# Do bn plecos normally damage plants ?



## DaFishMan (Dec 19, 2006)

Hi folks as some of you know I set up a 75g planted recently. My pp dip was too strong, between that and adapting to the new tank some plants were put into a weak state. I've read that is when they are most likely to become a food source. 

I have 3 adult bn's a large silvertip male and 2 smaller albino females. My swordplant appears chewed in places, and the italian vals are getting grazed heavily, and also getting snapped when it can't support the bn's weight. 

Does this happen with your healthy plants or is this because I already weakened them ? I thought bn's were ok as I had no problem in my 40g

I can't put the bn's in another tank atm so if I need to move them for the plants to recover, I'd proabably have to trade them to someone for smaller less damaging juvies or get some otos.

Thx in advance for your advice


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## Darkside (Sep 14, 2009)

I've never noticed them eating anything in any of my setups, but I guess it could happen. What else do you have in there?


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

How much and what are you feeding the BN plecos?


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## vrb th hrb (Feb 20, 2010)

it really depends on the person, and how much you're feeding the plecos me thinks

i've never been able, until this tank, to house plecos and plants together. some people have luck with BN's and them not eating the plants. imo, plecos are grazers, if there isnt anything else in the tank for them to chew on, then they will graze on the plants. decaying matter even more so. get some yams in there, peppers, or cucumbers are good too. find which veggie they like most, and feed that a couple times a week. 

amazon swords are like an all you can eat pleco buffet, if you get the chance to find pictures of plecos in the wild, they live in river areas with little to no plants, and graze algae off rocks and submerged wood.


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## DaFishMan (Dec 19, 2006)

Interesting feedback, thanks 

The bn plecos diet - angel & discus flake, spirulina flake, algae tabs (broken up) . Twice daily through an auto feeder as much as can be eaten in 5 minutes. With the plants being weak though could make them more tasty, combined with lack of real veggies, presents both the need and the opportunity. There's a ton of driftwood in there. No algae as the tank is too new & most of the plants were treated prior to planting. 

It wasn't an issue with the sword in the 40 that I noticed sometimes an outer leaf start showing damage I thought was lack of iron or potassium, maybe was grazing after all ?

What else is in there - 4 laetacara dorsigeras, an angelfish pair, 1 beckfords pencilfish.

At least I can start improving their diet with veggies, I have sweet potatoes and peppers in the fridge right now, slice thin and weigh down with a rock or do I have to cook it a bit to soften ?

Smaller bn's would be nice maybe keep the vals from snapping under their weight and such. Would anyone trade juvies for mating size adults to switch up their gene pool ? I'd love to get a few small albino longfins.


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## vrb th hrb (Feb 20, 2010)

DaFishMan said:


> Interesting feedback, thanks
> 
> At least I can start improving their diet with veggies, I have sweet potatoes and peppers in the fridge right now, slice thin and weigh down with a rock or do I have to cook it a bit to soften ?
> 
> Smaller bn's would be nice maybe keep the vals from snapping under their weight and such. Would anyone trade juvies for mating size adults to switch up their gene pool ? I'd love to get a few small albino longfins.


peppers I use a clip for feeding, if you dont have one of those, carefully slide a fork through the skin to weigh it down. plecos wont eat the skin, but will demolish the flesh. cucumber is a favourite of all plecos too

people usually blanch sweet potato a bit, i find that if you dont you can leave it in the tank for two or three days. if you cook them they soften alot faster and need to be taken out the next morning, depending on how much you cook them.

lots of people are breeding bn's these days, i'm sure you can find someone willing to make a trade


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## waj8 (Jun 30, 2010)

Mostly, I have never had a problem with my BN Plecos. I suspect that they might put some holes in one of my plants which have very soft and tender leaves. Could be a nutrient deficiency though. It only happens when there is no spot algae appearing on the glass. So, it is either the Plecos get hungry due to lack of algae or the plants are suffering from a deficiency. Hard to tell.


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## DaFishMan (Dec 19, 2006)

Good point, mine came from a matured tank with a few types of algae, into a new tank w/ no algae, with plants that are softer then they normally are. 
( D'oh ! )


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## bcarlos (Nov 19, 2009)

If you drop a piece of zuchini in a tank with bristlenose, watch what happens to it. They go nuts! I can't imagine why they would eat fresh veggies and NOT plants. 

I've never any plants in with my plecos. If they aren't eating it, they're makign a mess of things by digging and knocking them out of place. I've seen many people prove me wrong, but it's never worked out for me.


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

Bns will eat plants if they are short of other alternatives. You can add romaine or leaf lettuce to their diet; they seem to like both. Also, watermelon and cantalope rind, as well as brocoli stems, sliced.


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*plecos*

my plecos go crazy over zuchinni, i have given them sweet potatoe but does not get hoovered like the zuchinni. has anyone tried feeding them pumpkin , my wife is getting pumpkins today to make baked pumpkin seeds and we throw out the pumpkin has anyone tried , would it be ok to feed it to them
thanks 
tom


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## fishclubgirl (Mar 4, 2010)

tom g said:


> my plecos go crazy over zuchinni, i have given them sweet potatoe but does not get hoovered like the zuchinni. has anyone tried feeding them pumpkin , my wife is getting pumpkins today to make baked pumpkin seeds and we throw out the pumpkin has anyone tried , would it be ok to feed it to them
> thanks
> tom


Never have tried pumpkin but it's worth a shot. My little guys get cucumber, broccoli, zuchinni,pureed spinach, algae tablets, etc. OK, I like my veggies so they get my leftovers. They also have driftwood in their tanks and have heard they need that in their diet. Perhaps they're at the plants because they don't have the fibre driftwood provides??? Even BN's have to poop!!


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*plecos*

how do u feed them pureed spinich , im gonna try the pumpkin what can it hurt its basically a squash similar to a zuchinni will try a small peice and see what happens
thanks 
tom


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## DaFishMan (Dec 19, 2006)

I fed mine approx 4 pieces of cucumber yesterday. Just sliced and tried to hold them down with a few toothpicks. My noon today just the skin left. The female albinos even got into a fight over it and I had to break them up a few times lol.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

I use a Kitchen fork. You can also buy some Bamboo Sticks from the dollar store and stick it in the gravel or under a rock. Suction cups with clips on them. Sounds like they were hungry.


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## DaFishMan (Dec 19, 2006)

Yup it was like they were never fed before ! I'm still leaning toward smaller bns so my vals and such can stop getting flattened but either way I will continue veggie to their diet at least a couple times per week.

The male was not sharing, even with cucumber in 4 spots, he wanted to hog them all. /pig

Toothpicks did the job but I had to replant the circular slices a few times. I will try a fork next, preferably I'll get a veggie clip or 2 & put them on opposite sides of the tank. 

Green spot algae is finally happening on the glass, I'll clean the inside of the front and the sides but will leave the sides and back alone for now.


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## bcarlos (Nov 19, 2009)

DaFishMan said:


> Toothpicks did the job but I had to replant the circular slices a few times. I will try a fork next, preferably I'll get a veggie clip or 2 & put them on opposite sides of the tank.


I use small squares of slate/any other type of rock that doesn't affect water chemistry and attach the veggie with an elastic band. Works like a charm.


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## DaFishMan (Dec 19, 2006)

I will try that 

I will prob get otos or juvie bn's instead. What I learned here will carry over as I will feed them veggies too.


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