# What can I feed BN's?



## babysteps (Feb 9, 2009)

My BN's do not like the algae wafers. My mollies and platy's love them but the plecos don't touch them at all. What else can I feed them? (preferably something that my platy's and mollies won't eat first)


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

You can always try some blanched zucinni or green bean


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## _Green_ (Dec 30, 2008)

One thing I feed mine is raw cucumber, I usually weight it down with plant anchors and scrape out the seeds. If you are worried that they aren't getting a chance to eat it, put in it a few hours after the lights have gone off, at that time the mollies and platties she be less active.


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## babysteps (Feb 9, 2009)

Thanks guys. I will try some veggies after lights out. Although I'm not sure if that will stop my other fish from eating it since even after lights out they scramble to the top as soon as I open the lid to put food in for the BN's. (my mollies seem to be able to sniff out any food I put in even if I try to hide it from them lol)


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## Cory (May 2, 2008)

Slice up a few thin pieces of zucchini put them in a cup of water and microwave it for 2 minutes or so. Cool it down with cold water and squeeze it gently to get some of the air bubbles out. This should allow it to sink without losing too much of the nutritional value. Put in a slice or two and if the plecos have taken to it you'll see a skin with all the flesh removed. They may not go for it right away though. It sometimes takes a few tries before they recognize it as food. Zucchini is one of the more nutritious veggies so it's a good choice. Lettuce, Cucumber, Mushrooms are very low in nutritional value so you should avoid those. 

As for the wafers, I find that if I give them 10 min after lights go off the fish leave them for the plecos.


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## _Green_ (Dec 30, 2008)

I guess in a way I'm lucky in that I have lots of algae in my tank so the BNs have plenty to eat without me adding anything extra for them. Never thought I'd say something like that lol


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## Cory (May 2, 2008)

Algae isn't really enough to keep a BN pleco healthy. Algae is also low in nutritional value so you should still supplement with some veggies or a quality algae wafer that has added vitamins and minerals.


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## _Green_ (Dec 30, 2008)

Cory said:


> Algae isn't really enough to keep a BN pleco healthy. Algae is also low in nutritional value so you should still supplement with some veggies or a quality algae wafer that has added vitamins and minerals.


Thanks for the tip Cory, I didn't know that. I do drop in wafers once or twice a week, partly for the BNs but mostly for the otto cats. I've had my first pair for about 3 months and they have more than doubled in size as have the second pair I got about a month and a half ago. I just assumed they were getign what they needed because of how fast they have grown. These plecos are among my favorite fish so keeping them in tip top shape is a high priority, well that's true for all my fish but these guys/gals especially so thank you again. I think I'll go get some zucchini tomorrow.

Ross


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## 100080101 (Jan 15, 2009)

My BN's love asparagus just boil it for a minute or 2 let it cool then drop it in the tank


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

It hasn't been said on this post as of yet and disregarding the off chance of being redundant, do make sure you have driftwood in the tank as well to feed the BN. 
Question: What is the best/most preferred wood for BN's? 
It seems others on other forums are asking the same question. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/fish/81821-bn-pleco-eating-wood.html


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## ozi (Aug 23, 2007)

I believe I have a problem with my male BN. He's about 3 years old, and while i was away for several months, I felt him in the care of my mother. When I came back I saw that his belly has reached a monstrous size.
My mom says that whenever food reached the bottom of the tank (flakes and sinkin shrimp pellets), he would scare all the fish and snails away, and greedily eat as much fish food as he could.
Do you guys believe that he has that huge belly now because of the meaty, protein-rich diet he had over the past 3 months??? and is there anything i can do for him right now, in order to save him, or make him go back to normal??
thanks a million!!!


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## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

1. What's BN?

2. The algae wafers -- what brand were they? My fish have pleco-like eating habits and the only brand of wafers they have ever decided were actually food are the Hikari sinking pellets (the ones with the cory on the package). They're headstander crack.

3. Do plecos eat nuts? If they eat wood, maybe they will also eat nuts -- a lot of Amazonian fish do. Try dropping in an almond and see what happens.


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## dori (Feb 21, 2009)

I assume BN is a type of pleco. Mine is 5 times larger then any other fish in the tank... it was given to me as my brother couldn't keep his tank... girlfriend didn't like smell. I give him cucumber slices every few days and he eats them over a few days as the inner part gets softened up by water (more like air gets out). Since I started this his belly has been nice and full.

Depending on your size of fish driftwood won't do anything as they sort of eat all algae within a 2 days or so and then they starve. I think fungus is good food for them too (given enough days that will grow on submerged turtle pellets, but once again, it won't get to grow because he will eat the pellet before time comes).


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

BN= bushynosed pleco .....
any algae wafer works for me , and I use shrimp pellets and meaty pellets .

I wouldnt keep fresh vegies in longer then 24 hours ,they should be replaced ..
Good luck with your plec


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

Blossom, have you considered feeding yours birth control pills  just kidding


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

ROLMAO I was woundering if the boys could be safely fixed lol
they are it again OMG  
Just call me the BN queen  , after all this time I was thinking my males were ...... you know (I hate using that word, seems rud e)


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

inclined to being interested in one another?


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

yeh thats good Thanks Ill remember that! hehehehe


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## sawman88 (Sep 29, 2008)

my bn's like to chow down on spirulina veggy flake


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## dori (Feb 21, 2009)

Why should I remove fresh veggies? Animal matter contains stuff that allows bad things to grow and might make even me sick... but veggies... worst case they don't get eaten and fungus grows on them then the pleco eats the delicious white stuff.

I always leave dead leaves and plants in the tank as a fertilizer for the rest of the plants... I never vacuum nor change water, just top off (no probs with salty residue or hardness so far) and plants take care of ammonia and whatever else. I currently do have 2 filters running with sponge on the intakes (because I was putting some mud in there to try an even more natural Wastald style approach and had probs with cloudy water) but main filtration is by a powerhead buried under gravel in a corner with buried tubing to the other corner of the tank... some sorts of algae (no light veggies) attached on the insides of the tube and I assume filter the water. That's enough for water circulation too. All living things in my tank are thriving for all I can tell (plants to fishes to shrimps and snails... if copepods/daphnia live I take it toxicity is low).

edit: oh and I realized BN is bushy nose after ... me felt mighty dumb


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

I found that the vegetative matter will seriously cloud the water after 24 hours.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

not just that but you can cause fungus to grow on the plecos .... sure if you have no fish in your tank but you are looking at causing health problems with plecos leaving the food in for days .........Change the food every 24 hours !!!!!!! a slice of vegies are cheap enough.......
Myself I couldnt imagine treating my plecos like that and they get 2 to 3 small water clean ups a week as their pooping is crazy ......plants or not im cleaning the poop!!


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

some of that fungus is pretyt lethal to fish too.


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