veggies for plecos

[DKcincy]

I've been experimenting with different fresh organic veggies for my plecos (clown plecos, rhino pleco, juvenile BNP, and common ottos).

Fresh carrots were completely ignored. Fresh cucumbers are mostly ignored. Fresh spinach is a big hit. And boiled broccoli is somewhat of a hit (I boil it so it sinks).

The big surprise for me is that Buenos Aires tetras *devour* the spinach before the nocturnal clown plecos even get a chance! They pick off the tender parts first, leaving a ghostly skeletal network of veins. But within 24 hours even those are gone. To be honest it's hard for me to tell if the plecos are eating it at all.... or if it's the tetras.

[Scleropages]

I highly recommend zucchini for most plecos, skin and all. Just quarter them (i.e.-slice them into quarters), stick stainless steel forks into them (or you could fasten them to rocks/driftwood with rubber bands), and place them on the bottom of your tank. They should look drastically reduced by the next day.

[Narwhal72]

I find that different species prefer different veggies.

My BN plecos love cucumber. Devour it by the slice daily. My Hypancistrus and Peckoltia prefer sweet potato to cucumber. Panaque don't seem to be picky but like wood more than anything.

Andy

[uaru]

Zucchini seems to be the general winner at my house too. Some plecos seem to prefer the skin, and others like the center part and leave the skin behind. But everyone eats it! I have a couple of screwcumbers for sinking the zucchini (I know, it's kind of unnecessary but I thought they were funny - and no, I'm not affiliated with them).

I've seen some plecos eat pumpkins, but mine don't like them very much. The BN are really my only reliable L-cat pumpkin eaters. The spixi snails, cherry shrimp, and veggie-eating cichlids like them though. The same with butternut squash. Cucumber and peas are hit and miss. Nobody is interested in the outer leaves of cabbage. Some of them will gnaw at cabbage cores, bok choy stems, or broccoli stems if they're hungry, but I usually have to pull some uneaten bits out after a day.

We basically try to feed them the veggies we're eating, but they all have their own preferences.

[Matt30]

My Peckoltia compta/Whiptails/H zebra's all eat Courgette,de shelled Peas, I don't bother feeding Cucumber because its about 99% water just my opinion but I rather feed Courgette as it has more substance to it.