too MUCH zucchini?

[fishmommie]

Can I feed my pleco too much zucchini? the little stinker goes through a 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick round slice (approx 1 - 1/2 inch diameter) almost every day. Of course, the lunker snails are eating it too but still .... I've been replacing the rind with a fresh piece every day
It's an albino BNP - about 2 inches long now. He also has his bog wood to suck on and I toss in algae wafers once or twice a week for both him and the snails and the cory cats. Also feed peas once a week and watermelon if I have it.
thanks

[escamosa]

The little stinker!! Poor little guy! You're doing exactly the right thing for him, in my opinion! He'd be loving it, in that tank! They like broccoli too, if you'd like to try him on something else! Quite a lot of people fall into the trap of JUST feeding Bristlies algea based foods, and let them constantly clean up their tanks. Their proper diet is vegetable matter, and they supplement that diet with algea. If they are left to eat just algea and whatever the other fish leave laying around, they can get intestinal problems or starve. So keep giving the little stinker his vegies, and he'll love you for it!

[fishmommie]

So keep giving the little stinker his vegies, and he'll love you for it!

That must be why he waves to me whenever I walk by the tank
and thanks. I'll keep looking for variety for him.

[escamosa]

Aww, he's not a stinker! He sounds like he's a cutie!

[fishmommie]

Aww, he's not a stinker! He sounds like he's a cutie!

he's adorable! (NEVER thought I'd say that about a pleco) And 'stinker' was an affectionate term

How old are they before they get their bristles? I've not seen even a nubbin on his nose. He's probably grown 1/2 and inch since I got him ... maybe more. He was really tiny

[escamosa]

I think it all depends on whether it's a male or a female. The females will grow smaller bristles around its snout, while the males will grow larger ones around its snout and on his head. Quite often you won't see any bristles until the fish has grown to around 2 1/2 - 3 inches. But like i said, I'm pretty sure that still depends on the bristlies sex.

[Taurus]

Their proper diet is vegetable matter, and they supplement that diet with algea. If they are left to eat just algea and whatever the other fish leave laying around, they can get intestinal problems or starve. So keep giving the little stinker his vegies, and he'll love you for it!

Really? I didn't know that vegetable matter was grown in the rivers and streams of South America.

All joking aside, they need protein in there diet too. Bet you need see a BN pleco turn up his nose at blood worms.

[fishmommie]

they need protein in there diet too. Bet you need see a BN pleco turn up his nose at blood worms.

I have only ever fed freeze dried blood worms - sometimes to my betta and for treats in my tetra tank. Are there frozen blood worms? If not, not sure how the pleco would ever get any to eat as they'd never sink.

[Taurus]

I have only ever fed freeze dried blood worms - sometimes to my betta and for treats in my tetra tank. Are there frozen blood worms? If not, not sure how the pleco would ever get any to eat as they'd never sink.

Yes, blood worms are frozen as well. They can be found in the frozen foods section of your LFS. If you soak freeze dried blood worms in a container of tank water for a few minutes and then dump the container into the tank, a few worms may fall to the bottom. I find it easier just to drop in a sinking bottom feeder tablet (not an algae wafer) or sinking shrimp pellets a couple of time per week.

[escamosa]

Really? I didn't know that vegetable matter was grown in the rivers and streams of South America.

All joking aside, they need protein in there diet too. Bet you need see a BN pleco turn up his nose at blood worms.

Well, they don't exactly grow carrots and peas in the rivers, but there is aquatic plants, which is vegetation, and I think that's concidered as vegetable matter!

I'm sure that they will have a bit of a snack on some bloodworms at times, or left overs from the other fishes in the tank, but if the Bristlies only get that sort of stuff, they can get sick and die. I imagine that all fish would add some protien to thier diet at some point, but some just don't need a lot of it, and if a high protien diet is forced on them then you can have problems. The algea wafers contain enough protein for Bristlies. They also have to feed on small amounts of the driftwood or bogwood to help them digest anything that they have eaten that is high in protein, if no vegetable matter is provided. In my opinion, Bristlies do just fine without being forced to eat high protein foods, and grow better without too much of it.