Best dry food for Ancistrus

Species of the genus Ancistrus feed on the algae carpet that covers the substrate (roots, rocks), as well as the small creatures that live there (insect larvae, microorganisms…). They obtain their food from the environment by means of their oral sucker, by scraping the substrate. Unlike species of the genus Panaque, they do not possess the appropriate teeth, nor the commensal flora, which would allow them to digest the lignin of the wood, and therefore do not consume it. Despite the common misconception, the presence of roots in the tank is therefore not at all necessary for the survival of these species. In aquariums, they accept a wide range of foods, vegetables and fruits (zucchini, cucumber, apple…), bloodworms, or commercial dry foods (tablets and pellets).