Making sure Pleco's get enough Food

[stiker]

hello, i currently have 4 pleco's in my 250 G tank. 2 gold spot pelco's (around 5.5 inches) and 2 sailfin pleco's (one around 8 inches and the other around 10 inches). Wanted to ask if anyone had ideas how i can make sure they are getting enough food. I have tried the idea of algae wafers, with the lights on my central american cichlids quickly eat them all, and with the lights off my 3 large Australian Salmontail Catfish (Arius Graeffei, two around 12inches and one around 10 inches) quickly devour them. Does anyone have any personal ideas on how i can feed them and make sure all the food isn't eaten by the other fish in the tank! Thank you

Other fish in tank:
3 x Australian Salmontail Catfish
2 x Synspilum (1 male and 1 female)
1 x Tiger Oscar
1 x Texas Cichlid
1 x Jack Dempsey
1 x Jaguar
1 x Archer Fish
4 x Silver Dollars

*I would like to make clear that when the Salmontail Catfish grow two big they will be moving to a much larger tank!

 

[FastFisher5]

My pleco also has a tough time getting food with my cichlids eating everything in sight, especially my JD lol. But how I keep it fed is by "hiding" some wafers/pellets in a certain cave where only the pleco can fit/go. If your plecos have a specific cave where they live, mine does, then you could place some food in there.

 

[FastFisher5]

Oh and how's your Archerfish do with those guys? I was looking at some at a lfs recently and have a kinda similar cichlid stock with you. And also feel free to post some pics lol

 

[Youngddh]

I was sold a rhino pleco for $3.99 at a store a week ago by accident

 

[stiker]

Oh and how's your Archerfish do with those guys? I was looking at some at a lfs recently and have a kinda similar cichlid stock with you. And also feel free to post some pics lol

Hi. My archerfish does great! I would recommended only getting a single one or a group of them. I did have 2 but the larger one bullied the slightly smaller one until it ended up killing it! I also thinks it works due to the fact that it is similar size to my cichlids. And nice American cichlids are amazing! Love my large synspilum he's so beautiful and a true synspilum. Was looking at a red devil that is smaller then my other cichlids but not sure whether I want to risk that one haha.
I was thinking about hiding some pellets in a piece of zucchini and trying dropping that in at night. But not sure if that is a good way

 

[Shenanigans]

I feed a variety of veggies in my large mixed species tank. Only a few compete with the plecos for veggies and the plecos move in much faster and scarf down food. Why would using zucchini not be acceptable?

 

[FastFisher5]

I use zucchini with my tanks and they love it, just bought one today for them actually lol

 

[stiker]

I didn't mean it's unacceptable. I have just never tried it

 

[stiker]

Got some photos of the fish in the tank for those asking. I'm not sure if they are common sail fin pleco 's if anyone could Id them that would be great! Sorry that I couldn't get a better pic of the second pleco ( the one in the pic with the Texas) I'm leaning more towards it being a gold spot pleco (L001) if memory serves correctly.

 

[tlindsey]

The pleco in the pic looks like a common, btw great looking fish and aquascape. The pleco must be eating something looks healthy. Personally I would try the zucchini at lights out.