if clown plecos are wood eaters,does that mean I can get rid of all the algae and it will still have food?

Question

? because I have ALOT of algae in the aquarium, and I seriously want to clean it because it looks bad a junk. the plec feeds off it a bit, but i'm worried if I clean it all the pleco will have no food...help...

Answer 1

Plecos kind eat at the wood a bit, but it's not a complete food source for them, but then again neither is algae. You can clean out some of the algae, but either way you should also feed your pleco with some algae wafers and some fresh veggies as well. Cucumber and zuchinni are pleco favorites.

MM

Answer 2

The Pleco's dont really eat the wood, they just chew it up to pieces, or so i've read. Although you bought your Pleco to eat the algae in your tank, this isnt enough of a food source for it. For starters, theres not enough algae in your tank to support a healthy growing Pleco. A lot of Plecos eventually eat the falling food flakes and pellets of the other fish but its rarely enough and they've got big stomachs in need of alot of filling. Tie some zuccini or cucumber to a rock and leave it in the tank. It might take a few days before the Pleco finally explores it and recognizes it as fod but when it eventually does you're going to be needing to buy A LOT of cucumbers. Algae wafers and those vacation food things that you drop in your tank when you're going away are also great.

Good luck. :)

Answer 3

Hopefully you are feeding the pleco more than just the algae in the tank! They need at least some kind of sinking wafer, but actual vegetables stuck to the side of the tank with a clip are reallllllly good.

Answer 4

Everybody is got descent answers so far. But noone specifically targeted your type. Clowns are one of the few that do indeed need wood in their diet to thrive. They will eat minimal algea though, usually the algea on the wood. Not a good pleco for algea control. If I were you I would clean the algea off the glass, just not the wood, and supplement with sinking tabs or veggies if its not getting enough leftover food from other fish.

Answer 5

Pleco's do eat the wood, but it isn't for nutrition, it's for digestion. You must feed your pleco if you want it to live a long and healthy life. Cucumber, zucchini, leafy green lettuce and spinach - these types of things are very healthy for them. It's never a good idea to buy a fish and expect it to be a custodian to your fish tank - you must clean the algae with your own two hands.

Answer 6

Plecos are algae eaters - you need to feed them with algae tabs daily...don't starve them. In addition you can feed them some thinly sliced, blanched zucchini sometimes. Plecos will work over wood if is has algae growing on it, but that might not be enough for the animal to survive on.
If you care for your animals properly, you can enjoy them for many years to come.
KEEP US INFORMED OF YOUR PROGRESS WITH THE ALGAE REMOVAL.