Doc_Polit Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 I am completely at a loss. I cannot keep Ancistrus (BN) Plecos alive in my all-male Hap/Peacock tank. I have now lost my third. This time, a 5" wild-caught that leapt out the gap between the glass top and tank frame. When I found him, he was dead and had no eyes. Their prior victim was a 4" Albino BN. They also picked out his eyes before finishing him off. What the ???? Has anyone else had similar problems with their cichlids? I have no idea what I can keep with these guys as a clean-up crew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharuq1 Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 (edited) I never tried BN's in my cichlid tank. I have a yo-yo loach and raphael catfish in my tanks as bottom cleaners and have not had problems. I also have a large "who knows what type" pleco that nothing bothers. The raphael is extremely well protected with spines and always hides in the day time, but at night I sometimes glimpse him going on the rounds. There is a fish store in Calgary that I forget the name of that has yo-yos in almost all their cichlid tanks and they recommended them. I should also mention that for the plecos that I had tried previously anything under a foot got offed, but at a foot they were fine. The yo-yo the cichlids don't seem to react to as a fish, and the raphael is seldom seen anyway. Edited April 17, 2008 by sharuq1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharuq1 Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 If you do get yo-yos get more than one, get them adult-sized if you can and maybe throw in a bunch of danios or something when you add them. Everything will be so busy chasing the little dithers, maybe they won't care about the yo-yos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishful Thinking Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 I had 2 BNs bite the dust in my male haps/peacock tank. Never did catch the criminal. I was thinking of going with a bigger pleco but I don't have the bioload room. So for now, it's all about me cleaning the glass once a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herefishyfish fishy Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 not sure what will help with the algee, but some synodontis petricoli or multipunctiatus will help with the extra food and waste on the bottom. Give them some places to hide, shells and stuff and they will be fine. Fun to watch too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seajays Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 I have 2 Albino BN in my 125 with Haps, Peacocks and Mbuna with no problem at all. They are now full grown but were 1" long when I first put them in . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linsay Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 I had a red zebra that picked away at my common pleco (who was at least twice the size of the cichlid), just the fins tho, didn't go after the eyes as far as i saw. That zebra was a mean mean fish though, he picked on everyone. :boxed: He bought a one way ticket back to Pisces :tongue: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 Brad, that sucks! I had a male BN that owned the mbuna tank he was in. When I dropped food in, he'd come out and flash his cheek spikes and thrash his head to push the mbuna out of the way. And, I was under the impression that mbuna were a lot more pushy than haps/peacocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 have had multiple bn in my all male tank without any problems. YOu need to make sufficient hiding places that the pleco will fit in and the haps not. also it's not the fish picking out the eyes. when they become stresed their eyes will sink it to their head so i'm guessing this is what happened to the one that jumped out. good luck though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquatic_Addiction Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 I currently have 2 Albino BN in my tank with my peacocks / electric blue / electric yellow. Never had a problem. The one BN has been in the tank a year, and the other one was added about 2 months ago. Hope you have better luck. ~~Ray~~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishful Thinking Posted October 2, 2008 Report Share Posted October 2, 2008 Hey, Brad, just an update. I have kept BN's in both my 90 gallon Mbuna and my 150 Haps tank. I bought them when they were over the two inch range and I added three to each tank in an attempt to diffuse the aggression against any individual fish. I also added some smaller rocks to create hiding places. They have had some torn fins and some fights, but for a month it has been so far so good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qattarra Posted October 2, 2008 Report Share Posted October 2, 2008 I have some tiny plecos in my african tank , the Matto Grossos. They are aprox 2 1/2 inches long . I haven't lost any yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfong Posted October 2, 2008 Report Share Posted October 2, 2008 Not too sure, but I have 1 male bristlenose in my 72 gallon African and he's still around, at least I'm seeing him more often. I've also got bristlenose in most of my other tanks primarily cichlid tanks and they seem to be ok. I just make sure I have lots of hiding places for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murminator Posted October 2, 2008 Report Share Posted October 2, 2008 I have a small rubber lipped in mine he seems to be too quick for them :thumbs: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rED O Posted October 2, 2008 Report Share Posted October 2, 2008 I had a common brown pleco with my haps, mbunas, and peacocks. The pleco did get his eyes picked out. depends on the fish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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