Can't Feed My Bristlenoses!

[adrianborg]

Good evening!

I bought some bristlenoses a few days ago and they've hoovered up most of the algae in the tank (I had a small problem). But when I try to drop any proper food in for them (sinking pleco flakes or quartered peas) it turns into a feeding frenzy for the danios, and the bristlenoses don't go anywhere near it.

I'm afraid of overfeeding the danios and starving the catfish, though there is still a small amount of algae left in the tank.

Has anyone else had this problem?

Thanks!

 

[Liquid skills]

try dotting the food around the tank so its not concentrated in one spot so ur bn has time to find it before the danios get it lol also try a bloc of bloodworm's they will love it

 

[snazy]

Yes, I do
The pleco will more than likely eventually start getting it's piece of food, regardless. They are smart fish.
However, if you have a shy one, try feed the pleco at late evening, after lights are out, when everyone else is asleep.
Or try the veg route. Mine is mad about romain lettuce(don't feed them the normal lettuce as it contains no nutritients).
No one else seems to like it in my tank besides the guppies trying to hide under it.

 

[laura120381]

try puttung a chunk of cucumber in the tank. they love this. remember to take it out before it turns to mush though!! you could try feeding at night. turn off the lights before dropping the algae wafer in. hopefully the danios etc will ignore it and plecos are nocturnal so may eat it when the other fish are resting.

L.

 

[Baccus]

They are also fond of raw carrots and mine even like a bit of watermelon, not the red part just the rind with the white bit and a small amount of red/ ripe watermelon left on. I wouldn't be surprised if they also went for sweet potato. I have also known mine to eat icecream bean fruit.

 

[StandbySetting]

Drop some Algae wafers in before you go to bed, Pleco's are somewhat nocturnal, they'll feed more actively when it's dark.

 

[adrianborg]

Great - thanks a lot for all the advice. Lights are out - it's night here in the UK, I'll break up a pleco flake into a few pieces ad drop them around the tank in a little while...

 

[snazy]

If you just got your plecos, they will be shy for a while and hide. As long as the tank is comfy for them, they may come out of the hiding places. My pleco used to hide so much, that I kept checking if he is dead or alive. All I could see was him flying across the tank from one hiding place to another. Then he came out of it after a while and now and dances on the glass all day, no matter of the light or me staring. He does not know he is nocturnal. He even gets excited when I drop the flakes for the guppies, although he gets his bit.

Give you plecos a bit of time. Make sure they have hiding places, like caves, drift wood large enough. It is a learning curve for them now in the new aquarium.

 

[adrianborg]

Could be I suppose but they seem quite happy. there's a pile of bogwood pieces with plenty of hiding places - they seem to spend most of it, out in the open nuzzling on the wood. Or shunting up and down the leaves of my amazon swords or anubias' (which used to have algae but not any more...). After dark they seem to spend more time on the gravel or the sides of the tank.

 

[snazy]

They are probably just not hungry enough yet, with all the algae around. But once finished, they will start making better attempts at kicking the other fish away from the food. If you teach them to eat at night, then you would have to keep going that way. Otherwise they'll learn to eat during the day too.

What type of tablet are you feeding them? Maybe they don't like those. I had never seen my plec so keen about food, till I bought the Hikari sinking wafers. No one can take him away from that

Edit: The Hikari sinking wafers with orange packing, which is actually for catfish.

 

[bristlenoseitplecoman]

I have 1 BN pleco and he only eats when he is hungry. He kicks the cory catfish off the algae wafer and takes whatever he wants leaving the rest for them.

 

[Liquid skills]

My male bn man he is so shy when i go near the tank
But when he dsnt know im watching and he wants the algae wafer he goes mad threatening other fish with his hooks like crazy lol

I wouldnt mind but the platy fry dont care and still nibble bits off the algae wafer while hes on top o it lol and they are about an inch and hes 4" long a big size diff lol

 

[adrianborg]

It's Tetra "Pleco Multi Wafers" - the ones that look like green fried eggs

 

[creeker]

They are probably just not hungry enough yet, with all the algae around. But once finished, they will start making better attempts at kicking the other fish away from the food. If you teach them to eat at night, then you would have to keep going that way. Otherwise they'll learn to eat during the day too.

What type of tablet are you feeding them? Maybe they don't like those. I had never seen my plec so keen about food, till I bought the Hikari sinking wafers. No one can take him away from that

Edit: The Hikari sinking wafers with orange packing, which is actually for catfish.

I use those same wafers. My BN chases everyone else off of them. I'm sure yours will get more assertive in time.