# Best food for a pleco...



## LyzzaRyzz (Dec 18, 2011)

I currently have a BN pleco and a RN pleco, and what ive been feeding them is the Hikari Algae Wafers.
Both plecos are currently in a ten gallon,[QT tank] and recieve one wafer, broken up, in a ceramic dish every night. The Bristle nose is alot more outgoing than the rubber nose, and swims right for the food, and often hangs out near the dish, though i have seen the rubbernose in the dish, and even carrying a chunk of wafer a bit aways to eat. The rubbernose always swims away when it sees me, but the bristlenose seems to identify me with food, and sometimes swims towards me, but usually just stays where it was. 

I was wondering if there was a better food for them, of one with more nutritional value?
Im assuming topfin, petsmarts brand is out, but what about those tetra veggies? or the seaweed sheets? I dont think ive even seen the seaweed sheets, though I havent really looked.
What about API's brand?

Anything else i should be giving them?


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## Varkolak (Jun 9, 2012)

Standard for plecos is blanched zucchini at my local store and mine seem to like it as well, very nutritious so you can add a slice in weighted down in addition to an algea wafer or half. The rhino could do well with some high quality pellets as they are omnivores and would love some meat


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## LyzzaRyzz (Dec 18, 2011)

would cucumbers work until i can get zucchini? by rhino i assume you mean the rubbernose?
They do get other food, meant for the guppies that were in there, [they are now in my big tank]
Which kind of pellets would you reccomend? What should be in them?


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## Varkolak (Jun 9, 2012)

Lol I mistook your RN, in that case it can eat it but it probably wont so nvm about pellets. Cucumber should work fine but its more watery so I think it has less nutritional value but still good, once your tank has some heavy algae growth the plecos really take care of themselves so most don't worry about feeding them extra unless they want to give them treats


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## Fishguy2727 (Dec 22, 2011)

New Life Spectrum pellets exclusively.


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## Geomancer (Aug 23, 2010)

Varkolak said:


> Lol I mistook your RN, in that case it can eat it but it probably wont so nvm about pellets. Cucumber should work fine but its more watery so I think it has less nutritional value but still good, once your tank has some heavy algae growth the plecos really take care of themselves so most don't worry about feeding them extra unless they want to give them treats


I beleive Pleco's only eat algae when young, as they mature their diet shifts away from it.


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## LyzzaRyzz (Dec 18, 2011)

Mine are still small, the bristle nose about three inches, the rubber nose about three and a half? 
I'm not sure how that translates to age, since they are smaller plecos. What ages are they?
So the new life spectrum pellets are good for them? How often should I feed the wafers and the pellets?


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## Fishguy2727 (Dec 22, 2011)

I wouldn't feed wafers at all. There is nothing magical or needed about the shape or nutrition of wafers. I feed all my plecos NLS pellets exclusively as do all my clients, one of which just accidentally bred her bristlenose in her display. Feed them daily just like the other fish in the tank.

You can't tell the age by size, there are too many variables.


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## LyzzaRyzz (Dec 18, 2011)

I didnt get the wafers for thier size or shape, i got them because they were algea food supplements.

My lps doesnt have the new life spectrum, but i did get a different food. Its called Tetra Nature Grazing Block with Algae. It comes in a little tray, though the tray is sorta big for two small plecos, so i cut a peice out of the block, and put that in thier dish. They havent found it yet, though when i dropped it in, the bristle nose started searching and a few minutes later the rubber nose did. The snails have definitely found it though!

I almost got a different food, but its a gel, and I was afraid it would be harder to keep in the dish.

I also got a zucchini too! Havent put it in though, cause i dont have any clips without metal, and im not sure how to weigh it down...in the other tank it was easy to shove the cucumber under something, but with the 45, its much deeper!


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## Fishguy2727 (Dec 22, 2011)

The amount of algae in algae wafers is insignificant, the major difference is the artificial colors. 

Do not buy Tetra, it is not a good food. Buy NLS online, it is definitely worth it.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Mmmm zucchini. I'm pretty sure you're supposed to blanch it before you use it for the fish however.


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## Tazman (Jan 15, 2012)

Olympia said:


> Mmmm zucchini. I'm pretty sure you're supposed to blanch it before you use it for the fish however.


Blanch any vegetables and de-shell peas particularly. If you have hot enough tap water, running them in that for a few minutes is all that is needed, as long as they are soft for the fish.


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## LyzzaRyzz (Dec 18, 2011)

Huh..I thought you only did that for lettuce and cabbage?


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## Tazman (Jan 15, 2012)

It helps make it more manageable for the fish to eat.

You can put it in without blanching it, I do it with my cichlids but then again they rip it to shreds anyway. Most other fish though require it to be blanched to aid digestion.


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