# Do you need to feed Bristlenose pleco or do they eat left over flakes?



## SpaceLord (Feb 29, 2016)

Hello. 

I have tried to keep Pleco for a while now but have never been able to keep them alive for long. I was wondering if you have to feed them a special diet or will they eat left overs? 

The guy on the petstore said they will just eat flakes or stuff from the side of the tank or driftwood,etc..... 

Do they need to be feed a separate diet of algae wafers or something? 

This is the longest I have ever kept a pleco alive and the only difference if I'm giving him algae wafers whereas the others one back 15 years ago I only gave flakes to the general fish. 

Thanks.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

1/2 Hikari algae wafer or such a couple of times a week. After lights out is better. A slice of zucchini and/or lettuce, raw or microwaved now and then.


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## Acro (Jul 7, 2012)

Bristlenose Plecos need to be fed, just like any other fish. Yes, they will feed on algae, and when an aquarium is covered with it, it is ok to withhold feeding. However, once the algae is consumed their diet must be supplemented (as you have done with algae wafers). Also bristlenose plecos (and a few other pleco species) need wood to rasp on, as it is apart of their diet and needed for a healthy gut.

So yes, they will eat algae and left over food. They need wood as apart of their diet. They also must be fed. Algae wafers are a great food source and so are veggies. It helps to microwave or freeze veggies to make them easier for the pleco to feed on. If you use lettuce, use romaine lettuce, not iceberg (as iceberg does not contain many vitamins). As a treat, feed frozen bloodworms!

I suggest you check out forums like BristlenoseWorld or PlecoPlanet

Good Luck! 



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## Immortal1 (Feb 18, 2015)

Good or bad, I feed my bristle nose (have 6 total) slices of cucumber every other day along with some algae wafers on alternating days. Never really bother with microwave, just slice off a hunk, stick it on a fork for weight and drop it in. The 3 plecos, along with 2 SAE in each tank will typically eat everything but the rind by morning.


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## Acro (Jul 7, 2012)

Immortal1 said:


> Good or bad, I feed my bristle nose (have 6 total) slices of cucumber every other day along with some algae wafers on alternating days. Never really bother with microwave, just slice off a hunk, stick it on a fork for weight and drop it in. The 3 plecos, along with 2 SAE in each tank will typically eat everything but the rind by morning.


It's all good. Microwaving or freezing just breaks down the structure of the veggies a little, makes them easier to eat. This is mostly done for leafy veggies and such.



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## studentclimber (Apr 11, 2011)

Just tossing in a thought, playing devils advocate. If you overfeed your fish, then 1- stop it, and 2 don't feed the pleco. If you don't overfeed your fish, then it will love some cucumber, I find zucchinni makes less of a mess. Heck, they will eat strawberry and practically any soft veggie. Its been a game to see what mine will devour, but my pleco is 8 inches long and definitely needs to be fed in a tank that clean.


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## SpaceLord (Feb 29, 2016)

OVT said:


> 1/2 Hikari algae wafer or such a couple of times a week. After lights out is better. A slice of zucchini and/or lettuce, raw or microwaved now and then.


My Pleco seems to be eating as much as 1 algae wafer a day. Maybe that is why he is growing so fast.


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## SueD (Nov 20, 2010)

Zucchini, yellow squash, some give broccoli and sinking pellets like earthworm pellets, or NLS sinking pellets (fish will eat these too). Plecos will also apparently eat watermelon, although I've never tried it.

But yes, give the pleco his own food.


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## sullinsdavid16 (20 d ago)

Due to the BN pleco mouth structure, I'm wanting to know if they can even pick up flake on the bottom to eat.


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## Mr. Limpet (Dec 26, 2010)

sullinsdavid16 said:


> Due to the BN pleco mouth structure, I'm wanting to know if they can even pick up flake on the bottom to eat.


Bristlenose plecos have no problem taking flakes, and everything else, from the bottom.


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