According to Bob Goldstein (American Aquarium Fishes), stonerollers "generally
ignore cooked vegetables". He recommends Spiulina flakes and "constant
replenishment with algae-covered stream rocks."
However, I have kept one large largecale stoneroller (from Alabama) with
virtually no feedings of vegetable-based matter. Its diet is almost exclusively
live blackworms and frozen bloodworms, and it's fat and doing just fine. Of
course, it probably grazes on algae growing in the tank, in which case it's
doing a good job because there's no noticeable algae in the tank.
In another tank I have a group of smaller largescale stonerollers. Although they
receive the same diet, this tank does have algae blooms, which the stonerollers
keep in check. (When I don't clean the glass for several weeks, I can see
scalloped markings in the algae where the stonerollres have grazed.) I also
supplement their diet with plastic plants I pull out of a tropical tank. When
these plants get too algae-covered, I let the stonerollers work on them for a
day or two. They never let me down!
Although stoneroller are notorious herbivores, it should be noted that they are
opportunistic feeders in the wild that will greedily take anything that comes
their way. I think the key to feeding them is to do so heavily and frequently.
Chris Scharpf
Baltimore
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