Miss Fish

Hi guys,

I have two young Bristlenose catifsh. Our tank recently suffered high nitrate levels and I have been instructed to cut down feeding. Unfortunately, our tank is incredibly clean. It's been set up for about 5 months, and no algae has really grown anywhere (theres a bit of this short black grass stuff) except under the light (where they can't reach it).

Because the others receieve flakes and bloodworms, and they are HUNGRY, there's not much left over for my favourite little guys.

I want to feed them zuccini and cucumber. A LFS person said to tie a slice to a rock so they can nibble on it.

What do I tie it with so they don't hurt themselves?

And does anyone have other veggies they recommend?

Or should I let sunlight on the tank so algae can grow? (Tank receives no natural sunlight - If I opened the curtains they would get afternoon sun)

Can't wait for all your help! (and neither can the bristle babies!)

Thank you!

Shawnie

get a veggie clip and put a cuke in once a week or so for two days..then take out the remains and throw it...they love it, and its great ruf***e for all the fish that might snack on it

Miss Fish

Thanks for the quick answer Shawnie!
What is a veggie clip? (Like a peg?) Does it clip onto rocks?

Barbrella

Veggie clips are like those clips used to hold bags closed, but they have a suction cup at the top to stick to the tank wall. Or, you can use an elastic band to attach veggies to rocks.

Feed all kinds of veggies, like zucchini, green peppers, canned green beans (with no salt) and even some fruits like melon. Try different things to see what they like. They do love cucumbers, but they have virtually no nutrition.

You can also feed algae and veggie wafers. I suggest the Hikari Algae and Omega One Veggie rounds, since these don't turn into dust on the tank floor. Drop them in after you turn out the lights.

You can start growing algae on a rock in a glass jar. Put a few food flakes in and set it in the sun.

Shawnie

here's a pic of one in my tanks...you can see it sticking on the wall ...it looks like a fake clown fish with the cuke on it...most pet stores have them DSC05718.JPG

voiceless_kat

Shawnie, what fish is that in the pic?? Is it a Ram. Beautiful!!

Val

COBettaCouple

We have those veggie clips too and I put one down near the gravel in the angel tank for the plecos to eat during the night. The angels like to steal the veggie wafers, but leave the cucumber slices alone.

goggles

i put my first cucomber slice in last night for my pleco and over night he ate a circle out of the middle. how long should i leave it in there for. i dont have a clip so i put the edge of it undre the magnet cleaner and it did the job pretty good.

Barbrella

I leave veggies in the tank for 12 - 16 hours. Make sure you check your filter is running correctly, since stuff like cukes and zucchini can clog it up!

Miss Fish

I think I'll get a zuccini tonight (they are in season here) and rubber band it to a rock. I watched my little guys searching for food for hours last night, I hope they are getting something! I will also get some pellets - I just have to watch the nitrate level.

Does anyone know what the algae is that looks like really short black grass? Can they eat it? They suck on it all the time but you can't pull it off leaves with your fingers, so I didn't know if they had the power to suck it off.

Is it a good idea to grow algae? Am I at risk of it taking over the tank? The tank is so clean and looks great, I would hate to have it overrun with green stuff!

Thank you all for your comments, I like the veggie clip clown Shawnie, thanks for the pic! (And yes that is a beautiful fish!)

Butterfly

If you use a rock you can wrap a rubber band around the rock and the zucchini.
You spoke of high Nitrate levels. Most fish will act hungry no matter how much/often they are fed. Their stomach is about the size of one eye so feeding much more than that even if they eat it all can cause high Nitrate levels because what goes in comes out and causes the waste levels to be higher. I love to feed my angesl and they are always begging but because I know I feed them more than I need to I do an extra water change each week.
here is a thread I thought you might enjoy
It's true, plecos love their cucumbers... & it's not just plecos... or cucumbers
Carol

Fish Addict

Usually I just microwave my CUC. in some water, and it gets so that it will sink... and even if it doesn't, the fish will still eat it...

Miss Fish

Thanks for the link Butterfly, I did love it! You have some great photos!!

Butterfly

Thanks We all had fun contributing to that thread, and it is still being added to. I think it's very informative showing all the different foods plecos eat and the different ways to 'clip' it.
Carol

COBettaCouple

I tend to leave cucumber slices in for up to 2 days, but they do get pretty soft by then.

Miss Fish

I put a slcie in last night and low and behold this morning there was a bristlenose on it!! Awwww... so cute! I'll take it out tomorrow morning so it would have been in there 36 hours. Or I'll take it out tonight (24 hours) I wanted to give them a chance to get to it.

How often should one go in?
If I put a slice in once per week, give them a pellet once per week and the other days they get flakes will this be too much? I also put blood worms in for the ghost knife every two days (someone bit the end of his tail yesterday... think it might have been the angel).

Thank you everyone for your input, the plecos are very happy with their new food!

COBettaCouple

I guess our plecos are spoiled. They always have a piece in the tank.

Butterfly

Bristlenose are the kind of pleco that need a diet very high in vegetable matter. Usually 90% veggies/10% protein ratio working best unless trying to breed them then 80/20 will work for a short time. A continous diet of high protein can cause them to become constipated.
I usually have zucchini, melon or some type of veggies in the tank 3/4 times a week. the rest of the time they get veggie wafer or veggie pellets. If there is algae present I skip feeding days so they will eat the algae also.
Carol

COBettaCouple

So our albino LFBNs are happy with a slice of cucumber always being in the tank? I do put the Omega One veggie rounds in, but those sneaky Angels (Wilma in particular) keep finding ways to get them.

Butterfly

Most likely extremely happy I do experiment once in a while with fruit and haven't found one they don't like LOL
Carol

COBettaCouple

Hmm.. I haven't tried fruit with our pleco pair. We do have some watermelon in the fridge, maybe I'll stick an extra veggie clip in tonight.

FishFolk

Sorry to be such a latecomer, but just got my own plecos today. I help with my sons' quite often. We use well-washed (water only) zuchinni ,cucumber and lettuce rubberbanded to a rock. Cucumber goes all watery and breaks down after a day or so (depending on water and freshness of cucumber). They make a huge mess with slimy pieces and seeds floating everywhere. Lettuce is fine but they don't seem to eat as much of it as quickly. Zuchinni is my choice. It usually lasts until they eat it all. Ours eat it to the point there's only a thin membrane left where the skin used to be. In one of the tanks, the snails consume it so heavily that I wonder if the pleco gets much of it. I try to keep a piece of one or the other in all the tanks that have plecos.

NOTE: Make sure your hands and arm are free of soap, perfume, lotion, etc before you put your hand in to get the rock or put it back. If your tank is so deep that water reaches near your armpit, watch out for deodorant too. If all else fails, use a long handle net to retrieve and replace your rock.

Barbrella

Agree that zucchini does well in the tank BUT make sure to check your filter often, as it can get clogged with slime from this and other veggies even if the veggies look okay.

I didn't think of this until one night I saw no fish in my tank. On closer inspection, they were all hiding near the bottom. I panicked, searched all over for something that might have fallen in, then finally looked in the filter. The intake tube, filter floss and the impeller were completely blocked with slime and the filter was down to a tiny trickle of rather vile water.

COBettaCouple

True.

voiceless_kat

Ah, like isn't this a scene from Finding Nemo??

My clown love zuchinni also, but he is silly, (cuz everyone in this house of mine is silly)..I usually do two different clips, and he eats all of the rind off one, then moves to the other, and he eats the flesh last. Any my Snails go crazy for vegies, as do my mollies; gouramis, krib;otos .......wait, that is all the fish in my tank.........lol

Val

Fish Addict

Yeah, I just put a piece of cucumber in, and I'll check 1 or 2 days later and al that is left is the wax coating of the cuc...

COBettaCouple

Unless I buy organic veggies, I make sure to peel off the skin.

ninilie

I have some cantalop. Do you think my very little BN would like it? Its in with 20 or so female guppies not sure if they would eat it or not.

COBettaCouple

I've not tried it with a pleco, but I know our Bettas enjoyed cantaloupe.

ninilie

Just put a peice of cantalope in with the baby BN and female guppies. Hehe guppies like it.