amount of food for royal?

RoseFishWatcher · Post by **RoseFishWatcher** » 14 Dec 2006, 02:57

Just last Thursday I bought a small royal. Rough estimate on size is 3 inches without tail. He's in a 90 gallon tank with a few bristlenoses as tankmates (although this will change in the next few months). The tank has real driftwood, not sure what types but there's several types and he seems to enjoy them. He (she?) is eating raw zucchini. Now that I'm certain he's eating well, I want to make sure I don't overfeed and kill with kindness.

So, how much food would be appropriate for a royal of this size? How much should I feed as he grows?

Thanks in advance!

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 14 Dec 2006, 10:01

The two most important factors when feeding wood-eating plecos is that they get wood - which you have, and that they don't get too much meaty food (including algae-wafers).

I have kept for a couple of years or so now, and I tend to make sure there's constant supply of courgette (zucchini) or other vegetables for them. It is my opinion that these fish will not overeat on vegetable matter - they just get nice and slightly rounded, but no health-problems, from this feeding regime.

--
Mats

RoseFishWatcher · Post by **RoseFishWatcher** » 14 Dec 2006, 18:00

Excellent. Thank you very much : )

grokefish · Post by **grokefish** » 19 Dec 2006, 16:38

I have had a royal panaque for about three years and he eats lots of wood and vegetables. I don't know if this is normal but he is taking really ages to grow.I had him at about 1 inch and three years later he is only about 6 inches.
Mine will eat anything, so like mats says keep an eye on him that he doesn't eat too much protien rich food.
Some so called vegy foods are really high in protien.
I don't feed any of my fish algae wafers but lots of veg and vegy flakes.
Luckily mine is in with mostly herbivorous fish (Uarus, spotted metynis, headstanders) so this isn't a problem although he has been in with other fish but I found that as long as he has fresh veg he'll eat that over anything else.
These are the only 'sucky' fish that I have had any sort of real experience with and to be honest with you I have never seen a fish crap so much in my life, I think its all the wood he eats, over the course of three years he has slowly wittled his favorite piece of oak down a noticeable amount.
Also I take his bit o wood out now and again and leave it outside in an old tank to grow some algae for a couple of days and he goes straight to it when I put it back in. It is definately his favorite bit o wood as there is loads o wood in the tank but that is his bit.