# How am I supposed to feed my pleco?



## nympxzie (Oct 2, 2014)

I have an *albino bristlenose pleco *about 2" long living in a 20 gal with only a molly and a ghost shrimp for now (newly set up tank). 
I give him *half an algae wafer per night and I shut the lights off* when i put the food in, but I've only ever seen him eat it once!!! Otherwise, the wafer gets lost in the vast tank. I've tried putting in in the same spot and hand feeding but he's pretty oblivious. 
He usually sucks on the plants in the tank, but I'm worried he's going to kill them since there is no algae to be eaten off
I also put a cured piece of driftwood in the tank today that he spends a lot of time on, again the driftwood doesn't have algae either.
I just want to make sure he's actually getting food and not just being starved constantly.
note: His stomach_ doesn't_ look caved in.


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## Islandgaliam (Jan 27, 2014)

I have one too. I tuck a wafer under his driftwood, sometimes he eats it, sometimes he doesn't. I just read today about veggies, like maybe cucumber or zucchini; Iam gonna try some cucumber today and see if he reacts to that.

My fish go crazy over the wafers too, so I put a few at the other end of the tank to distract them from his. 

I wouldn't worry too much, I figure if they get hungry enough, they will eat anything


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

They will also gobble up frozen brine shrimp or bloodworms. Use an eyedropper to get some down to the bottom near his hiding spot.


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## nympxzie (Oct 2, 2014)

Islandgaliam said:


> I have one too. I tuck a wafer under his driftwood, sometimes he eats it, sometimes he doesn't. I just read today about veggies, like maybe cucumber or zucchini; Iam gonna try some cucumber today and see if he reacts to that.
> 
> My fish go crazy over the wafers too, so I put a few at the other end of the tank to distract them from his.
> 
> I wouldn't worry too much, I figure if they get hungry enough, they will eat anything





Romad said:


> They will also gobble up frozen brine shrimp or bloodworms. Use an eyedropper to get some down to the bottom near his hiding spot.


I've tried sweet potato, no luck. He must be eating something though! I'll pick up some brine shrimp for him as well.


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