tender Pl*co care....

[mantis]

I've had one in the past and it died after some time. I'm trying again...it has cleaned up my tank and I don't see it eating any other food. My guess...no algae == death. What can I do to keep this baby alive to watch it grow.

 

[Lotus]

I will assume it's a common pleco. I hope you have it in a large tank (55g or more), or have plans to move it to one eventually. Common plecos are fairly vegetarian, and also nocturnal, so it's common not to see them eating during daylight hours. If you have plenty of algae in the tank, you shouldn't worry about it starving, and may only want to give him other foods once a week or so. You can feed them sinking algae tablets, and occasional slices of cucumber or zucchini. Just remember to take the vegetables out the next morning or they can foul the tank. All plecos like to have driftwood to nibble on for fiber, and a cave or other sheltered area to hide in.

 

[catfishmike]

feed it fish food.plecos don't live on just fresh algae in the wild and they won't live on it in your tank.algae wafer,sinking tabs shrimp pellets frozen bloodworms,whatever,just feed it.

 

[Purple]

Yep - gonna go along with Catfishmike on this one.

I've got 3 sailfin plecos - they eat any food that hits the bottom, which in my tank is mostly flakes and frozen prawns. The prawns stay fresh for 24 hrs in the tank, but the plecos have scoffed them long before that time. Don't just treat them as waste eaters - spoil them sometimes as well - I swear I've seen mine eating prawns and grinning.

 

[animal lover]

I have 2 common plecos in my tank an give them each 1 spulina wafer everynight, and when I have it in the house they get some romain lettuce as well, they just go nuts over the lettuce....I had 2 die on me cause they just didn't want to eat anything but these 2 love to eat....

 

[Lotus]

Our huge common pleco would eat a whole algae wafer at once (he was about 14"). The wafer was about the size of his mouth, and he used to love them

 

[mantis]

Thanks for all the hints and tips...I appreciate it and will follow the advice. And I have one in a 55g tank along with a Iridescent shark, columbian catfish shark, 2 khulli loaches I never see and 2 zebra danios that i'm waiting to be eaten.