I have 8 juvenile Northern Longear Sunfish in a 10 gallon. They range from maybe 1/2" to 1 1/2". I'm getting a bigtime green algae outbreak on the sand/kitty litter substrate. I'm wondering if a ~4" pleco is any danger to them. I have the pleco trapped in a net on the surface of my 29g right now (finally was able to catch him after trying for the past couple days) I just want to put him in there for a while to see if he'll clean up the algae some, plus he doesn't get much to eat in the 29.
compatibility question
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, Dec 04 2010 08:08 PM
9 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_nativeplanter_*
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Posted 04 December 2010 - 08:46 PM
I have 8 juvenile Northern Longear Sunfish in a 10 gallon. They range from maybe 1/2" to 1 1/2". I'm getting a bigtime green algae outbreak on the sand/kitty litter substrate. I'm wondering if a ~4" pleco is any danger to them. I have the pleco trapped in a net on the surface of my 29g right now (finally was able to catch him after trying for the past couple days) I just want to put him in there for a while to see if he'll clean up the algae some, plus he doesn't get much to eat in the 29.
The fish themselves are probably compatable, but their needs might not be - don't plecos need a heater?
The other thing is that the pleco will likely make a mess of your substrate. Sand and kitty litter is pretty light stuff, and I remember that plecos like to root around in the sand and beat their wings. Makes a big mess in lightweight substrate. I once put one in a tank with Turface as a substrate (it's like fired kitty litter). What a mess.
FWIW, I didn't like the Turface as a substrate; it didn't do much for the plants.
#3
Guest_star5328_*
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Posted 04 December 2010 - 08:54 PM
I had the pleco in my unheated tank with 2 grass pickerel and a brindled madtom. Tank is probably sitting at about 68-70 right now. The sunfish growout tank is heated to 79 for rapid growth. I decided to put him in there. Seems fine, the longears are just kinda giving him a wtf look.
#4
littlen
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Posted 05 December 2010 - 12:37 PM
You have the right idea--a sucker(catfish) but from the wrong country. Get yourself a few, small, White suckers. They'll constantly turn over all your substrate looking for food. I can't keep my gravel level to save my life with 2 of those 'suckers' (pun intended) in a 180 gallon tank. They keep making piles everywhere as they sift through the rocks. Mind you they are 6 and 8 inches.
They algae is from an abundance of nutrients in the water and/or excess light. If you aren't going to or able to change those factors then you'll always have to battle the algae. Frequently mixing up the top layer with subsequent lower layers will keep any major algae outbreaks from growing on the bottom of your tank.
Your run of the mill pleco isn't the best algae eating machine in the world. There are other, lesser known, species that do a better job--none of which really eat the algae off of the small substrates most of us use. And yes, they do prefer wamer temps (mid 70's to lower 80's as they are from South America). Will it survive in ambient temps? Sure, but why keep it under such conditions just so you don't have to stick your hand in the tank to stir up the rocks yourself?
Good luck.
They algae is from an abundance of nutrients in the water and/or excess light. If you aren't going to or able to change those factors then you'll always have to battle the algae. Frequently mixing up the top layer with subsequent lower layers will keep any major algae outbreaks from growing on the bottom of your tank.
Your run of the mill pleco isn't the best algae eating machine in the world. There are other, lesser known, species that do a better job--none of which really eat the algae off of the small substrates most of us use. And yes, they do prefer wamer temps (mid 70's to lower 80's as they are from South America). Will it survive in ambient temps? Sure, but why keep it under such conditions just so you don't have to stick your hand in the tank to stir up the rocks yourself?
Good luck.
Nick L.
#5
Guest_gzeiger_*
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Posted 05 December 2010 - 06:29 PM
You know common plecos can get over two feet long right?
I really like snails for algae duty, but I haven't found a native species that can breed in a tank with sunfish. Most don't even survive, but the pest trumpet snails pet stores always have do a fine job for me.
I really like snails for algae duty, but I haven't found a native species that can breed in a tank with sunfish. Most don't even survive, but the pest trumpet snails pet stores always have do a fine job for me.
#6
Guest_hmt321_*
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Posted 05 December 2010 - 10:42 PM
You know common plecos can get over two feet long right?
I really like snails for algae duty, but I haven't found a native species that can breed in a tank with sunfish. Most don't even survive, but the pest trumpet snails pet stores always have do a fine job for me.
Olive Nerites work have worked for me, they are easy to harvest. Just collect them from any local launching ramp. Although they may be hard to find in December. Nerites will breed and lay eggs but the eggs will not hatch. Fish will eat them, but longears may not be able to fit them in their mouth. In Mobile, I can pick up a fifty in about 15 min at any launching ramp. I remember seeing nerites in Folly beach, and the Isle of Palms in the late 90's
#8
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Posted 06 December 2010 - 09:59 AM
To start with, I have no experience on native algae control. If your thinking of going non native for algae control. The Bristlenosed plecos are probably the best algae eaters out there that are common & inexpensive. I have two in a 55 and I have very minimal amounts of algae now. My tank is in next to a double window on the south side of my house. You can also try the different hillstream loaches. They have similar requirements as native fish. Heres an interesting link on them. hill stream loaches
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Edited by exasperatus2002, 06 December 2010 - 10:11 AM.
#9
Guest_schambers_*
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Posted 09 December 2010 - 10:17 PM
I'll second the ancistrus, although I prefer the brown ones. You don't see them much, either. I worried about keeping them at room temperatures until mine spawned and I saw some babies in a room temperature tank. (There weren't any other fish in the tank at the time.) The adults will move substrate around sometimes, they swish their tail ends around. They only get around five inches long, a huge one is six.
I recently got my hands on a garra pingi, which is an Asian cold water algae eater. Sometimes they are sold for pond fish. So far it isn't doing as well a job as an ancistrus, but it's still small. I've seen it nibbling on algae on the glass, but I'm also feeding it algae wafers. There are some other garra species that I'd like to try if I can find them.
I have a white sucker in my 100 gallon tank. It's a great fish, and it sifts through the sand in the substrate, but the glass and rocks are still getting algae on them. My 30 gallon tank, which has a pair of ancistrus, is sparkling clean.
I recently got my hands on a garra pingi, which is an Asian cold water algae eater. Sometimes they are sold for pond fish. So far it isn't doing as well a job as an ancistrus, but it's still small. I've seen it nibbling on algae on the glass, but I'm also feeding it algae wafers. There are some other garra species that I'd like to try if I can find them.
I have a white sucker in my 100 gallon tank. It's a great fish, and it sifts through the sand in the substrate, but the glass and rocks are still getting algae on them. My 30 gallon tank, which has a pair of ancistrus, is sparkling clean.
#10
Guest_nativeplanter_*
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Posted 10 December 2010 - 10:51 AM
Another alternative is to use hydrogen peroxide to treat the algae. Search the forum - we have discussed it a couple times and if I remember there are some good threads. It is one of my preferred methods for handling an outbreak.
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