Pleco surface feeding

[L021]

Aight, over the past week, my pleco has started swimming upside down at the surface when I feed cichlid pellet mix for my tank. He makes a little opening where the food falls into his mouth. He also does this when he wants me to handfeed, another thing he picked up recently. I feed 2 algae wafers a day (1 with each pellet meal). I think he picked up the trick from eating the crystalwort and hornwort I throw in there. Should I be worried? Should I up his diet? Should I appreciate his cute little habit?

 

[meghanashley]

My pleco has done it for 8 years, I wouldn't worry. My guy still eats all his food but he likes his companions food two, it's weird to see him eat small pellets but he's got the technique down pat.

 

[Muske]

I had a common back in the day do the same w/flake.

 

[L021]

I'm gonna take a pic next time. It's hilarious

 

[andyjs]

My two current gibbys don't do this (not yet at least), but they do eat every type of sinking food that I throw in. I've seen many plecos do this before though

 

[SFury]

My sailfins will also come up to feed on floating pellets from time to time. They like variety in their diet apparently.

 

[matubula]

My gibby used to do it. Never ate the pellets though, he just spat them out of gill operculum.

 

[zerojquan85]

i recall a video about that..

found it...

[YT]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/R2ivtjFduZg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/R2ivtjFduZg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/YT]

But I like this one better..
[YT]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zHD8sSi7AOM&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zHD8sSi7AOM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/YT]

Just depends on the individual pleco and what kind of tankmates u have in the tank...

 

[Zander_The_RBP]

mine used to do it before he got meaty food in his diet but now that hes living with my piranhas he gets enough meaty leftovers that he dosent do it anymore yet i can tell its not cause hes afraid of the piranhas cause ive seen him fight off the piranhas several times for a peice of food that has sank to the bottom which is rather funny to see

 

[CTU2fan]

My common pleco used to do it, he really liked the pellets and once he grabbed one he'd stop doing anything else, just gnaw away at the pellet as he slowly sank to the bottom, not swimming, kind of drifing sideways til he hit the bottom.