feeding

[ladyoutlaw50]

I have a pleco in with my cichlids and they all seem to be doing ok. I like to send a wafer or two a couple times of week for my pleco -- but the cichlids grab it before it even reaches the bottom. I have tried feeding them on the opposite side of the tank and dropping the wafer at the other end where the pleco is -- but nope these guys are too smart!! Any suggestions??

[cocoa_pleco]

try feeding at night, cichlids are less likely to notice it then, and the plecos nocturnal so he will eat it then

[SpyderSpy6]

I have a tejada (don't know if I spelled that right) pleco that is gorgeous and I haven't specifically fed him because of the NLS I feed my discus. The NLS breaks up and goes everywhere and I feel that there is enough algae and debris from the food to feed him...

Should I be putting wafers in even though I see him eating all the time, and the algae is still plentiful for him?

[kaoticice]

As long as he/she is munching alot of food, than I guess he's fine. But I do believe that supplementing these guys with wafers specially for them is good, maybe feed sparingly 3 times a week?
As stated by Cocoa, these guys are nocturnal fish if you want to feed them, feed them at night.

Ed

[ladyoutlaw50]

i try putting a little bit a couple times a week and do it just before I go to bed. The lights are out by then -- but I can still see the cichlids going after it as it drops. My pleco looks healthy and seems to be a happy camper -- so going to assume all is ok for now.
thanks everyone for your help!!

[isome]

I have a 10 inch Pleco and he (whether it's a he or not) loves cucumber. If I put slices in he eats them from the centre outwards. This seems to be his favourite food.

Also my Mother-in-law who has a little pond for frogs has noticed tadpoles love it as well.

[smcurry83]

I tried algea wafers, even at night. The cichlids always got to them first. Try cucumber and zucini. Find a way to weigh it down, and put it in the same spot every time. I just stick a fork through it and make sure the fork is placed so that the fish can't IMPAIL themselves with it. All of the fish will munch on it, but it seems like the plecos really tear it up!!!

[abaigael04]

Just a quick question - are your forks metal? It would be SO easy to just put it on a fork and stick it in the tank instead of trying to wedge it under my bogwood but I am nervous about the metal in the tank?

[smcurry83]

The fork I use is stainless steel. I leave it in the tank over-night. (over-night for me being from 10pm - 6am) I don't do it every night either. Probably only 3 nights a week at the most. I'm not too worried about it affecting the tank. If I start seeing any oxidation (rust), then I would scrub that off with the dremel or just get a new fork.

I'm sure someone will disagree and say that this is bad practice...

[kaybee]

I keep a pair of bristlenose plecos in a overcrowded african cichlid tank. While the BN's appear to be getting enough to eat the competition during feeding time is high (not much food makes it down to the substrate).

So a couple of times a week I provide algae wafers for them. To deny the cichlids opportunity of bogarting the wafers (which they apparently enjoy more than the plecos do) this is what I do:

1. Feed the tank first (pellets, flakes, etc).

2. I take three algae wafers and break them in halves (to increase the odds of a pleco getting at least one of them).

3. I've noticed that my cichlids don't prefer to be swimming 'out in the open' during the dark. I have 3 bulbs over my tank (1 daylight, 2 actinics). When I turn off 1 daylight and 1 actinic, the cichlids tend to bolt for their caves and other hiding spots. When the tank appears totally vacated (the cichlids hide pretty well), I turn off the final bulb and add 3 wafer halves to each side of the tank (water flow further displaces them randomly in the tank). I find it imperative that there is no other light source anywhere near the vicinity of the tank (so when the final bulb is out the tank is in complete darkness, rather than just dim such as turning the tank lights off in a room which still has lights on). The lights on this tank is typically the last light turned off at the night.

I've found this deprives the cichlids of visually locating the wafer portions. The fact that there are several portions of wafers in the tank tips the odds in the pleco's favor (which primarily detect food via sense of smell). The cichilds can also smell the food but are visually impaired.

I also use plastic veggie clips and place them with food for the plecos using the same method.

[isome]

I tried algea wafers, even at night. The cichlids always got to them first. Try cucumber and zucini. Find a way to weigh it down, and put it in the same spot every time. I just stick a fork through it and make sure the fork is placed so that the fish can't IMPAIL themselves with it. All of the fish will munch on it, but it seems like the plecos really tear it up!!!

yes they do, mine gets embarrassed about it though, doesn't want me to watch it eat....but seriously devours the cucumber quickly. I haven't tried courgette/zucchini or any of the other squashes as the pleco absolutely loves the cucumber.

[Sniffles]

I feed mine at lights out.Sometimes it's best to wait about a hour after lights out to give the other fish time to go into quiet mode. Mango and zuchini seems to mines favorite.I use a vegie clip,but also have used a fork with no problem.