PlanetCatfish.com

I have a question. I've always wanted a royal and was fortunate enough to get a large beautiful 'spotted royal'. It has acclimated fine and eats fine. The issue I'm having is feeding enough for the poor thing to stay healthy looking. If I go for ONE whole day without feeding, it becomes hollow looking. Boy, can this thing eat!

He's in a 90g tank with a few tank mates and a big chunk of wood. I just feel horrible seeing him have that hollow look when he's otherwise a healthy fish with a good appatite. He can eat 7 to 8 algae wafers in a sitting and still eats zuccini and cucumber too (he's a big fish!).

What could I, or should I be feeding a fish that big to keep it fed? Any suggestions? Am I doing everything I can or can I do more? I like my plecos looking a bit on the chubby side but this is something I've never seen from this one. Is it possible? I'd really love to keep this fish but if I can't keep it fed properly, I'll have to give him up.....
Thanks for any suggestions!

You want to have PLENTY of wood in the tank... Several differnet kinds of wood also helps.

Other things that I feed is Sweet potato, regular potato, squash (butter-nut squash, for example), mango, avocado, tomato, melon. T[I have small in my tank - but for food-sources, they are similar].

Sweet potato and regular potato are both good because they don't go off quite so quickly, so you can put quite a big piece in, and it won't pollute the water [at least not until the fish has eaten it ]

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Mats

Thanks for the suggestions. I fed a med. sized potatoe and it was GONE in less than 2 days (along with regular wafers and left over fish food). I'm trying some of the other things you suggested and he really likes the stuff (just seems to go bad a bit quicker than potatoe in the warmer tank). I added some softer cypress wood and he seems to enjoy that quite a lot but still chews on the mopani with vigor! He is looking MUCH better too, thank you again!!!! *The fish has ALSO developed quite an attitude toward it's tank mates and if he does NOT want to be bothered, he NOW chases them away!*

I have 6 panaque maccus at 5-8cm. They go through a sweet potato, a couple of regular potatoes and a zuchinni in an average week, I shudder to think how much food a large Panaque sp. would require
The tank also cotains several different types of wood as MatsP said they require, I can can actually see the wood starting to disappear!
The processed "sawdust" pre-waterchange is a sight to behold!
Shaun