Pleco Question

[aquariumdave]

I've had a 29 gallon aquarium running for a little over a year now, it sits under my 55gallon and generally doesn't draw much sun. I've put a plecostomus in there twice and both times the little guy has died, now I have algae growing on the sides of my aquarium for the first time, should I buy another?

[flash_oesc]

Plecos need to be fed, algae on the tank isn't enough to sustain them. Different plecos have different requirements for food - some need wood, some need more protein...etc. If you get a regular bristlenose, you can feed them algae waffers, supplemented with fresh zucchini, cucumber...etc

[ckmullin]

Have little to zero sun. If you've got algae that can be a big cause. Does this tank have plants?

[Jayba]

it depends on what type of algae it is, and what type of pleco you have. Hard spot algae won't be touched by a pleco. That being said, a pleco like a Hypansistrus or Peckoltia are more carnivore with a hankering for some greens and not an effective algae Eater. Nothing beats a bristlenose for algae eating.

[McTurtle]

Otocinclus might be an option if you're looking for an algae eating fish... or a nerite snail - also awesome at algae removal...

[flash_oesc]

+1 on nerites cleaning algae...but they leave unhatching eggs on EVERYTHING!

I have bristlenose in 3 of my 5 keeping the tanks clean.

[aquariumdave]

Thanks for the great feedback guys. Unfortunately the "expert" at Big Al's recommended not feeding my pleco when I was there browsing the algae wafers, something to do with them being so lazy if you feed them they won't do their work of keeping your tank clean. I really have an aversion to snails, I feel they're more of a pest picked up from the LFS generally speaking - at least the ones I've acquired inadvertently were!

I'll see if I can't find a bristlenose.

Caeruleus: Tank is not planted.

[flash_oesc]

Thanks for the great feedback guys. Unfortunately the "expert" at Big Al's recommended not feeding my pleco when I was there browsing the algae wafers, something to do with them being so lazy if you feed them they won't do their work of keeping your tank clean. I really have an aversion to snails, I feel they're more of a pest picked up from the LFS generally speaking - at least the ones I've acquired inadvertently were!

I'll see if I can't find a bristlenose.

Caeruleus: Tank is not planted.

That's the sad part about a lot of box store 'Experts'... I find that common plecos slow down on algae cleaning as they get bigger, but as for Bristlenose, I feed mine twice a day, and they still clean everything off all day.

I also have an aversion to snails...that being said...Nerite snails can't reproduce in fresh water, so no population explosion. They lay eggs that wont hatch. Apple snails lay eggs above water line (easy to control). The ones that go 'boom' in a tank are MTS, Ramshorns and pondsnails. Those are also the ones that usually come free :eh: with plants.

[ckmullin]

I keep MTS, Ramshorn and Pondsnails because they do a wonderful job with the algae film so much so that I don't have any algae in the tank. I always tell people these types of snails are great because they are an indicator species for your aquarium. As frogs are an indicator species about the health of the environment these snails will let you know when your tank is overfed. If the snail numbers go up reduce the tank feeding. Simple as that. Snails help complete the 'circle of life' in the glass box of water which we're trying to recreate in our living room.

[flash_oesc]

I have ramshorn and pond in my planted tanks. I don't like them, but they do an awesome job keeping things clean. I pull out some adult ramshorns every few weeks, but the population stays pretty balanced... I do need to find some MTS to turn over my sand...