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I got my new bristlenose (about three and a half inches long) yesterday and I figured it would probably take him a week to get through the algae on my tank. I woke up this morning and there's hardly any left! Amazing!

Anyway, I also bought some Hikari algae wafers and was wondering how many you typically feed? The package says enough that it takes the fish two hours to consume, but the BN only comes out at night, so it's difficult to know. Is one wafer enough? I'm very careful not to overfeed my fish and don't want to make that mistake now.

I don't really know, but I would try feeding just one per night, and seeing how much is left in the morning. Then, use that to determine how much you want to feed your BN.
I just bought a new BN as well, about the same size, and I feed mine vegetables as well as algae wafers.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

I usually put two wafers in my 55 after lights out. Have a 8" pl*co, but the problem is everyone else must be able to smell them because most of the time they don't hit the bottom or are found shortly after, before pl*co gets moving. I put one in my 29 after lights out for a 5" pl*co and he seems to be able to enjoy it to himself.

Barb

i stick 2 in my 63.

both cause huge bundels of fish, who knows if my BN actualy gets any at all.

u might be best off trying vegetables or someting else

this is what I do for mine: have lights off for a little while to get the BN out of hiding. i drop one in on one side of the tank - this draws the yo-yo loaches over to it. i'll give it a few minutes over there, then when i start hearing significant clicking noises (so i know they're eating it - so cute!), i drop another one as close to my BN as possible, or right near her favorite hiding spot. just check up after a few minutes, mine usually finds it within a minute or two, then just covers the whole thing. the loaches are on the other side of the tank, distracted by the other one. it's been working well so far

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Back in the saddle!

I alternate between two kinds of wafers, the larger is dime-sized and I use two at a feeding. Because I have other bottom feeders with my BNs, I break up the wafers.

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

Thanks, folks. I don't have any other bottom feeders in there right now (cories coming soon), so the BN should have a good shot at the wafer. On the other hand, I have some platies that are pretty quick on the draw when it comes to looking for food. I'll try one tonight -- there's still some algae for him to find and work on. If he's eaten all of the wafer tonight, I'll try two tomorrow night. Thanks again.

I drop a couple in for my 5" male ABN. I too though trick the rest of my fish..(guppies mostly) by dropping one wafer on one side of the tank to distract them, and then drop a couple as close as possible near his cave. I never have any left over. In my other tank I have another male, I drop 1-2 wafers in for him (so that he has enough before the malaysian trumpet snails get to them) Mine are albino so you can tell if they are eating well because you can see the food in their bellies. Like someone had said above, if you have any leftover in the morning, you have fed too much...

I have a plec, and its either a common or a gibbiceps, he is around 5" long, and at first he was really shy. He hid for the first month or two for the entire day anyway, and then he suddenly started appearing out of the tank. After a few weeks he was braver, but i noticed that dozens of baby black mollies surronnded the wafer just after it hitting the substrate, but i left him wait, and after a few minutes they left (normally). Now he has "gotten his back teeth" being metaphorical, and he pushes his way in and they are now afraid of him...hopefully he dosnt get braver and become a bully!!

Anyway, on alternating nights, I drop in one one night, and two hikari alge wafter the next and so on. It has worked so far!

common plecs are not the same species as gibbys. Unlike the 12" common, these giants grow to 17+" in length.

I would add a quarter of an algae wafer every other day----the rest of it's diet should come from either actual algae or soft veggies.

My Royal gets four to six every night. I expect your BN should consume at least one or two every night.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

I've tried with one and that seems to be just about right. By the morning, he's pretty much through it. Now to clean up all the poop....

One seems to be fine with my BN. He doesn't eat too much, since he's still getting used to the tank.
Yes, he produces a lot of waste, but I gravel vac every week, which helps a lot.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

From my short experience with him so far, it looks like the weekly gravel vac is pretty mcuh the only way to go!