Member

Posts: 57
From:Boston
Registered: May 2003

posted 01-15-2004 08:17 AM         

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Hi all again. I recently got a pleco and was told to feed him algae wafers since no algae could be seen on my tank (probably micro algae there though). Anyway I was told my ID's would like the wafers too. Neither the pleco nor the ID's even go near the wafers. There looks like on the first day that one of the fish may had eaten a little, but no evidence since then with any of the other wafers. I have also tried putting some worms in for the ID's, but they just float to the bottom (doesn't look that they touch them either). My ID's are about 6" and 4" and the pleco is around 4" too. I was wondering if there was another type of food I should try because I don't want my pleco starving and since I go back to college soon daily water changes aren't that easy to do like I am doing now (got to clean all that uneaten food out). I also have a rainbow bosemani in the 45g tank with the others. I would appreciate any advice. THANKS

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Member

Posts: 266
From:Canada
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 01-15-2004 01:09 PM         

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My pleco loves the algae wafers - as do the tetras. He sits on it so they can't get to it. Sometimes it takes him a while to find it though.

You can try peeled zuchini or cucumbers and romaine lettuce. Weight it (I'd stab mine with an airstone I wasn't using) and drop it in. Mine liked the zuch. and cuc., but didn't care for lettuce. Good luck.

If they are new to the tank, it could also just take them awhile to get acclimated to their surroundings and feed.

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Member

Posts: 57
From:Boston
Registered: May 2003

posted 01-15-2004 02:17 PM         

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Thanks I will try it. I don't start school until Tues so I will continue with the wafers and see if the pleco finds/eats it.

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Member

Posts: 61
From:Alabama
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 01-15-2004 05:05 PM         

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You might want to try not feeding so much. If your fish are not eating all the food you are feeding way to much. Try going to a once a day feeding.

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Posts: 100
From:
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 01-15-2004 07:09 PM         

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my id sharks are about the same size, they like chichlet pellet and tropical flakes.. idk if they all liek this maybe i jsut got lucky though

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Member

Posts: 57
From:Boston
Registered: May 2003

posted 01-15-2004 08:17 PM         

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Friendy to fish- right now I am only putting in 1/4 of a wafer once a day and very few worms. They are also getting fed the chiclid pellets that they seem to love (I put in 4-5 pellets each). The thing is that since the ID's only eat the pellets the algae wafer is just sitting on the bottom since the pleco, rainbow bosemani, and the ID's won't touch it. I don't feel that only 1/4 of the wafer is too much it's just that no one eats it so it just sit there, but I am worried about the pleco starving since there is no visable algae on the tank (the algae wafer is mainly for him and I haven't seen him eat any pellets and I don't want to make the wafer any smaller because then he would pass over it). TL- That's what they eat now. I am mainly conserned about the pleco since the rainbow bosemani eats flakes and the ID's eat the pellets.
Thanks for the responses though.

[This message has been edited by HCL113083 (edited 01-15-2004).]

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Posts: 806
From:
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 01-15-2004 10:30 PM         

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Hi HCL113083, I would suspect that the pleco is getting some of the flake food and worms that drift to the bottom. They will eat foods other than algae. If he starts to get hollow belly then I would be concerned. Something else you can try for the pleco (also works good for botias) is to drop in a weekend feeder. They don't break down as quickly as the algae wafers.

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Member

Posts: 57
From:Boston
Registered: May 2003

posted 01-16-2004 09:35 AM         

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Thanks KC I will go out today and get some weekend feeders to have on hand. The wafer that I put in yesterday is now in a different location of the tank, but it doesn't look eaten at all....maybe the pleco is just taken so little that I can't tell. Thanks for all the help this is my first pleco so I just want to make sure he/she has a good home with my other guys.

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