Trying To Get Pleco To Eat?

[Jonno]

i've tried everything from putting catfish pellets right in front of his nose, to feeding him algae wafers at night, my snowball pleco just doesn't get the chance to eat them before my cheeky barbs manage to get there first.

the only thing that has been semi successful is leaving cucumber weighed down in the tank over night, but even then it's probably the other fish that have had a go instead. he does however suck on my driftwood every now and then, however there isn't any aparent algae on it?

any ideas how i can give him more of a chance to get fed?

 

[dane261]

feed him algae waffers just before lights out and also feed him courgete

is he new to the tank?



cheers dane

 

[Jonno]

i've tried that - the other fish just eat the algae wafers!

he's been in the tank about 1 month.

 

[Straydum]

it sounds as though your plec doesnt even want a meal. have you got some cave or blogwood in the tank? i often place food below my blogwood or in my cave to feed my bottom dwellers. the other fishes wouldnt reach there

 

[Jonno]

yes i have some bogwood where he spends most of his days.

he doesn't appear thin... i'm just concerned he isn't getting enough food because my barbs are very greedy and intruative - they always find the food even if i hide it!!

if i drop an algae wafer in after dark you can see the other fish going after it.

 

[Stacey13]

I'm not sure if a snowball pleco is primarily a vegetarian fish or not, however I have read that most plecos will eat vegetables and fruits. (My common pleco eats several different types of fruit and veggies.)
Use a stainless steel teaspoon and push a piece of produce through the handle. (the spoon is only to weigh down the food) I tie a piece of fishing line on as well for easy spoon removal the next morning. You can also push the wafers into the veggie, that way the other fish can't pick them out. Feed at night and remove the next morning. You may need to offer veggies/ fruit a few times before the pleco realizes it's food.
My pleco's favorites are (in no particular order) cucumber, zuchinni, peach, mango and kiwi. He will also at least sample tomato, lettuce, red pepper, potato and pumpkin. I serve all foods except for the potato and pumpkin raw, those I boil slightly to soften.
You can try just about any fruit or vegetable you have on hand. Don't forget to wash it to remove any pesticides/ waxes on the peel. Some plecos really like the peel and barely eat the insides, others, (mine for example) prefer the insides.
HTH

 

[Meds081603]

Feed them before you go to bed. Turn all the lights out on your tank and in the room so the other fish won't see the food, your plec will find them for sure.

 

[Bullrock74]

I've had my pleco for over a year now, and it goes through spells of eating lots and then not eating much at all. I sometimes wonder if it is temperature related. Because, during the summer, I turn off the heater in my tank and the water temperature stays 75-76F. In the winter, I turn the heater back on and the water temp stays 79-80F. When the water is warmer, the pleco seems much more active and feeds more readily. Could it be your tank is too cool for the pleco?