Pleco : algae eater , or wood eater?

I've had a problem with my pleco creating too much waste in the tank. I have a 125 gallon tank and this pleco fills the entire area of the floor with string of poo over night. I have tried smaller feedings, less often feedings and change of diet, he still has his way with the tank.. I have a lot of driftwood in my tank..My question is : are plecos actually wood eating fish rather than algae eaters? I see little holes in all my wood , shaped similar to the mouth of the pleco

 

They eat wood for the same reason that birds eat stones; it's a digestive aid, not a source of nutrition. They do NEED the wood, so please don't remove it just to tidy up your tank. Plecos are known to be huge waste producers, and common plecs are some of the worst offenders; how big is yours right now?

 

My Clown Pleco makes a bigger mess out of his driftwood then he does after he eats with all his poop.

 

It's a common pleco about 6inches ...I wouldn't remove the wood , I may just remove the pleco

 

If the poop bothers you, you should probably move him; that's pretty normal for a plec.

 

Good morning,

It's my understanding that the Pleco's digestive system is pretty much in a straight line so what goes in comes out rather quickly. Too, they are always foraging for food and always eating something.

I also have driftwood in my tanks for my Plecos.

Ken

 

Thanks guys, I figured as much when I research their diet/digestion..he's basically eating and pooping 24/7 as I have a ton of wood in the tank...I may be forced to exchange him for a handful of snails

 

I noticed my plecos left quite a bit less poo on the sand once I switched to NLS Thera+A. The more quality foods are easy to digest thus more gets absorbed creating less waste. I also fees my plecos API Algea wafers, they have the best ingredients for a veggie wafer including pea protein.

 

I feed my guy NLS algae wafers. I clean up more wood bits (literally TONS of powered wood from the gravel where he hangs out) then poop.