Many times when people think of plecos they think they only eat plants or algae but most need some form of protein in their diet and some have a protein based diet. Obviously, some plecos are completely vegetarians but most are omnivorous and even some are completely carnivorous.
Now you can find some great protein based processed foods for your plecos and I use them a lot when trying to get my plecos in the right conditioning for breeding.
I like using protein pellets or wafers because they are easy to store and have a long shelf life.
They also don’t affect your water quality as much as some other protein based foods for several reasons but one of the main ones is that they are designed that way. They have been freeze dried or prepared in a way to stop them from going bad and spoiling.
One thing to look out for when choosing a protein pellet or wafer is to check the ingredients. Lots of fish foods have a lot of fillers in the food or low quality ingredients. So I would always do a little research before purchasing a pellet or wafer for your plecos. It will save you a lot of headaches in the future and your fish will be healthier too.
A few protein based foods that I like are listed below.
Can I feed my plecos eat brine shrimp?
For the most part yes your plecos can eat brine shrimp. I would say brine shrimp are the most popular live food for any type of fish.
Because brine shrimp are extremely easy to grow and have a really short growth time. Making them a quick and easy live food to feed your plecos.
Can I feed my pleco shrimp?
Yes, shrimp are a great source of protein and one of the most common proteins to feed carnivore fish.
They are relatively cheap and come in a variety of sizes. This makes shrimp an awesome food source because you can control how much your plecos eat.
It also helps in situations where you are afraid your pleco will be a piggy and keep it all to themselves. If you put a bunch of small shrimp in the tank then everyone gets one.
The tank pig or bully can’t guard or scare away from all the different feeding points in the tank.
One thing you will want to do is if the shrimp has its shell still on it you will want to remove it. Plecos love munching on different food sources for extended periods of time but if there is no reward for the food they will give up.
Can I feed my pleco mussels?
Mussels are definitely something you can feed your plecos.
While mussels are less common than other meaty foods to feed your plecos or other fish they are something your meat eating plecos will enjoy.
One of the drawbacks to mussels is that they aren’t as easy to feed as other meaty foods because it is less common to find them with the shell already open so it will usually take a little more effort to prep mussels for your plecos.
Can I feed my pleco clams?
Clams are a staple for many types of meat eating fish in the aquarium hobby and as such are a great option of food for your plecos.
What I love about clams is the ease with that you can get them for your plecos.
While any grocery store that has a seafood section whether it be frozen or fresh has clams. You can also find frozen clams on a half shell at most pet stores.
Warning if you feed human food grade products to your fish make sure that it doesn’t have any butter, salt, or other seasonings on it. All of these things could potentially harm your fish.
Clams on a half shell make the clean up process much easier. The shell makes a little serving plate for your plecos so when they are done you just lift the shell out of the tank and your cleanup is done.
Can I feed my plecos Blood worms?
Personally, I say yes you can feed your plecos blood worms. The reason I say I personally say yes is because some pleco keepers and breeders think that blood worms can kill you plecos.
The reason they think this is because apparently blood worms have hooks on them that help them attach to their host that they feed on.
Some people say that these hooks can get caught on your plecos when eating and cause your fish to have internal injuries or get stuck in the throat and your pleco chokes to death.
I personally have never seen it but I also only use frozen blood worms so this may be different if they are alive.
If you are afraid of any harm coming to your plecos then the next food may fit your needs better.
Can my plecos eat Black worms?
Black worms are a very common replacement for blood worms. They have all the benefits of blood worms but not the possible harm to your fish.
Black worms can be found at most pet shops at a decent price. While not as widely known as blood worms they are definitely a reliable food source for most fish.
There are a few other benefits to black worms like they are believed to be more nutritious than blood worms and they are rarely frozen.
They are almost always alive. So when they wiggle around in the tank it triggers your pleco’s instincts to hunt and makes it much more appealing to your plecos.
There are a few drawbacks to black worms though. They often stink so you will need to store them somewhere you don’t mind having a bit of a smell.
Part of what causes the smell is the waste and dead black worms in the group you purchased.
The easiest way to fix this is to frequently rinse and clean your black worms. This will keep the healthy black worms free of disease and keep them alive longer.
Important things to remember when feeding your plecos or any fish live food or meaty foods.
First, unlike pellets, veggies or flake food is that meaty foods and live food pollute your tank water extremely quickly.
If you overfeed your fish live food and it dies in your tank then it will start to decay and release large amounts of ammonia in your tank which is deadly for your plecos and other fish.
The same is with fresh meaty foods. They have the same problem as live food. Once it starts to decay it releases ammonia as well and has the same health problems as live food.
So it is vital that when you feed your plecos that you remove any leftovers from your as soon as your plecos are done eating so they don’t get harmed.
The second thing is that you need to make sure that your pleco can eat protein.
Herbivores should stay away from protein foods as much as possible. If they come in contact with it too frequently or in large quantities, it can cause stomach and intestinal problems. This usually ends up with your pleco getting bloat and getting backed up so they die.
Omnivores can and should have some protein in their diet. While it should be part of their diet they cannot live strictly on protein.
They are not carnivores; they need some plant matter in their diet or like herbivores they can develop problems with bloat.
If you have plecos that are strictly carnivorous there is no need to worry. Have fun experimenting with your fish and finding out what they love most because plecos are rarely picky but definitely have favorite foods.
Hope you have as much fun feeding your fish new foods as I do.
