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How much to feed?

2K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  Monsterpony 
#1 ·
I have an ~8 inch common pleco and I have been wondering how much I should be feeding it. It is in a tank of its own and right now I have been feeding it 1-2 algae disks and 1 bottom feeder tablet every evening. I also supplement a few days a week with sinking shrimp pellets or chopped up peas. How do I know how much I should be feeding? Is this too much, not enough? Am I doing anything I shouldn't be or not doing something I should?
 
#2 ·
They're grazers, and like to have food available as much as possible. I often grab a piece of frozen zucchini, rubber band it to a rock, and just leave it in the tank until it's gone. I picked up the habit from another friend, who swore that even after a couple of days, the zucchini didn't rot, and he's proven himself quite correct in my eyes. It's an easy way to make sure my plecos always have food, and I just add an algae wafer or a couple shrimp pellets from time to time. I'm of the opinion that these guys are scavengers, and will eat anything in the wild, so it's good to give them the option of some meatier stuff from time to time.
 
#3 ·
Zucchini is a great idea and sounds much better then the romaine lettuce I have been using!
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the idea about the zucchini. I had tried putting extra peas in the tank, but they seemed to rot really quickly. I just worry most that I am underfeeding it. With my other fish, it is easy to judge how much to feed them with the whole "feed what they will eat in a couple minutes." The pleco stays in one spot most of the day except that she will randomly go swimming around to a different area a couple times a day.
 
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