hey guys,

word on the street says that my bristlenose would love a little zucchinni in his diet. can someone learn me up on how to prepare the zucchinni and how long i should leave it in the tank. should i put in in when the lights are out or what? i dont think he has enough algea in the tank to survive off that alone so will the zucchinni be enough to sustain him?

fyi hes less than 2 inches

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29 Gallon - Planted

5 Serpae Tetras
3 Orange Von Rio Tetras
1 Angel Ram
1 Dwarf Gourami
5 Cory Cats
1 Bristlenose Pleco

oh yes plecos looove their zucchini! So do my guppies

Some people put it in raw but if you do that it floats unless you weight it down and it can be kind of hard for them.

What I did for my pleco is peel it to get rid of any wax the supermarket might have put on it to keep it fresh, and also to get rid of pesticides. Then I slice it into 1/4" slices and put it into a glass measuring cup. Add 1/4 cup of water, then microwave it for 1-2 minutes,or until it no longer floats in the water. Then I add cold water and let it sit until the zucchini is cool. Then I drop it into the tanks and they go wild! Yes, I always put the pleco's zucchini in before lights out. That way the guppies didn't eat it all before he got a chance to eat.

Peeling is probably overkill, but that's what I did although lots of people don't (including me at the beginning). If you don't peel, just take it out the next morning (the peel will be all that's left).

I tried frozen zucchini, but my fish are spoiled and they wouldn't touch it. Oh, plecos also love unsalted canned green beans! Just split them in half to make it easier for them to eat. As for that being enough for them,I also supplement with algae tabs once or twice a week. They are a pretty messy fish, so you probably don't want to overfeed or you'll be vacing the gravel every day!

have fun!

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Niki

4 tanks, all planted:
20 gal tall
10 gal
2 - 5 gal tanks

anubias, java fern, java moss, water sprite, vesuvius, wisteria, red cryptocoryne wendtii
48 Watt T5HO on the 20

many happy guppies
one crabby betta

Don't want to sound Rude but why do people buy a fish and don't bother their arse to read up about it.

Im that fed up answering this question I will put a link instead The Pleco Murderer Is Back!

Google is your Freind!

Thanks for the info niki.


I bought a pleco with the idea that I would have to supplement his diet. Thats why I'm asking. If I was a "pleco murderer" I wouldn't be asking the original question because I wouldn't care...right?

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29 Gallon - Planted

5 Serpae Tetras
3 Orange Von Rio Tetras
1 Angel Ram
1 Dwarf Gourami
5 Cory Cats
1 Bristlenose Pleco

If you think you can get a plec to live off just the Algae in the tank then you haven't read up, I wasn't calling you a Plec Murderer far from it I was giving you a link to another Topic that will explain everything you need to know.

IMO that was rude.

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100G->African Cichlids:Kribensis-2,Bumblebee-2,Red Zebra-2,Elec. Yel. Labi.-2, Acei-2, Elec. Blu. Johanni-2,Peacocks-2 / Community: Australian Rainbow-3,Turquoise Rainbow-4,Dalmatian Mollies-2,white molly-1,Dojo Loaches-1/Cleaners:Chinese Algea Eaters-5/Murderers: Dinosaur Bichir-1And lots of other tanks,2-Gourims,6-Rams,1-Arrowanna,6-FW Flounder,1-Farlowella CF, 1-Spiney Eel

My BNP's,rubberlips,clows,L-144's do not eat the zuchini much if at all, I blanch it by, boiling it then putting it in ice water right from the boiling water maybe a 20 second-60 second boil is enough.

This will let them sink on their own.
Ive only had luck with them eating this stuff when they are really small up to 1.5" in length then they hit the wood and the wafers really hard.

Mine all love it, they also go wild for sweet potatoe. prepared the same way.

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SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

I will remember to try that!

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Niki

4 tanks, all planted:
20 gal tall
10 gal
2 - 5 gal tanks

anubias, java fern, java moss, water sprite, vesuvius, wisteria, red cryptocoryne wendtii
48 Watt T5HO on the 20

many happy guppies
one crabby betta

My BN only comes out for a half inch thick piece of zucchini once a week. No preparation involved. Put it inside the clip with the suction cup on the glass and he totally devourers it, including the rind. All that's left is a little bit of rind inside the clip.

Makes a lot of s**t though. Those things are poop factories when they get some zucchini. Good time to do the weekly water change.

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55 Gallon/Fluval 405/216W Corallife

Over 20 platies - mostly babies hiding in java moss
2 Gold Dojo Loaches
2 Striped Tetras
3 Otos
1 Bushy Nose Pleco

Java Fern
Java Moss
Amazon Sword