Diet ideas for bottom feeders?

HI guys, I want to feed my bottom feeders something new and I need some ideas. I have 6 Cory cats, a common pleco, and 7-10 ghost shrimp that occupy the sandy bottom of my 100 gallon, over filtered tank. I do 20% water changes once or twice a week.

I usually just break up the flake and drop it in the filter flow to make sure it gets to the bottom and throw in some algae wafers too.

What else can I feed these little bottom dwellers? I want to make sure they're getting the nutrition they need, and most of them are still growing besides my 2 green corys. Thanks!

 

Veggies!! Try blanched cucumber and zucchini! It might take them a few tries to eat it but they will eventually. Pelcos practically live off the stuff. I feed veggies every 2-3 days

 

Veggies!! Try blanched cucumber and zucchini! It might take them a few tries to eat it but they will eventually. Pelcos practically live off the stuff. I feed veggies every 2-3 days

Ok cool I'll give it a go thanks!

 

Also I feed bottom feeder sinking pellets. Between the pellets, algae wafers, and veggies your bottom feeders will have a healthy diet!

Just make sure you set a schedule and follow it. Example: pellets 3x a week, veggies 2x a week algae 1x a week and fast for a day.

 

Also a couple of meals a week of thawed frozen blood worms and thawed frozen brine shrimp. My cories also love shrimp pellets and hikarI minI bottom feeder wafers, Wait till you see the ghost shrimp with blood worms. they scoff them up with their little claws so fast it will make your head spin. If you like I can write you up a pleco veggie list. I keep fresh veggies 24/7 for my plecos. Alison

 

I would love to see your list aliray ! I'm getting a new BN pleco soon and would love to introduce them to lots of variety! Also... do they need to be organic or am I over cautious? Sometimes it feels like I'm feeding my fish better than myself

 

I would love to see your list @aliray ! I'm getting a new BN pleco soon and would love to introduce them to lots of variety! Also... do they need to be organic or am I over cautious? Sometimes it feels like I'm feeding my fish better than myself

I don't bother with organic, I just get veggies and scrub with a veggie brush under running water like I do for us. I feed almost all of them unpeeled and raw. Any dark leafy greens, cuke, any variety of squash, summer or winter, sweet peppers, reds are a favorite, green beans,, broccolI florets, any member of the cabbage family, sweet potato, white potato, sugar snap pea, yellow beets, reds are too messy, turnip , rutabager which I do peel because of the heavy wax coating, any variety of melon, apple slices, seedless grapes cut in half, pear slices, cauliflower,
They really like seedless watermelon and cantaloupe. What I do not feed is hot peppers, avocado, onions, tomato, banana, red beets. Basically if it is good for you it is good for them. Alison

 

Just make sure you set a schedule and follow it. Example: pellets 3x a week, veggies 2x a week algae 1x a week and fast for a day.

is it really necessary to follow a schedule? and have a fast day?

I feed flake almost daily, blood worms every few days, fresh zucchinI most days for bn pleco, and occasionly drop in some algae wafers. I don't have any real schedule, but I am planted over filtered, and do lots of maintenance

 

No, you don't have to follow a schedule or have a fast day as long as you ensure they're all getting enough of the right diet that they need.
Veggies & wafers for the plec & meaty foods in the main for the corys as they'll get little nutrition from algae wafers or veg.

 

Lots of good ideas here!
aliray do u blanch the veggies?

 

is it really necessary to follow a schedule? and have a fast day?

I feed flake almost daily, blood worms every few days, fresh zucchinI most days for bn pleco, and occasionly drop in some algae wafers. I don't have any real schedule, but I am planted over filtered, and do lots of maintenance

Its not necessary but its helpful to have a schedule so you remember to vary it up. It looks like you're doing fine!
I always like to have a fast day or a day where I feed less or less often. Its more of an old school method I picked up when I first started fishkeeping but its not necessary.
Plus it was an example you don't need to follow it to a T.
I always try to make sure that each type of fish (inverts/snails, bottom dwellers, plecos, and fish) all have 2-3 different types of food. Inverts would be algae wafers, pellets, and sometimes veg. Bottom dwellers are pellets and meats. Plecos are algae, veg, pellets. And fish are flake, veg (platys and such), pellets, brine shrimp/bloodworms.

 

No I don't blanch any of the veggies. I also don't fast my fish but feed everyday. I forgot to put carrots on the list. Considering that they rasp on driftwood , they can handle raw veggies...I also feed in the same place everyday as far as the veggies go. It seems like the more they try different veggies and fruits the more they like .They even like a strawberry once in a while. Good way to encourage young kids to eat their veggies when they see the plecos eating them. HEHE ..Alison

 

No I don't blanch any of the veggies. I also don't fast my fish but feed everyday. I forgot to put carrots on the list. Considering that they rasp on driftwood , they can handle raw veggies...I also feed in the same place everyday as far as the veggies go. It seems like the more they try different veggies and fruits the more they like .They even like a strawberry once in a while. Good way to encourage young kids to eat their veggies when they see the plecos eating them. HEHE ..Alison

What about for my clown loaches, should they be blanched?

 

I only blanch my veggies to have them sink without me having to add anything to it. If you feed raw it will soften in your tank and the fish will eat it when its at the softness they like! But because of this they need to be taken out daily if anything is left unfinished. Didnt take out a cucumber slice once and my tank smelt for days and it was hard to get the rest of the slice out since it was so soft it broke apart when I touched it

 

I have had that happen where I forgot and it got too soft. A fine net works well in that case. I don't have loaches just plecos. I also forgot to add that I do not feed any kind of citrus fruit. Alison