Blanching/boiling Veggies For Your Herbivores

[CrustyOnEastCoast]

Hi, I recently purchased a bristlenose pleco!
 
I have a couple quick questions ...  I also plan to search around this topic area here to learn as much as I can ...
 
I suppose you should treat the water with your regular dechlorinator that you are going to use to boil your vegetables , or else use your aquarium tank water?  Or can you just use the water right out of the tap because the amount involved is so small? (my tap water has both chlorine and chloramine)
 
Also, some peole say that Bristlenose Plecos (and I guess all types of plecos) REQUIRE bogwood in the tank -- they eat it to help their digestion.   Is this true?  Right now all I have is fake wood in the tank.
 
Thanks!

 

[Wildbetta]

I personally don't blanch a lot of the vegs I give my plecos but when I do, I haven't ever used anything but water straight from the tap.  I feed romaine lettuce, sweet potatoes, zuchinni, yellow squash, green beans, and cucumber if I have it in the house.  I know some that use a bunch of other things as well.  As for the wood -- I keep wood in all the tanks I have plecos in.  I have a friend who breeds them and says they require it to aid in digestion.  Some plecos -- like clown plecos require wood because that is what they eat.
 
Where are you located in the eastern US?  I am in the southeast corner of TN.

 

[CrustyOnEastCoast]

Thanks for the response.  I am in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.