Help Getting Pleco To Feed

[ChilliPepper]

I've had my Para Pleco for a couple of months now. He was fairly shy for the first few days, but quickly decided I'm not going to hurt him and will happily stay by the glass if I come over.

I'm worrying he isn't getting enough food. I use a combination of tropical floating pellets for my tetras etc and either Tabimin sinking pellets or algae wafers. They get fed approx 3 times a week. Occasionally they get bloodworm and courgette. In the time I've had him I've seen him eat twice. The trouble is he is so dim! The pellet can be right by him and he will keep changing direction and it either gets moved or one of the other fish get it (most likely). He will sometimes guard the area where the pellet was, although the pellet isn't there anymore as been moved off by another fish!
He had a 'dropping' dangling from his body yesterday, so must be eating something, but I really don't want to loose him because he isn't getting enough food.

Any suggestions on ways to get him to eat? Remember, he is quite a thick chap and slow on the uptake that food is around

 

[star4]

Have you tried some meat? I know nothing about the pleco you have, but I rescued two commons recently and they LOVE wafer thin ham, they wouldnt eat till I tried the ham, now they eat anything.

 

[pippoodle]

butternut squash skin it and chuck it in - my plecs , corys and shrimps love it , i put it in in the morning and take it out the following evening - leaving in for about 36 hours then remove
my plecs are stuck to it on and off all day and especially when the lights are off

also drop in pellet when you turn the lights off as they mostly like to feed at night