Hey brothers, my tank has lots of green spot algae on the glass and i was thinking of getting a pleco to take care of it.
What pleco will grow to about a maximum size of 3 inch and will be suitable for a tank with apistogramma, corydorus, plants and moss.
Thanks
Last edited by Justikanz; 4th Feb 2007 at 23:02.
Bristlenose pleco or any of the Ancistrus sp are good algae eaters. But they have a maximum size of 4inches.
Do you clean the glass of your tank manually once in a while? Because plecos are not able to clear the hard crusted green spot algae as well as a credit card.
hi vincent, among the Ancistrus sp , are there any more flashy and colourful ones which come within the budget of $40. Also are there any special requirements in taking care of these fish?
The ones in the market these days are very limited to the black coloured ones I am afraid. Then there are the common albino ones as well.
Not much special requirements. Since you are having apistogrammas in your tank, I would assume that your pH is slightly acidic. Once in awhile supplement them with algae wafers and they will be happy.
Ok thanks. Do they produce as much poo as the common plecos? Also does anyone know whether small black Ancistrus sp are available at Y618 and the price? Thanks
All pleco poo alot. But if yours is a planted tank, you don't really have to worry much.
Anyway, for Ancistrus sp, the price should be within your budget. Another thing is to make sure the plants in your tank are mature and well grown into the substrate, else you will see lotsa floating plants as they dig and quite rough in their motions.
Would ancistris do fine if i buy just one or do i need 2 or more? Sorry for asking so many questions
Definitely will do fine if there is only one.
I have only 1 L255 in my planted tank and she is happily digging and hiding under the shades.
In fact, you can also go for Sturisoma sp. They are actually more hardworking than Ancistrus sp. But they grow big. Mine is now about 10cm now in a 2ft tank...
Sturisoma sp is the whiptail catfish? Are there small specimens available?
Yupz and nope for the respective questions.
but they are cute in a planted tank environment bouncing here and there on the leaves. Moreover, their natural biotope is a planted environment unlike more plecos are found in wood tangles with few plants.
Oh i think i may have misphrased the second question. I do not mean small as in max size but small as in the size when bought.
Definitely. Most you find in shops like Y618 or C328 are usually small...
Think i'll drop down to Y618 to get one Sturisoma sp tomorrow.
HI just to update i got a 2 and a half inch Sturisoma sp from Y618 on saturday. Its really doing well in my tank and is actively bouncingaround my tank and scraping stuff off the driftwood.
I've no idea what the exact species is. Hope to post a picture soon and get some help from the pros here.
Here's a couple of pictures of my sturisoma sp
Sorry for the poor quality photos.
There's some spot algae on the tank walls and i lack any decent photography skills.
Underside view of my sturisoma sp
Side view
It is about 3 inchs in length now. Feeding well and very active throughout the day. I'm thinking of adding one more sturisoma
Looks like you have a healthy source of algae in the your tank from the looks of the round tummy your Sturisoma festivum.
Truly a fascinating catfish.
Didn't know what sturisoma sp mine belonged to until you told me.
Eh are there other species of sturisoma available in our LFSes?
Yup there's lots of algae in my tank. Scraped off most of the green spot algae on the wall but left some in case the sturisoma needed food.
Last edited by Justikanz; 19th Feb 2007 at 22:37. Reason: Removing immediate quotation
Do treat them to an occasional algae wafer if you feel they are not getting enough. Mine will also go for tetrabits that fall to the bottom.
My sturisoma is getting quite fat so i don't think it isnt getting enough food.
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