[LanceN34]

I bought some algea wafers for my pleco, well lets just say he won't ever get a chance to eat them.

http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll26 ... G_0109.mp4

 

[natedgg]

Some/most would say you can't keep a pleco with mbuna anyhow. They'll either die from their eyes getting eaten out or starve... Looks like the latter in this case

Check out this thread going on at the moment by Joel.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=229346

 

[jaymore1]

*** kept a gold nugget pleco with my mbuna since day 1.I feed mine right when im getting ready to shut off the lights. Hes always in the same area in the rocks so i just drop a couple wafers in their and shut off the lights.Hes big and healthy as far as i can tell, so i know hes eating.Hope this helps

 

[LanceN34]

Some/most would say you can't keep a pleco with mbuna anyhow. They'll either die from their eyes getting eaten out or starve... Looks like the latter in this case

Check out this thread going on at the moment by Joel.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=229346

Yeah we'll see how it all pans out. The wafers sure do get the mbuna fired up though, its pretty fun to watch.

 

[toume]

I always feed my plecos/bottom feeders after I've turned the lights off for awhile. They find it my smell where it seems my cichlids use mostly sight. I drop it in randomly, and they find it as the other fish are sleeping. My pictus are particularly active at night.

 

[Kerricko]

Some/most would say you can't keep a pleco with mbuna anyhow. They'll either die from their eyes getting eaten out or starve... Looks like the latter in this case

Check out this thread going on at the moment by Joel.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=229346

I agree with this too a point. depends on the algae and the types of mbuna you have. The problem with keeping them together is that they compete for the same food source in general terms. Also some Mbuna can be very nasty. My BN plecos have survived with mbuna but the BN plecos in my hap peacock tank are thriving compared to the others which are just surviving. Hope that makes sense.

 

[nmcichlid-aholic]

I don't know about plecos because I don't have any in the tank with my mbunas, but i've had the same issue with getting food past the cichlids to the bottom-feeding syno catfish. I know the synos will quickly gobble up any scraps that fall to the bottom, but after several months of extremely slow growth I came up with another strategy.

Rather than over feeding the cichlids in hopes that more food would make it to the bottom, I made a bottom feeding "syringe". It was really easy and has been very effective. First, go to the LFS and buy 2 pieces of rigid airline tubing (one size should be small enough to fit into the other - ie: 1/4" & 3/8"). Then cut the larger size about an inch or 2 shorter than the smaller size, wrap the end of the smaller size with a rubber band or vinyl tape enough to form a seal against the inside of the larger one, and there you have it! I pull the inside tube back an inch or so, jam a few shrimp pellets or carnivorous wafers (or in your case algea wafers) into the end, drop some regular food in to distract the cichlids, then put the "syringe" into the tank right in front of the catfish and push down the inside tube to force the food out. It works like charm! My syno cats have learned to look for their "feeding tube" and have gotten fat and happy.

I've also used this technique to feed bits of earthworms to the freshwater eels in another tank. Sometimes it helps to have an empty plastic squeeze bottle (like an old school yellow mustard one) to squirt some tank water through it to flush out any bits of food or worms that might get stuck in the smaller tube.

Sorry for the long response. Hope it helps.

 

[DJRansome]

I think the problem with bristlenose and mbuna is only during the introduction period. Once the bristlenose has survived the first month or so I've never lost one.

All my bottom feeders are nice and plump. I don't do anything special and my cichlids are not overfed. I dump the food (sinking pellets) in quickly. Not more food, just feeding technique.

While the cichlids are gulping the pellets that barely have hit the surface, other pellets have already hit the bottom and plecos-synodontis are enjoying their share.

 

[mokujin22]

I think the problem with bristlenose and mbuna is only during the introduction period. Once the bristlenose has survived the first month or so I've never lost one.

All my bottom feeders are nice and plump. I don't do anything special and my cichlids are not overfed. I dump the food (sinking pellets) in quickly. Not more food, just feeding technique.

+1

Have plecos in all of my African tanks (25 or so). Only ever lost one pleco (to some demasoni) a few years back and I think there were some other issues in play there.