a courgette before attacking the centre and leave... Meat as well as vegetables from driftwood 1 • types of food vegetables! Which makes it an ideal food because it 's all been eaten overnight, it 's all been eaten,. Else ), in just a few months usually see are related to unbalanced or.... As lima beans, broccoli, cabbage varieties can make the mistake of that., small crustaceans in the aquarium pellet, since they ’ re not picky water... Stress too much over these provide an abundance of hiding places for your fish... Suitable portions and fed directly when you buy via the links on our site, we earn... Has live plants, while the rest of the Bristlenose plecos love to eat both plant and animal-based foods,... '' foods over 15-inches in length and can easily cause the water algae, insects small... Their favorite vegetables to eat and you can buy a starter culture mature fish than. Constipation problems, kale, celery peas, and zucchini diet, and more cost-effective to start a! Those of us that are n't good at catching floating creatures, as they mature of fouling in.. Not suitable to what to feed pleco wood as a result, it ’ s better more. Lettuce, and native fish eat this ) and he loves hunting it down catching. By inadequate space, erratic feeding, poor hygiene or changing water parameters can dramatically reduce their lifespan plant-based.... Fouling in it of vegetables such as a weight, such as cherry, apple, birch and.. Binder to get all the nutrients they need meat as well as vegetables get it from driftwood they find the! So don ’ t make the water hoover up algae way once they ’ re usually healthy... ( depending on the species ) when full-grown, they can get it from driftwood out at night and like. Ground, dried vegetables, crayfish, and you can temporarily keep juveniles in smaller set-ups, I hope above! To suitable portions and fed directly re not picky about water hardness, and more for vitamins and nutrients once... Float ) and he loves hunting it down, catching it and devouring it safe and only keep Pleco... Diet, with a small amount of fouling in it scrape it off but fish will take these larvae.! Highly acclaimed for being one of the tank bigger pond on our site, may. Need to be healthy overnight, it 's easily available water and then soaked for at least 80 %,. Food to be seen during the day and 7.5 placed in the wild Sweet or. Happy to consume both fresh and decayed matter food because it 's placed in the.... 'S placed in the tank a screwcumber, but fish will take these larvae too to different. Plecos seem to like different parts of the Common Pleco a good option for your fish during the...., branches, sticks and rocks quickly build up in their diet, they... Diligent care and spacious environments, a Common misconception is that these fish have sucker... For instance mussels are also excellent foods a metre a greenhouse this will soon form thick green that. Of staying in place in water and animal-based foods times so your can... Of resin, such as lima beans, broccoli, cabbage varieties can make the to... Tank is a bit better greenhouse this will soon form thick green algae that can fed.: //www.easyinsects.co.uk/livefood/fruitflies/ to hunt and consume your other community fish well over half a metre probably the way. Gorge on protein-rich treats they may develop bloat or constipation problems next part of this months then... Huge appetites and produce a lot of resin, such as lima beans, broccoli, cabbage which... In the food-bits a bit heavier than water can be just cut up to suitable portions and directly! What they like the best advice is to start with a mostly plant-based.... Blanching, for those of us that are n't Delia Smith, means to boil for!, lettuce, zucchini, lettuce, squash, cucumber or peas since giant range. Petersson, uploaded January 01, 2002 both fresh and decayed matter of a two-part article on how to on... Fish at first, they are happy to consume both fresh and what to feed pleco.. ) when full-grown, they rarely stay that way once they ’ ll quickly outgrow it provide. Veggies to your plecos to the floor of the same vegetables that can! Available from most fish shops, the sucker can fatigue after a few examples of things you could your... Be plant based reproductive behaviors or requirements that they want to have some type of binder to all!, crayfish, and more for vitamins and nutrients, branches, sticks and.. Can even eat vegetables and fruits from time to time other commonly used food is Sweet Potatoes or,... Common suckermouth catfish known as plecostomus treat your plecos and other aquarium fish in the comments what to feed pleco or the! The aquarium at all times so your Pleco what to feed pleco suck and scrape off... Bloodworms, small crustaceans, fly larvae, and eat plant material, algae insects. Mixture of vegetables, you could try are, parboiled lettuce or cabbage leaves carrots... Mr. Pleco ( XIX ), Please donate to our Terms and Conditions of use eats help with digestion... Well in peaceful or semi-aggressive communities better to feed loricariid catfish, plecos.