My Pleco cant eat veggies

[Pyramid_Party]

So I tried giving the Pleco straight veggies after reading the Pleco diet thread. One night I gave the pleco a small piece of potato. I let it sit in water for about an hour. Placed it in the plecos cave before lights out. Later I checke dit and it looked untouched. Well the next day it was still in the same spot and untouched, so I think the pleco didnt like it or was unable to eat it maybe because of the texture.

Next night I tried broccoli, I used the stem part of it and not the head. This time I placed it in water and heated it in the microwave till the water was hot but not boiling. Left it in there for about a minute. Let it cool down then placed it in the plecos cave before lights out. Later I peaked in the tank and saw the pleco had it and was sucking on it. Next day I saw the piece was pretty much still intact.


I dont know if the pleco is not liking the veggies I am giving or simply cant eat them, maybe they are too hard. So I been giving the algae wafers but I do wanna give the pleco veggies so it can have more food. It will eat sinking carnivore pellets, bloodworms and brine shrimp. It usually trys to scavenge this from the other fish but doesnt get a whole lot of it.

 

[Lupin]

Have you tried smearing garlic on the foods? This helps with fussy eaters.

 

[eyft23]

i had the same problem with some of my pleco's, but i kept on leaving cucumbers in the tank every night and sooner or later they actually figured out it was food. i saw just keep on trying, it'll all work out soon enough.

 

[Pyramid_Party]

I'll try more foods. I'll see how it goes. But Im wondering if the food being too hard has a role in it. Maybe the pleco cant really eat it? I dont know, I'll try to get the texture really soft and see how it goes.

 

[Allan01230]

Try Zuchinni rubberbanded to a rock. Cut it like a pickle wedge. What kind of pleco is it? How big? You may have a carnivore that will not eat veggies, veggie tablets are great for plecos. Just as fgood as fresh veggies and ther are more vitamins in them. So if he eats the tablets he will be fine without the fresh veggies.

 

[TwistedPenguin]

I'm with Allan. I leave the zuchinni or mango in the tank, too. They eat it so fast even a big slice is gone within a few days. Veggies don't mess up your water quality like protiens do. It might 'look' a little messy visually but chemically it shouldn't change it under normal circumstances. And also (like Allan said) some plecs/panaques are carnivores, one that comes to mind is the Gold Nugget. Mine have never touched potatoe either, might be too starchy or something.

 

[Pyramid_Party]

Its a common pleco, Im thinking its either too hard or just something new and the fish hasnt developed the taste yet. Yeah I removed the potato and broccoli after 1 night. I didnt know you could leave it longer, I was thinking it would dirty the water.

 

[DRgrits]

I wouldn't use potatoe if I had a choice.Its to starchy, but most anything else will do.

 

[eyft23]

i forgot to ask what kind of pleco. i also have 3 common pleco's and they also eat fruits. try some honey dew melon or cantaloupe. mine ate a whole slince in one night. i just say keep trying different types of veggies and fruits to give it some variety and also don't give up. good luck.

 

[Pyramid_Party]

Yeah, I gotta try different foods. The pleco seems to like meat though too. The pleco always goes for pellets, brine shrimp, bloodworms etc. Is it really important for a common pleco to get meat in its diet? I was looking at the ingredients for the alage wafers and some of the ingredients listed are meat.