?Gold Nugget Pleco: Carnivore, Herbivore, or Omnivore?

[Note: This thread can be potentially be for any pleco]
I’ve recently purchased a Gold Nugget Pleco (L018) Baryancistrus xanthellus, it is currently 2 ½” and living in a 40 gallon planted community tank. I’ve had it for about a month and is doing great. My stats are ammonia: 0ppm, nitrite: 0ppm, nitrate: 20 – 40ppm, pH: 7.0, I can’t remember the hardness but its medium hard. They live in the Rio Xingu so owners of sunshine plecs, zebra plecs. . . are greatly appreciated.

I’ve done about a year of research on these guys and was confident that I would be able to raise it. My question is what are they considered: carnivore, omnivore, or herbivore? Every article I’ve read said different things and I could not pin point exactly what they are and what (proper) foods I could be feeding it. So far I’ve made a concoction of fresh shrimp, pike, seaweed, carrots, lettuce, and vitamin and mineral supplements blended together into gelatin. This is what it is eating now.

When I think of the word “carnivore”, I’m thinking a predator or scavenger. Predators will chase or ambush their food and a scavenger will search for a dead animal. During my observations GNP are definitely not predators but they possibly be scavengers – but their digestive system suggests otherwise, almost like a grazer eating very small amounts of food on a content basis (correct me if I’m wrong about the relation of the digestive system being one of a grazer). So unless the Rio Xingu substrate is littered with dead and rotting animals, I doubt the GNP is a scavenger. Please note: my LFS said they were strictly carnivores

An omnivore seems the best plausible answer so far. The only thing I’ve found is that even with predatory fish, I’ve seen them eat vegetation. I’ve seen a piranha eat a piece of lettuce on a clip. Mind you, the lettuce was not intended for that but for other fish – they [piranhas] just came around and nibbled (and yes, they are properly fed). My GNP will eat my concoction, algae wafers, shrimp pellets, flaked food – the works. My concern is, is it an omnivore that will thrive with this type of diet, or is it eating it in desperation?

Another option is a herbivore. I’ve watched numerous videos on YouTube and read in some articles about them mowing down zucchini, lettuce, red peppers etc… about the herbivore factor, my question is: are they feeding these things as a regular part of their diet, or simply a treat here and there? Are they eating this because they are deprived? What do you think?

What do you feed your Rio Xingu Pleco? What does your pleco diet consist of? When do you feed them and how many times? Does anyone own a mature Gold Nugget Pleco?
Thank you for taking your time to read about my concerns.

Please Leave a Post 

 

They are omnivores. Basically, they generally get their veggies sucking on things while trying to find meatier stuff.

 

psssst... make snail jello.

 

Omnivorous. My plecos (rubber lip and common) Enjoy biofilm, veggies and they go crazy for blood worms!

 

Both BNP and Piranha are omnivores. Piranha eat meat to survive from starvation. Piranha normally are vegetarians during the rainy season when the amazon jungle is flooded and they get access to submerged vegetation. During the dry season the water level gets so low that they hardly get the vegetation they need. This is when they turn carnivorous.

 

wow matsungit, I did not know this about piranhas. I will read up on this. I'm not versed on this type of species but I would have thought because of the anatomy and physiology of their teeth that they would prefer meaty foods as the teeth are able to cut tissues. by the looks of it, I don't see any grinding teeth that are familiar with herbivores to grind up flora. during the dry season, fish are more concentrated and thus provides them a greater opportunity to become successful in their feeding rituals. if the piranha becomes trapped in the stagnant pools during the dry season, they will eventually die off due to the lack of oxygen exchange and not because of food sources. if they successfully reach the main river before the water level decreases during the dry season then food will be plenty and thus giving the opportunity to breed just before the rainy season. just my two cents, but I will read further into this. Thank you matsungit for your post.

 

Actually, my last post was too simplified. Normally they eat what's called aufwuchs, the biofilm layer that forms in bodies of water. It does have some algae but is also comprised of small animals. They also enjoy whatever meaty things they can find.

 

Also...
Snail jello snal jello snail jello!!!!

 

I've seen this a lot lately, I wonder If I can make it myself. . . if not, try to find it in Canada

Brown snail jello time brown snail jello time