Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Choosing the right foods
• Method 2 of 3: Choosing the right feeding schedule
• Method 3 of 3: Keeping algae eaters healthy
• Tips

Algae eaters are a good addition to your tank to help keep it free from algae. The algae eater, or plecostomus, is a type of catfish that is often kept in aquariums. They eat algae, but your tank will not provide enough algae to give your algae eater a full stomach. You should also feed your algae eater algae wafers. Algae eaters are omnivores, so you can also feed them meat, such as shrimp and bloodworms, and vegetables, such as zucchini and cabbage.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Choosing the right foods

1. Make sure there is always driftwood in the aquarium. Your algae eater needs a lot of fiber, and it can get it from driftwood. Always keep several pieces of driftwood in your tank so that your algae eater can suck and scrape off pieces. The small pieces of driftwood that the algae eater eats help it digest food.
   • Rather than collecting driftwood yourself, buy real driftwood from a fish or aquarium store to make sure it is safe for your fish.
2. Feed your algae eater algae wafers. To make sure your algae eater has enough algae in its diet, supplement the algae in the tank with algae wafers. The waffles will sink to the bottom of the tank so your fish can find them easily.
   • Algae waffles can be purchased at a pet or aquarium store.
3. Supplement your fish's diet with meat. Algae eaters are omnivores, so they eat plants and animals. Your algae eaters will enjoy earthworms, bloodworms and shrimp. You can give both fresh and frozen variations.
   • Earthworms, bloodworms and shrimp can be purchased at pet and fish stores.
4. Feed your algae eater fruits and vegetables. Your algae eater likes a variety of vegetables, such as broccoli, peeled peas, lima beans, kale, celery, cabbage, and zucchini. Although your algae eater may occasionally like small pieces of cantaloupe, honeydew melon, bread tree fruit and papaya, avoid acidic fruits and vegetables such as oranges and tomatoes.
   • Wash the fruits and vegetables and simply cut them into small pieces to give to your algae eaters.

Method 2 of 3: Choosing the right feeding schedule

1. Consider the age and size of your algae eater. If you have a small, young algae eater, the algae in the aquarium, algae wafers, and scraps of fish food from other fish may be sufficient. However, if the algae eater is the only fish in the tank, you will need to feed it more often. Furthermore, the algae eater needs a more varied diet and more food as it grows.
   • Young algae eaters can live on one algae wafer per day.
   • An algae eater in the wild is considered adult when it is 60 cm long.
2. Observe your fish after you feed it. After feeding the algae eater, see if it consumes the food quickly. If your fish start eating right off the food, it may be very hungry. He must then be fed a bit more often. If your algae eater ignores the food, you can feed it a little less often.
3. Feed at least one algae wafer per day. Your tank does not provide enough algae to give your algae eater a full stomach. In the evening before going to sleep, give your algae eater an algae wafer as they are nocturnal and eat at night. If the wafer is completely finished when you wake up, you can give it another algae wafer in the morning.
4. Feed your algae eater meat once or twice a week. As an omnivore, your algae eater will enjoy the occasional piece of meat. Feed him earthworms, bloodworms or shrimp once or twice a week. You can give the meat fresh, frozen or in pellet form. If you are feeding fresh meat, cut it into small pieces before putting it in the tank.
   • Give your algae eater a few small, chopped shrimp or shrimp pellets, one chopped earthworm, or one chopped bloodworm at a time.
5. Feed your algae eater fruits or vegetables once or twice a week. Fruits and vegetables provide your fish with fiber, which it needs to stay healthy. Feed your algae eater fruits or vegetables once or twice a week. Cut everything into small pieces before throwing it into the tank and attach it to an aquarium weight so that it sinks to the bottom.
   • You can also use an aquarium clamp to secure the food to the wall of the aquarium close to the bottom.
   • Give a silver dollar (26.5 mm) serving, such as one slice of zucchini or a small piece of broccoli.

Method 3 of 3: Keeping algae eaters healthy

1. Keep only one algae eater in an aquarium. Catfish, like algae eaters, usually fight each other when kept in the same tank. Some even fight to the death. So it is best to keep only one algae eater in an aquarium. Algae eaters usually get along well with most other fish, with the exception of piranhas and peacock cichlids.
2. Give the fish plenty of space. Algae eaters can grow up to 46 cm long in an aquarium! This means that you need an aquarium of at least 380 liters. You can choose a smaller species of algae eater, such as the Baryancistrus xanthellus, Hypancistrus zebra, Panaqolus maccus or Ancistrus, if you have an aquarium with a volume of less than 380 liters.
   • For example, a Panaqolus maccus can live very comfortably in a 75 liter aquarium.
3. Set a regular lighting schedule. Algae eaters are nocturnal animals, so they need darkness to know it's time to move and eat. It is therefore not ideal to keep your aquarium lamp on constantly. Set a timer on the aquarium lighting to mimic the natural light cycle (meaning the lights are on during the day and off at night).
4. Place hiding places in the aquarium. Hiding places help your algae eater to feel safe. He will spend much of his time in hiding, especially during the day. Place small tunnels or caves intended for fish in an aquarium, or use pieces of PVC pipe.
5. Do not fill the tank to the brim. Avoid filling the tank to the brim as algae eaters come to the surface to gasp for air and improve their buoyancy. If the tank is completely full, they may not be getting enough air or they may bump their snouts against the lid and injure themselves.
6. Make sure the lid is tight on the aquarium. Algae eaters can jump out of the water, and if the tank has a loose lid they may also be able to escape leading to injury or death. For this reason, you need to make sure that the lid on your tank is properly closed.

Tips

• Don't worry if your algae eater poops a lot. This is normal! If your algae eater stops defecating or doesn't defecate as much as normal, you may need to feed it more or offer more variety.