Pleco's & Sweet Potatoes as Food

[wendyallyn]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that Pleco's will eat sweet potatoes.  On a whim I bought a small one today to test it, but I'm not sure how to present it to the Pleco, if indeed this is acceptable - do I need to "nuke" it or something?

I've already tried zuchinni, yellow squash and cucumber frozen & put on a fork and he doesn't devour any of it like I expected - just the snails ate on it , so I want to try new things before he starves and dies!

Any experiences with this "dilemma"?

[MJY6087]

Re: Pleco's & Sweet Potatoes as Food

i use lead clips or there are some veggie sinkers out there, gut the cucumber ( or blanch) and then attach the sinking device.  they  eat zucchini cucumber squash algae tablets  shelled peas and much more

[armthehomeless]

Re: Pleco's & Sweet Potatoes as Food

Some things just take a little bit of getting used to. When I first tried feeding my plecos veggies, they didn't initially jump all over them. I took me offering the same thing at the same time as I did for other food several times before the algae eaters seemed to go for it. I haven't hear of sweet potatoes before, but I have fed mine collard greens, lettuce, spinach, and zucchini.  Let us know how the sweet potatoes go.

[Mzungu]

Re: Pleco's & Sweet Potatoes as Food

do I need to "nuke" it or something?

I'd try that, or "blanch" it. Might help entice the pleco.

[JStrider]

Re: Pleco's & Sweet Potatoes as Food

When I feed Zuchinni or cucumbers I stab them onto a stainless steel fork and prop it up in the gravel and against a piece of wood pleco seems to love it.

Tried a piece of carrot once... but he didnt seem too interested, maybe if I kept offering it...  Also tried spinach... he seemed to eat it, but it just didnt last long and was pretty quickly floating around the tank in pieces...