thumper

my rubber lip plecos will not eat the algae wafers i am puting in the tank and i dont under stand why and help would be great!

cichlidsmad

thats odd ive had that problem before but when they got bigger they started eating them what type of wafers u got?

thumper

the one that i have are hikari sinking wafers my LFS said they were a good chioce and they were one of the better wafers to feed!

gremlin

Try some zuchinni or cucumber. He may just be too young to chew on the algae wafer. It may be too firm for him. Hikari is a good brand. Save them for when your pleco gets a bit older. You could try maybe once a week or so until he can eat them.

cichlidsmad

yup i agree with you mine didnt eat them until they were around 7months old

thumper

I have tryed cucumber they wont touch it either have not try the other guess i will have to go get some and see

gremlin

microwave the cucumber a bit so it is soft - or drop it in boiling water to cook it slightly. raw cucumber is a bit hard and may be too hard for them to eat also. You could also try romain lettuce. Once again, dip it in boiling water to sort of wilt it so it is soft enough for them to rasp.

thumper

I went to the store and got some zuchinni is there anything special that i should do to it before i give at lights out tonight?

gremlin

Slice off a nice thin slice, pop it in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds to partially cook it and soften it up. Then let it cool. You can also boil it. Just enough to soften it. Cooking it also helps it to sink better.

COBettaCouple

I let it get to room temp, peel the skin off the slices (unless organic) and clip them to the side of the tank after lights out.