Tips for feeding wild-caught Sultan L264 and H. contradens plecos

[jodilynn]

Hi again,
Proud and worried fish mama to a magnificent Sultan pleco juvenille (around 2 inches) and a bitty 1.5 Hypancistras contradens. Both were wild caught and I have had them about a month.
I also had a outstanding L260, but sadly it passed.
I have been feeding frozen foods (bloodworms which they LOVE, plankton, beef heart, brine shrimp, etc) and also various wafers (Hikari Bottom feeder, every kind of algae wafer under the sun), Cobalt pellets, Bug Bites pleco formula, and other dry food.
I am still traumatized/heartbroken/paranoid after losing my Queen and I want to keep these precious beauties alive.
They are currently in a 10 gallon quarantine tank with 4 little Sunrise Gouramis. 50% w/c weekly. Two sponge/biological filters and one internal filter with ammolite/carbon. Temp around 80.

[meck3427]

Make sure the Sultan gets some veggies in his diet. Blanched sweet potato (3 minutes in boiling water after they are peeled and cubed) and organic cucumbers are my little guy's favorites. I also have good luck with Rapashy bottom scratcher.
I shy away from bloodworms for all my plecos until they are 2 plus inches, have heard they can bind them up.

[jodilynn]

Thank you! I have put blanched zucchini in there and it did disappear. I also occsssionally feed Emerald Entree which is a frozen spinach based food with brine shrimp and other "critters" mixed in.
I hear a lot about Repashy. Has anyone ever tried spirulina powder mixed with egg whites and "painted" on rocks and allow to dry?

[bekateen]

Hi Jodilynn,

I dont wish to stir the pot, but I have a bunch of baby Panaqolus and Hypancistrus right now, and they get a little live black worms every week, from the moment they finish their yolk sac and I have no trouble with it. They never get it as their only food though. It is served with a pile of spirulina flakes, a teaspoon of freeze dried blood worms and shredded raw sweet potato every time.

As for your diet, I'm more concerned about the beef heart for bloating and digestive problems. Everyone who talks to me about foods says beefheart is bad for plecos.

Good luck,
Eric

[jodilynn]

Thank you Eric. I only gave it to them once.

So when they say that Hypancistrus (I also have a happy little L199 in my 40) are "mostly" carnivorous they still are in need of vegetable matter? Like veggie pellets once a week instead of blackworm/brine shrimp/earthworm pellets and carnivore wafers?
So confusing...my L199 like, rarely if ever gets veggie pellets and NEVER has touched any veggies I have put into the tank. So I always usually feed it meat based pellets
The distributor I purchased them fron was concerned the L200 died of bloat but it seemed ok in that respect.
So confused.

[TwoTankAmin]

Please ditch the beef heart. When Dr tanner does presentations on feeding plecos he is adamant about this. One way to get veggies to Hypans is to feed Rapashy. You mix this from a powder and it sets at room temperature. You can mix the various varieties. I use the Spawn & Grow and the Bottom Scratcher and I mix both with about 20 -25% Soilent green. this works great for me.\
https://www.store.repashy.com/

[bekateen]

Hi Jodilynn,

I agree with TTA about Repashy. I'd add that my L201 and debilittera babies seem to do okay with Cobalt spirulina flakes. I feed the wigglers shredded sweet potato and I give the adults algae wafers once a week, but I see no evidence that the adults touch either. Honestly, I rarely see the adults eat, even their worms.

Cheers, Eric

[jodilynn]

What about spirulina powder mixed with egg whites, with Dr. Tim's Bene-FISH-al Seaweed Grinder with added Mysis, Garlic and mulberry leaves, "painted" on clean rocks?

[bekateen]

That may not be as well rounded a diet as Repashy, but I don't see anything inherently wrong with including that in a more diverse diet.
Cheers,
Eric

[TwoTankAmin]

BTW- you can paint Repashy on rocks. It is a gel mix food which comes as a powder. You boil water, pour it into a container and then mix in the powder and stir well. Normally it will set up into a solid product at room temps and then you can slice as you like. However, while it is still in liquid form it is easy to paint on rocks.

I find it to be a superior food and it is what was a major factor in getting several of my stubborn Hypans to spawn. If nothing else, go to the Repashy site and read the ingredients.

[MarcW]

I also agree about the repashy foods I use 3-4 types, often combined to specifically feed more carnivorous or more vegetarian fish.

I have painted it onto rocks in the past to try and encourage newly purchased fish to eat, but now I just cut it into cubes and drop them in the tank before I go to bed.

Once I tried making my own mixes either with egg white, or agar agar, but it was a lot of hassle and generally made a mess in the kitchen and the tank .

As two tank mentioned, check out the ingredients lists for the repashy foods, they are pretty comprehensive.

Good luck.

[timd]

Another vote for Repashy (specifically Bottom Scratcher). My mini-colony of Sultans and L400s devour it, assuming they can get to it before it’s covered in a cloud of shrimp. The downside is the frankly appalling stench while making it. There’s very little that makes me gag, but I have to make sure that I cook it up on an empty stomach. I can only imagine what it must be like living downwind from Mr Repashy himself...

[jodilynn]

Thank you everyone.

They are doing good. I have laid off the frozen foods, doing it just once a week.

I have put in blanched zucchini, sweet potato, dandelion leaves, and dried mulberry leaves. I figure they must find one of those appealing. I cannot say for sure it is them because of the snail population in that tank .

I have been tossing in various algae/veggie pellets, Fluval Bug Bites, and Hikari tablets.