# bottom feeder



## 3617 (Jun 21, 2010)

hi i just got my bottom feeder yesterday and i heard it eats all of the fish waste/poop, but then i think my filter is a little too strong and kept sucking all of the waste up which makes it hard for my bottom feeder to eat, is there any suggestion what i should do? my friend said its ok just leave it as it is but i doubt him


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

Common misconception. Bottom feeders (I'm assuming you have a pleco) don't eat poop. They will eat any fish food that gets down into the bottom, and they'll eat vegetables, algae wafers, etc. 
Trust me, no matter how good your filter is, there is going to be an accumulation of gunk in the gravel on the bottom. If you think he's not getting enough to eat, put in slices of zucchini or cucumber, or algae wafers.


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## Blue Cray (Oct 19, 2007)

No fish eat poop, shrimp nibble at it, but other than that no fish eat it.


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## FishMatt (May 12, 2010)

The only way you might be able to clean poop is with a gravel vac.


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## Corwin (May 23, 2010)

exactly what type of fish/invert is it?


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## 3617 (Jun 21, 2010)

i have a pleco


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

Blue Cray said:


> No fish eat poop, shrimp nibble at it, but other than that no fish eat it.


scats eat waste hence the name but their diet is primarily vegies


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## 3617 (Jun 21, 2010)

so i just feed my pleco cucumber right? can i feed it lettuce instead? because i have a lot of lettuce at home


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

3617 said:


> so i just feed my pleco cucumber right? can i feed it lettuce instead? because i have a lot of lettuce at home


i would feed it algae tablets cucumber can be used as more of a snack just be cautious it has to be removed every day otherwise it will rot and i do not know about the lettuce.


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

3617 said:


> so i just feed my pleco cucumber right? can i feed it lettuce instead? because i have a lot of lettuce at home


You can feed a pleco cucumber, but like Revo said, algae wafers are more recommended (and safer). I'm not sure about lettuce. I know snails love lettuce, but I don't know about plecos. 
Whatever fresh veggie you feed them, you need to blanch it in boiling water to get rid of the cellulose, which is indigestible to fish.


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## 3617 (Jun 21, 2010)

this is weird i put a piece of cucumber down and my pleco wouldn't even try to eat it, is there anything wrong with it?


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## Corwin (May 23, 2010)

did you blanch it first? (blanch it by boiling it for a few minutes)


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## charking (Aug 12, 2009)

my bottom feeder love to eat blood worm pellets, and like the algae wafers


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## 3617 (Jun 21, 2010)

well i just blanched it and it kept floating back up i cant make it sink any suggestion?


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## FishMatt (May 12, 2010)

Veggie Clip


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

3617 said:


> well i just blanched it and it kept floating back up i cant make it sink any suggestion?


You can also wedge it underneath a decoration, or if you're in a pinch, go grab a rock from outside, clean it in some boiling water, and use it to hold down the cucumber.


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## stuby (Jun 14, 2010)

He may not understand that it is food yet.....use a spoon to weigh it down. Lettuce is fine...roman lettuce is what you want to use insead of head lettuce though. try some pellot foods on him and see if he likes that, common plecs aren't as big of a vegie eater as other species are but do like it.


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## 3617 (Jun 21, 2010)

thank you! the spoon method works perfectly but im still waiting for my pleco to come and eat it, i havent seen it come yet


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Your pleco will probably eat it at night. Mine won't touch it until it is slightly rotting then it will mauw down. I am not sure why it waits that long but I found out on accident when I didn't pull it in time once and had gotten soft. You will know that he has gone after it. Veggie clips work great. The pleco will graze on the lettuce and you will see little holes in it. They like it a lot from what I can tell.


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