Feeding Clown Plecos

[Big Vine]

My clown plecos don't seem to be feeding as well as the one I had a few years ago...even on the same diet, which is Hikari algae wafers.

My old clown pleco would 'seek out' the chunk of wafer and 'defend' it from platies as he ate it.

The two I have now (in separate tanks), on the other hand, appear to leave their algae wafers largely untouched---because I often find them in the morning right where I let them sink the night before. Perhaps they are scavenging the leftover flake/pellett food that I put in there for the other fish and are 'too full' for the Hikari wafers?


Should I be doing something differently?

Big Vine

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

i thought they were wood and meat eaters... but you'll need to talk to someone more qualified on that one. just my thoughts.

 

[Orion]

I've never seen mine eat and I have three. I know they must be munchin' on something because the one we have had over a year, and the other two more than 5 months.

I know some pleco's do like more meaty food when they are younger and as they mature they like to take in more plant matter. I wouldn't put it past them to be eating on the 'leftover' of fish food that the fish hadn't got to yet.

 

[FishGeek]

You have the right idea Yahoo. Clown Plecos are wood eaters. They also do eat squash and such. Here is a link: PlanetCatfish :: Cat-eLog :: Loricariidae :: Panaque maccus

 

[Lotus]

Mine likes shrimp pellets and bloodworms, but he also eats the Hikari wafers sometimes.

 

[Big Vine]

Sounds like them preferring wood/meat when they're younger may apply here after all. Now that I think about it, the plecos I have are smaller than the one I used to have who scarfed down Hikari wafers all the time...
So like you said Orion, maybe they still fall under the category of preferring wood/meaty foods.

I've got plenty of driftwood in the tank.

I also feed flakes, sinking cichlid pellets, and the occasional frozen bloodworm treat to the other fish in the tank, so I'm sure the pleco must be scavenging on that if he doesn't seem to wanna chow down on the algae wafers at the moment. I can also try shrimp pellets too (I've got tons on-hand for feeding the crays anyway).

It's interesting, because I know that the smaller pleco who I put in my platy tank must really like algae---he cleaned off the front of the tank in one night!


I'll keep offering algae wafers and a variety of other, more meaty foods.
If the pleco doesn't seem to want the wafers, I know the kribs will, because I've seen them pick at them a lot.

If I don't see him eating anything, I'll assume what you said Orion...that he must be eating when I'm not looking (after dark, in hiding, etc.).


In sum, this is my long-winded way of saying I'm not going to panic about this or anything. Thanks for helping set me at ease. *thumbsups
Hehe...I'll keep an eye on their bellies to make sure they aren't sunken or anything.

EDIT: Thanks for the link, FishGeek. I actually checked it out last night before posting this thread, but I figured I'd come on here and get some confirmation anyway to help set me at ease about it.

Thanks again.
Big Vine

 

[Lotus]

If he's out, check to make sure his stomach isn't sunken. If his belly is slightly rounded, you'll know he's getting enough to eat.