# Pleco vs. African Cichlids issue, help?!



## MBen89 (Jul 24, 2015)

So I've had my Pleco in my 100 gallons African Cichlids' (Peacocks) tank for almost a year now. He is about 5" long and the Cichlids were only fry when I housed them together initially. All was good in the hood at first, but now they are almost as big as my Pleco, and it seems like it is only getting harder for him to eat!  

I usually feed him after I turn all the lights off right before I go to bed. His diet includes Zucchini, Cucumbers, and Spinach as well as algae wafers ( I alternate between them so he doesn't get bored) HOWEVERRR I just realized that he's not the one that eats all that food, it's my Cichlids. They appear to have adapted to eating in total darkness, and the way they do it is by following the commotion of whichever one of them gets hit by the sinking vegetable or wafer, and pecking at it until nothing is left for my Pleco to eat.

I watched for about 5 minutes last night and they were chasing him away from his food, and now I see him more often during the day, which I read somewhere is a bad sign... any suggestions or past stories?


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## Cichlidrookie (Apr 6, 2014)

What kind of pleco is it?
Is there driftwood in the aquarium?

I have a bristle nose pleco in my Cichlid tank and I don't really feed him specifically, I just hope he get some scraps from when I feed my cichlids. 
I think he eats algea and some off the driftwood. I do feed wafers sometimes at night and hope he gets some but usually the cichlids get it first. He is still alive after 4 years so I think he is okay. 

I am not an expert on pleco's maybe someone that is can chime in. 

Good luck.


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## MBen89 (Jul 24, 2015)

It's a common pleco, and to be honest no, there is no driftwood in there anymore. I had a large log in there but it was rotting for some reason, and it had that white film growing all over it. Apparently it doesn't hurt the fish, but I did not like the look of it, so I took it out. Could it be because he doesn't have any wood in his diet that he hasn't grown much? I bought him almost a year and a half ago and he's only grown like half an inch or so.... :S I don't know, he's my first Pleco.


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## Boreas (Dec 8, 2015)

Word is Plecos that aren't strictly carnivores require wood to help with their digestion.


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## MBen89 (Jul 24, 2015)

lol Yeah I know, but the amount of poop this little guy used to produce is phenomenal! I don't think he has any problems....yet! I'll try to get him a good quality drift wood, but I doubt that would be enough for him if he can't even get a bite  Those Cichlids are eating machines.


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