Feeding male Pleco with eggs?

Ok so I have my very first batch of ABN eggs. The male is staying in the cave with them. So far so good. I read on line that the male will not come out to eat for two weeks while with the eggs until they hatch. Is this true. Should I not put food in the tank for him and take the chance of it just rotting in there because he's not eating it? Oh also I took the female out already. Oh and another thing I read is that the male should be taken out when the fry are about three days old. Right or wrong?

If he was good and fat prior to the eggs he should have enough reserve to last him.

If you use a sinking wafer you can put the food close to the mouth of his cave and if he doesn't eat it remove it via syphon (I use 3/8 clear rigid tubing about two feet in length attached to clear rubber line for the tank vac) as the right syphon will suck out the food and snails and gravel and the list goes on.

Dave

I have a syphon and I use a turkey baster also. Thanks I'll try putting food in for him tonight.

Both Male and eggs will do fine as is. Mouth brooding cichlids will hold for 28 days straight. Plecos will back out of the cave and eat a little and go back in. No need to do anything special...I usually leave the male and fry until the fry starts coming out of the cave. I've even had males feritilize and fan another batch of eggs while the first batch is developing

Ok thanks.

khrister wrote:

Both Male and eggs will do fine as is. Mouth brooding cichlids will hold for 28 days straight. Plecos will back out of the cave and eat a little and go back in. No need to do anything special...I usually leave the male and fry until the fry starts coming out of the vace. I've even had males feritilize and fan another batch of eggs while the first batch is developing

i agree

Ok all thanks. Then when the fry come out they will eat zucchini right? and spinich and Roman lettuce.

Ok so a few of the eggs have come out of the cave. They have tiny wiggle tails. Will they be ok out of the cave?

They got kicked out. Usually they do not go out of the cave until the lose their egg sac.
I feed my fry flakes, i do not think they'll go for zucchini right away.

I did a small water change this morning and I think when I poured the new water in it may have swished in the cave and knocked them loose.

THeres no need to take the females out either. They wont hurt anything in there. I also dont do water changes on that tank until they have came out of the cave, or lost with egg sac.

Oh ok Thanks all.