If fed fresh veggies do Plecos still need Driftwood?

I've read that they need driftwood to graze on for the fiber. If they are fed fresh veggies do they still need driftwood?

 

I've never heard of needing drift wood but believe its not a need I think its more something that'll improve their health

 

I've read that they need driftwood to graze on for the fiber. If they are feed fresh veggies do they still need driftwood?

Interesting question. I always have both. My ABN Beast is over 8 years old and our ABN Benny is 4.

 

Plecos need to munch on the wood to help with their digestion.

 

Some plecos* not all, most enjoy having wood to hang on and hide out in though (even cavey ones). If they are getting the needed fiber from another source besides driftwood then they wouldn't need the driftwood would they? My bn and the rest I have had have used the driftwood in the tanks one way or another.

 

I have driftwood and feed Elbert my 2 year old albino bristle nose veggies. I can could on one hand with fingers left over the number of times I have actually seen him on the DW. That leads me to believe that DW isn't totally necessary but I'm not taking a chance with him so will keep it available. It will be there if by chance he decides he needs it.

 

I have driftwood and feed Elbert my 2 year old albino bristle nose veggies. I can could on one hand with fingers left over the number of times I have actually seen him on the DW. That leads me to believe that DW isn't totally necessary but I'm not taking a chance with him so will keep it available. It will be there if by chance he decides he needs it.

I wonder if it is like kids and vegetables? Some will eat them and some won't. You would need a crowbar to separate Beast from his drift wood

 

My BN doesn't eat algae wafers or vegetables. He'll only eat shrimp pellets and munch on his driftwood

 

I have driftwood and feed Elbert my 2 year old albino bristle nose veggies. I can could on one hand with fingers left over the number of times I have actually seen him on the DW. That leads me to believe that DW isn't totally necessary but I'm not taking a chance with him so will keep it available. It will be there if by chance he decides he needs it.

I’m with you. I give my two 2.5 inch dwarf albino bristle nose blanched cucumbers and squash every other day and they love it. I never see them on the wood I put in there for them and for decor since day 1. A lady at a LFS told me that the bristle-nose variety don’t need wood when I expressed this same concern/observation. Who knows if she was correct or not.

 

I wonder if it is like kids and vegetables? Some will eat them and some won't. You would need a crowbar to separate Beast from his drift wood

I think that must be it. I know I worried about it at first because from everything I read they had to have their drift wood but I never saw him on it. I finally decided he would eat it in his own good time/ or not so stopped stressing over it.

 

I think it was either Redshark1 or fissh who keeps BNs, and they thrive and breed constantly without any sort of wood.

 

I have 3 BN, and feed them an algae wafer (they're still 5-10cm each) every other day. They have lots of surface area to munch on, and I regularly see them sitting on, under (upside down) the driftwood.

-G

 

I think it was either Redshark1 or fissh who keeps BNs, and they thrive and breed constantly without any sort of wood.

That's right. I don't think they actually need driftwood. I have abundant algae that they can never run out.

 

I have two bristlenose and they are always on one of the 2 mopanI logs in mine....
The bigger of the 2 actually sleeps on it.
Interesting that yours don't like it.
Have you gotten up in the night with a red light to spy on them? Or is that just me? Lol

 

I've kept plecos for over 40 years and until this year I have never had driftwood. They seem to like it okay & I can see the spots where they have been chewing on it, because it's clean like you scrubbed it with Scotch-Brite.

But the key here is I always fed my plecos Tetra algae Wafers (which have roughage in them to substitute for wood) and zucchini.

 

This story has started cause of the mix up with Panaquolus species that are in fact woodeaters and die when they've not tr required cellulose in their diet.
Keeping 7 BN't and the NEVER eat wood.

 

This is my baby albino BN sucking up the fine imported Malaysian Driftwood.