HELP - serious pleco problem

[anewbie]

I have this problem with my pleco that i simply do not know how to solve. I put zuc in three of my aquariums twice a week and each time I end up with this the next morning:

 

In the one tank (1) they eat nothing but the skin and won't touch the meat in (2) they eat nearly the entire thing and in (3) they eat only the meat but won't touch the skin. I've tried taking #1 and #3 and putting left overs in each other tank but it appears they are also picky and won't eat 1 day soggy old zuc....

 

What shall i do to solve this problem ?

 

Edited October 7, 2022 by anewbie

[Nyssa]

Honestly I just leave my zucchini in my tanks until it's all gone, up to two days. How many plecos are in the tanks? Maybe they need a little more time with them, or it's too much are the only things I can come up with.

My bristlenose in my community tank usually hogs it and doesn't let anyone else near it, she takes her time 🙃

[meadeam]

Are they all the same type of pleco?  If not, that may explain the different preferences.  Also, there are likely other food sources in the tank and they may not be particularly hungry.  My community pleco feeds primarily on a hollow hunk of driftwood that she rarely ever comes out of.  I have seen her on an algae wafer from time to time, but veggies she leaves for the snails.

[Guppysnail]

I also leave my zucchini until it’s mushy (about 2 days). Some prefer meat some skin and others randomly eat one or both. All the same type of pleco parents and children. They are probably eating what they need most/ prefer most. I would not concern myself over it. 

[anewbie]

Let see 

 

#1 has 4 L397 and 2 BN

#3 has 6 L204 and 2 BN and 6 clown loaches (which will poke at it) and 7 festum (which will poke at it and the clown loaches) and  8 angels that poke at everything.

#1 has 1 L204, 1 L333, 2 L128 and 4 Wabenmuster

All three aquariums have mystery snails.

I tend to leave it in 24 hours but occasionally if they are still eating a piece i'll leave it in another 12 hours; after 36 hours it begins to decay and create water issues.

Edited October 7, 2022 by anewbie

[TheSwissAquarist]

Sorry, bit off topic but do you breed any of those L numbers?

[anewbie]

The lemons breed like cats and dogs and i can't stop them; the L397 and L128 are too young but maybe when they get older; the L204 are adults and i have a mix of sexes but they require very special conditions to breed and I will probably take a stab at it after i move - right now i don't have a spare tank to create the environment they require to breed.

[Bev C]

i have only had 3 pelco  but i found out each pelco and snails and fish like different vegetables and food 

and i had pelco that only  like and eat zucchini  i had one  pelco like cucumber and broccoli stems  ( not the flower /bush of broccoli) and

the  new current pelco eats what i put in   so far he is eating  fresh green beans , carrots , zucchini, cucumber. and spinach he comes running for cucumber 😂 

i put my vegetable in raw  i peel the skins and remove seeds the ,, seeds make a mess and

i only cook the fresh  greens beans i cook  for 3-4 minutes and chill. for 3-4 minutes in cold  water ,, they do better if cooked  then raw ,,

I leave all my vegetables 24 hours if it is there and  they  are still eating i will leave it in a little longer  but remove if it get mushy or comes off the vegetable  stakes and starts floating 

Edited October 7, 2022 by Bev C

[rockfisher]

Plecos tend eat what they need most. There are different vitamins Ann’s different amounts vitamins in the skins vs the meat.

[anewbie]

On 10/7/2022 at 4:34 PM, rockfisher said:

Plecos tend eat what they need most. There are different vitamins Ann’s different amounts vitamins in the skins vs the meat.

But all the aquariums get the same food (and i presume the same vitamins....)

[Odd Duck]

Not everybody likes the same things. I don’t worry about removing veg until it gets very mushy and they clearly aren’t eating it. Most of my tanks it disappears before it needs removed. I usually feed frozen straight into the tank on a skewer to keep it down.