Questions About Our New Bushy Nose Pleco

[Fuego]

Hi, everyone!

Our tank finished cycling about two weeks ago, and we just added a Bushy Nose Pleco to the tank. We have a few questions about feeding it.

There was a fair amount of algae on the glass, little tiny (about 1/4 of an inch long) green algae that waived a bit in the current. We put the Pleco in, and in like two days he's already cleaned the glass. I'd say about 80-90% of the algae is gone now. He's doing a great job.

We also are putting in one TetraMin Tropical Tablets pellet a day... but, honestly, he's not getting very much of them. The other fish start pecking at it as it starts to disintegrate in the water. If we manage to drop it right next to him, he gets excited when it starts to break up and attaches to it. But I'd say he got about a quarter of the first one yesterday and maybe a third of the second one tonight.

Is he going to get enough to eat from the algae on the glass, and, I assume, the rocks and plants and stuff in the tank, plus occasionally part of a tablet? Or should we be doing something else to get food to him? Should we be concerned about getting the tablet as close to him as we can, or will he find it even if it's on the other side of the tank? I've read online about putting zucchini or cucumber in the tank for him. If this is a good idea, how much and how should we prepare it?

Also, does the other fish eating the tablet mean we aren't feeding them enough, or are they just being greedy?

 

[Baccus]

If there is plenty of live plants in the tank and real timber the Bristle nose (bushy nosed pleco) should be getting enough food with the odd algea tablet thrown in as well ( I am guessing its only a young one), zuchini can be added to the tank I give it raw but you can gently blanch it first, the other fish (depending on the species) will also more than likely have a go at the zuchini as well. I have given my bristle noses pumpkin and carrot as well which they like, but cucumber tends to just turn to mush. You can always drop in the algea wafer/ tablet once lights are out on the tank and the other fish are in sleep mode.

A lot of fish are just greedy and will eat anything new dropped into the tank so them eating the tablet really doesn't show that they aren't getting enough of their own food.

If the fish that you have is a Bristle nose it will also enjoy slightly meatier treats, they are not strict vegetarians like some pleco's are. MIne love sinking catfish pellets along with a host of other foods and I have even seen them go for deforsted bloodworms.

 

[Fuego]

Thanks for the info, Baccus.

Yes, our pleco is young. He's only about an inch or maybe 1 1/2 inches long. And we have around 7-8 live plants and a piece of wood about... I don't know... the size of a nerf football or two baseballs side-by-side. LOL.

How much zucchini should we put in, and how often? And do you peal it first? How often should we put the tablets in, religiously once a day or just a few times a week?