Feeding Ancistrus

I have 2 black Ancistrus with white spots. Tank hasn't got major algae in, and yes, they are munching a bit on the plants.

I have bought Sera Plankton tablets to feed them. When should I feed these tablets? once a day? twice? at night? When lights are out or still on? (I hardly ever see them during the day.. maybe once every 3 or 4 days I see one scurrying up the back glass)

 

I think feed them just after the lights are out, at night time, but at first make sure they are eating. Once they get used to the food, start putting some tablets in the tank while the lights are still on, and maybe you could coax them to show themselves during the day.

PS: A lot of people recommend place a piece of driftwood in the tank, even just a small piece, for the Ancistrus to rasp on, as it is a good source of fibre.

 

I feed mine profs spiralina tabs every night , bloodworm once a week and cucumber or baby marrow every second day . Mine are very active showing off for me every day and leaving the plants alone PS they LOVE cucumber

 

I have a beautiful one but I am too nervous to put it in a planted tank. It was always in my main tank but when I planted it, I moved it to a non-planted betta tank which had major algae problems as it get direct sun in the afternoons. One day later, no more algae. Haven't had any since then in that tank. I'm sure it tries to grow because of the excess light, so I'm guesing the ancistrus still feeds on algae. I do not overfeed it; it gets a spirulina pellet every second day. It probably also cleans up same flake that falls to the bottom. Yet it is as fat as can be...

 

I've got a piece of wood in. As I've said, they spend their time in hiding during the day. When I shine a red light into the tank at night I sometimes see them going up and down the back of the tank.

My Swords and snails get to the cucumber before the ancistrus even get a chance to smell it!

 

Try get them into a feeding routine.
Start feeding before the lights go out. Then move the feeding time earlier a few minutes everyday.
Once you have the perfect time stick to it like clock work. Amazingly they know exactly what time you feed them and will come out and wait for the food. I vary the food between carnivore pellets and algae sinking wafers plus a slice of cucumber.
If they are over fed they hardly touch the cucumber.

Throw the cucumber in before the lights go off the snails won't have a chance
KM

 

Eish...I don't even do a normal feeding routine on the community tank. Usually morning feed is at 07h00... but the evening feed varies from 17h00 to 21h00... depending on when the angels have made me feel bad enough with all their begging.