What Do Plecos Eat? An Introduction to Common Food Types

The pleco is the common trade name for the multiradiate armoured catfish and the suckermouth catfish of the subfamily Hypostominae within the family Loricariidae. It feeds mainly on fry, algae, bacteria and fish feed, and when desperately hungry it will also eat small amounts of fish waste, which is also how it got its name. Many aquariums keep a small number of these fish. Let's take a look below at what food plecos eat!

What food do plecos eat?

The pleco is an omnivorous aquarium creature. It often attaches itself to the walls of the tank or to aquatic plants, licking up algae, the mucus secreted by fish onto the tank walls and the leftover food scraps the fish leave behind, and it will even devour fish eggs. When keeping them, algae can make up the main part of the diet, but live food such as tubifex worms also needs to be fed during the rearing process. The pleco never eats fish waste or droppings, and this is an indisputable fact.

Rearing Conditions for Plecos

Plecos are very easy to keep; almost any water will keep them alive, but to keep them well it is best to provide slightly acidic soft water or neutral water, with a suitable water temperature above 20°C. In the aquarium, plecos often attach themselves to rocks and glass to steady their bodies and graze on algae. Fights sometimes break out between individuals of the same species. They usually rest during the day and are active at night, and they will gnaw on aquatic plants, biting them until they look like fishing nets. They can be kept together with large tropical fish.

Common Varieties of Plecos Kept

1. Common pleco: The common pleco is also called the king tiger pleco, and can also be described as the suckermouth catfish. Its place of origin is Paraguay in South America. People keep plecos to clean up fish waste, leftover feed and other grime at the bottom of the tank. Since the pleco is a highly omnivorous aquarium creature, whether it is algae, dead fish carcasses, algae film or fish worms, as long as it can be eaten it will accept nothing and eat it all.

2. Ornamental plecos: Ornamental plecos actually include many kinds, such as the leopard pleco, and the red pleco and golden pleco, which are variant breeds of the king tiger pleco. The leopard pleco mainly refers to plecos with a leopard-print pattern on their bodies. Like the common pleco, they are very easy to keep, and their body markings are attractive, but they will not suck onto fish the way common plecos do, making them more suitable for home keeping to beautify the household. The red pleco and golden pleco have simply had their body colours changed through variation to better cater to people's varied needs, so you can make diverse choices according to your own interests and preferences.