Plecos are great algae eaters but poop a lot

[Utar]

In my new 29 gallon project, I put some new driftwood in it and found it growing white fuzzy algae. I turns out that this algae is harmless and easy to get rid off.
But in this video the guy uses a pleco in what looks like a 10 gallon betta tank. I was really surprised at how much the pleco poops. After just 24 hours the pleco ate all the algae but covered the floor of his betta tank with poop.

 

[DAnCSF]

Yup Plecos are poop machines...but hey that might make them great candidates for being the first fish in a new tank's recycling.

 

[Fishiemang]

Plecos have inefficient.digestion. That is why they poop so much. It just passes right through. The thing for that is crustaceans. Shrimp and.snails, and whatever else you may find in this area of critters. They will actually eat that poop, and.in turn poop out more refined waste. This in turn will be broken down by bacteria into nutrients that are easily taken up by plant life, along with CO2 in the water, thus creating oxygen as a byproduct. Then, with the oxygen, nutes and the right lighting, more algae is created, and thus the circle of life renews itself.

Nature is an amazing machine.

 

[DAnCSF]

Plecos have inefficient.digestion. That is why they poop so much. It just passes right through. The thing for that is crustaceans. Shrimp and.snails, and whatever else you may find in this area of critters. They will actually eat that poop, and.in turn poop out more refined waste. This in turn will be broken down by bacteria into nutrients that are easily taken up by plant life, along with CO2 in the water, thus creating oxygen as a byproduct. Then, with the oxygen, nutes and the right lighting, more algae is created, and thus the circle of life renews itself.

Nature is an amazing machine.

but the problem is finding shrimp that won't become a meal themselves LOL....

 

[Retired Viking]

They are very dirty and big eaters, I had one that was over 15 inches long in my 55 gallon tank. He was the only fish my African Cichlids left alone.

 

[DAnCSF]

They are very dirty and big eaters, I had one that was over 15 inches long in my 55 gallon tank. He was the only fish my African Cichlids left alone.

Yup my mine has the run of the tank and no one messes with him.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Yes, they do poop a lot. Not really worth the “algae removal”, because they produce so much waste.

But I love my little guy.

 

[DAnCSF]

Yes, they do poop a lot. Not really worth the “algae removal”, because they produce so much waste.

But I love my little guy.
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Yup it seems to me to that all "algae eaters" eat algae when they first get in your tank but then as they get bigger/older they seem to decide to eat/prefer r"eal food" more. I know my plecos Pete and Pan rarely scrape off the algae on my glass anymore sigh...

 

[Fishiemang]

Plecos are omnivorous. They actually prefer a little protein in their diets. This is why they stray. Why work for food if it is just given to them?

I don't have this problem. The only issue I have with them is the spaces they cannot get to. My common is almost 4 years old now. He keeps the glass and ornaments clean as a whistle, unless he can't fit. He is about a foot long or so now, so, he don't fit like he used to. Algae don't stand a.chance in my other 3 tanks either.

I have a unique feeding schedule as well. My fish are fed usually when they ask. Otherwise they scavenge. This works out to some fish once a day, others once every other day. You'll know when they ask. They follow you when you walk past, or in the case of my peacock, will just sit at the surface in one spot and stare at you.

I only feed pleco wafers once a week maybe. Just to keep their diet good. Otherwise, they are left to cleaning the tank, just like they would be scavenging in the wild.

This is the issue I think.most people run in to with these guys. They have their feeding schedule of 3 times a day or whatever...there is no real need for the pleco to clean the glass at this point. They just wait for the food to come to them. It's easier. Have ya ever had your pleco hang at the surface and grab the food you put in for other fish? That's when ya know you got a.spoiled fish....haha...

 

[clambert122]

but the problem is finding shrimp that won't become a meal themselves LOL....

That was actually going to be my next question lol.

What kind of Shrimp wont Ciclids eat?

 

[DAnCSF]

That was actually going to be my next question lol.

What kind of Shrimp wont Ciclids eat?

Think size, cichlids will eat anything that fits in their mouths and their mouths are pretty big I'm not sure shrimp will fit the bill, but there's always crayfish if you are determined to have both.

 

[Jaehem]

Plecos have inefficient.digestion. That is why they poop so much. It just passes right through. The thing for that is crustaceans. Shrimp and.snails, and whatever else you may find in this area of critters. They will actually eat that poop, and.in turn poop out more refined waste. This in turn will be broken down by bacteria into nutrients that are easily taken up by plant life, along with CO2 in the water, thus creating oxygen as a byproduct. Then, with the oxygen, nutes and the right lighting, more algae is created, and thus the circle of life renews itself.

Nature is an amazing machine.

Thank you for this post. I needed something to fix this same problem OP is having. I wasn't aware you could keep crustaceans and plecos in the same tank. I just read a lot about bottom dwellers being territorial.