75 Gallon Tank Hungry pleco

I have a 6”-7” sailfin pleco who is always hungry! I feed her 4 hikari algae wafers each night (I also have some corys who eat them), and vegetables on occasion but she doesn’t really like those. In the tank I also keep oranda goldfish, and she has started sucking on their scales if they come near her while she’s eating. Anytime I drop food in the tank she’s always there trying to get some (even if it’s not for her). When I drop algae wafers she’s immediately over there eating it, and it’s usually gone in a few minutes. She’s not showing any signs of illness, but she’s always acting so hungry. Am I feeding her enough? I don’t want to overfeed her, but I want to make sure she’s not starving

 

Plecos like to eat. What can i say?

 

I think it needs more protein in its food due to aging.

 

I don't know about this specific pleco. But many plecos are more carnivorous than herbivorous.

 

What kind of fresh veggies are you giving her? Before I had to rehome Jethro, my common sailfin pleco he loved his raw zucchini. He got some, stuffed with shrimp pellets, every other day. They are big fish. They have big appetites. Feed her well and she should leave your other fish alone.

Do you have driftwood in there for her to rasp on?

 

What kind of fresh veggies are you giving her? Before I had to rehome Jethro, my common sailfin pleco he loved his raw zucchini. He got some, stuffed with shrimp pellets, every other day. They are big fish. They have big appetites. Feed her well and she should leave your other fish alone.

Do you have driftwood in there for her to rasp on?

I do have a large piece of driftwood! I’ve tried giving her zucchini and carrots. I’m planning on offering her some broccoli soon too to see how she does with that. She’ll at least scout out anything I put in, but the next morning the veggies look untouched. I haven’t tried giving her shrimp yet

 

I do have a large piece of driftwood! I’ve tried giving her zucchini and carrots. I’m planning on offering her some broccoli soon too to see how she does with that. She’ll at least scout out anything I put in, but the next morning the veggies look untouched. I haven’t tried giving her shrimp yet

Have you blanched them?

 

I do have a large piece of driftwood! I’ve tried giving her zucchini and carrots. I’m planning on offering her some broccoli soon too to see how she does with that. She’ll at least scout out anything I put in, but the next morning the veggies look untouched. I haven’t tried giving her shrimp yet

Try loading the zucchini, broccoli or even cucumber with shrimp pellets. This way she will get both her veggies and the extra protein she needs.

 

Have you blanched them?

I haven’t. My goldfish prefer raw finely chopped carrots, so that’s what I’ve been offering my pleco, and then raw zucchini

Try loading the zucchini, broccoli or even cucumber with shrimp pellets. This way she will get both her veggies and the extra protein she needs.

I’ll definitely try that, thank you!