What to feed my pleco?

Sep 15, 2004
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Tucson, AZ
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#1
I have heard many differing opinoins about what to feed plecos. I have a couple of friends who have never feed thier pleco, and it is now over 10 inches long and has been alive for a number of years. THere are also people who feed thier plecos all the time. What is the best? Also, i tried to feed my pleco algea wafers, but the goldfish will just pluck at it untill it nothing but a floating cloud? What to do?
 

Lotus

Ultimate Fish
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Aug 26, 2003
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#2
Is it a common pleco? One thing to stop the goldfish eating his food is to feed after lights out, as they are more active at night, while the goldfish are sleeping.

If there is a lot of algae in your tahk, it's possible he's getting enough food.
 

Sep 15, 2004
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Tucson, AZ
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#3
Yes, it is a common pleco. I have tried that to. I feed the goldies 10 min before lights out, then about 45 min after lights out i feed the pleco. I "spy" on the pleco with a very low intensity light, and the goldies are poking at it like crazy.
 

dana307

Large Fish
Jan 6, 2003
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#4
Toss some cucumber in there connected to a rock with a rubber band or toss in some steamed zucchini. I cook up the last of my zucchini and freeze it, then just toss some in there every once in a while. He/she genreally will do well just with algae but I feed him here and there, even though I never see him. I have a large piece of wood in there and he hides well. There's lots of posts on here about zucchini or cucumbers. Search by those words.

Dana
 

Purple

Superstar Fish
Oct 31, 2003
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#5
I really think everyone's missing the point here -

Goldfish are coldwater - Pl*cos are tropical - BAD MIX !

And as a secondary observation, given that your Pl*co will inevitably die from all the hassling it's getting from the Goldfish - IMHO, feeding it is a waste of time................ you really need to re-house the Pl*co (and soon)
 

Sep 23, 2003
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#6
Also plecos tend to like the slime coat on goldfish (especially common plecs). Many people have posted on the goldfish boards I belong to with a messed up goldfish tail and a pleco attached to it. Also the tank is over stocked with 5 goldfish and a pleco is really adding to the bio load.
 

Aug 23, 2004
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Hull, UK
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#7
true for the last comment. my mate lost a swordtail to a hungry plec. had a big red area on it back from the sucking and died from the stress.

i put cucumber in for mine, but it usually isnt too fussed with it, unless it eats it at night - or whats left of it.