What Vegetables Can Plecos Eat? We Have the Exact Answer for You!

Plecos work well in eliminating decaying plant and algae matter. But many plecos consume both vegetables and meat. So, what vegetables can plecos eat?

This article will help you answer that question and provide you with other valuable information. Let’s get into the details!

What Vegetables Can Plecos Eat? 

Your pleco can eat many various vegetables, such as kale, cabbage, broccoli, celery, lima beans, zucchini, and more.

However, you should avoid offering certain acidic vegetables or fruits such as tomatoes or oranges.

In general, there are many options for choosing vegetables for your plecos. The fact is that whatever vegetables you can consume, you can also feed them.

But not all vegetables are equally beneficial. The following are the most common vegetables that are commonly used to feed plecos.

• What to Feed Otocinclus? All You Need to Know

Broccoli

Almost all plecos like broccoli. The common plecos even like to consume this vegetable’s florets.

You can feed your plecos either boiled or raw broccoli. But remember that this vegetable may produce quite a mess.

If you want to feed your plecos broccoli, it’s best to cut or slice it into smaller pieces. After a day, you should get the piece out of your tank to avoid any mess.

Broccoli

Cucumber

Cucumbers are prevalent vegetables for feeding plecos.

This vegetable is relatively cheap and easy to obtain, making it an attractive option. Above all, your plecos love it!

When you feed your pleco catfish cucumbers, you can make it sink using a spoon or fork, and most plecos will eat it.

It is wise to feed these fish with raw cucumber. Moreover, we recommend removing its seeds to prevent making a big mess.

Zucchini

Zucchini

You can use zucchini to replace cucumber perfectly. Thanks to its similar shape to a cucumber, it is easy to feed your plecos.

It is even considered more nutritious than cucumber. Peeling or boiling plecos is unnecessary, as both cook methods may lower zucchini’s nutritional value.

In addition, your plecos tend to prefer eating raw. Zucchini is straightforward to feed, nutritious, and does not make a large mess.

It is similar to cucumber but more nutritious, allowing it to be a perfect substitute for cucumber.

• How To Blanch Zucchini For Fish? Everything You Need To Know

Carrot

It is also one of the vegetables that plecos can eat. In addition, this vegetable is a rich source of fiber, making it a good choice for various wood-eating plecos.

You can feed these fish boiled or raw carrots. For your plecos, we recommend boiling your carrots first.

Also, boiled carrots will sink to your tank’s bottom, meaning you don’t have to do anything to make them sink.

Brussel Sprouts

If you want to make your Brussels sprouts sink without doing anything, all you need to do is boil them. After cooking your Brussels sprouts for several minutes, they reach your tank’s bottom.

If you cut your Brussels sprouts into smaller pieces, they will most likely produce a mess. Plus, after boiling your Brussel sprouts, you should let them rest for a while to cool down, as hot Brussel sprouts can be dangerous to your fish.

• Do Otocinclus Eat Hair Algae? Answer for New Aquarists

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes

The sweet potato is ideal for wood-eating species as it is a rich source of fiber.

We recommend removing the potato peel before feeding your fish. Boiling is also a good choice for young plecos.

One of the significant benefits of sweet potatoes is that they can stay well for up to three days without going bad. The same is true for boiled sweet potatoes.

So, it is unnecessary to worry about sweet potatoes messing up the fish tank.

Squash

Squash is considered one of the excellent options for the herbivorous pleco.

It is rich in vitamin A, potassium, and dietary fiber. Plecos also love squash and would happily eat this vegetable.

You just need to put some small chunks of squash each time in the aquarium.

If your plecos are starving, it is alright to feed them mashed or boiled squash instead of the fish pellet. Your plecos will consume them in no time.

• Do Algae Eaters Eat Fish? The Correct Answer Is Here

Sweet Peppers

Sweet Peppers

There is no denying that sweet peppers are also easy to serve your pleco fish.

You will have to remove their seeds, then wash them thoroughly to get your fish contaminated with pesticides.

All sweet peppers will work well, including red, orange, green, and yellow. Boiling is unnecessary.

Canned Green Beans

These beans are cheap and easy to find to feed your plecos. They will quickly reach the bottom of your tank, allowing your pleco catfish to reach easily.

We recommend not feeding high amounts of canned green beans to your plecos as they will fall apart and get messy.

• Do Plecos Eat Bloodworms? Secret Sharing From Pleco Experts

Lettuce

Lettuce

Lettuce or romaine is a great vegetable option you can offer to plecos. You can weigh or clip it down before releasing it to your fish.

Romaine will also fall apart quickly, messing up your tank. Hence, you have to clean it after several hours.

• Can Fish Eat Lettuce? – What Vegetables Can Fish Consume?

Which Plecos Eat Vegetables?

Species	Eat Vegetables or Not?	Eating habits
Bristlenose plecos	Yes	Vegetarian
Common plecos	Yes	Omnivores, mostly some meat and algae
Clown plecos	Yes	Plant-based foods
Flash plecos	Yes	Plant-based foods
Zebra plecos	Rarely	Entirely shrimps, carnivorous, snails, etc.
Queen Arabesque Plecos	Rarely	Entirely shrimps, carnivorous, snails, etc.
Snowball plecos	Rarely	Omnivores, and mostly meat.
Leopard frog plecos	Some, besides meaty food.	Omnivores, and mostly meat.
Candy Striped Plecos	Some, besides meaty food.	Omnivores, and mostly meat.
Golden Nugget Plecos	Yes	Mostly plant-based high-protein food.
Sailfin Plecos	Yes	Brown algae and plant-based materials.
Royal Plecos	Yes	Mostly plant-based food.
Blue phantom plecos	Yes	Omnivorous, an algae eater.
Sunshine Plecos	No	Omnivorous, and mostly meat.

Why Do Plecos Need Vegetables? 

Pleco species are omnivorous, meaning they consume plant and meat matter.

Hence, they can eat a wide range of food like biofilm, algae, snails, plant material, and shrimp in the wild.

Fresh vegetables contain essential vitamins and fibers with high nutritional value. Vegetable nutrients are also beneficial for the plecos’ digestive system.

So it is essential to provide vegetables to your plecos regularly.

Conclusion

Vegetables are essential to most plecos species. Therefore, you should add vegetables to their daily menu.

This article has given you some good ideas on choosing vegetables for your pleco catfish. If you have any suggestions, let us know via the comments section.