aecw

This is probably a stupid question but I'm gonna ask anyway. My pleco is about 6" so far and he doesn't seem to eat or even get a chance at the flake food that I put in (the other fish in this tank are voracious eaters) so I have been putting fresh veggies in the tank about twice a week for him - usually a 3" chunk of zucchini or cucumber that he takes about 2-3 days to eat. Is this too much food? It's such a tough call on when you're overfeeding especially when the fish stare out at me and follow me up and down the length of the tank hoping I'll toss a little somethin' in!

Shawnie

plecs are nite time feeders...he would love some veggies but id take them out after 12 hours 24 max...you can also get him some algae wafters and pop one in at night when the lights are off

FishFolk

I usually put a 1/4 inch chunk in tanks with 1-2 plecos. The ones that have more plecos I add two pieces. I do this every other day or so. I find if I put larger pieces, the stuff starts to get gooey and mucks up the tank. All but one of my plecos are smaller 3-4 inches.

Check your nitrates - if they are okay and you are doing adequate water changes, you should be okay. Depending on what you have in with him/her, someone else may be nibbling at his veggies when you aren't looking

There's a thread that lists all sorts of veggies and fruits plecos love - watermelom, canteloupe, asparagus,...

aecw

I've tried the algae wafers but the other fish are determined to scarf anything edible in this tank. I have watched my tinfoil barbs hunt and seek down those wafers AFTER they have had their own dinner! I know for sure some of the other fish help with the veggy feast - my blood parrot hovers about 3 inches from the pleco while he is nibbling away just waiting for any little scrap to fly loose (I don't know how the pleco can eat with that kind of intense hovering! it's almost like stalking but the other fish doesn't nip him)
I have actually caught the pleco attached to a piece of zucchini that had come off his kabob spear and was floating at the top of the tank. This kind of determined eating makes me worry that he doesn't get anything in between veggy feedings. Before this fish was moved to a larger tank he only came out to eat at night - now I catch him at all times as long as no one appears to be near the tank. The minute he senses movement he goes back into his cave!
One of my local fish stores has a pleco that is about a foot long and his head is about 4" wide - he's absolutely amazing to look at!! kinda prehistoric like! I know plecos grow fast and I wonder if mine is like a kid and eating because of "growth spurt"
Water perimeters are fine - water changes keep things good.