I have some java ferns in a peacock cichlid tank. I am getting quite a bit of algea growing brown, green, and purple. It is everywere i am not worried about algea on the glass but there is a lot on the rocks and it is gowing on the plants as well. I am looking for a fish to help keep the rocks clean and possibally the plants as well. I just got rid of my pleco it because it was eating the plants, and i tried some occinlus???? but they are too small and my cichlid ate some they just swollow them i dont know how many are left. Are there any algea eaters that wont eat the plants and wont get devouered by my cichlids. I had some babys born in my tank and now they are about 1 1/2 - 2" i didnt think they would eat the small fish, expensive meal.
plants and algea eaters
- Thread starter losthere
- Start date
You could try another pleco; they usually don’t start eating plants until they have matured; so just another few small ones perhaps??
And as for eating algae from plants Ottociclus are the only ones im aware of; but HEY! We have a big community here; maybe something else DOES exist…
And as for eating algae from plants Ottociclus are the only ones im aware of; but HEY! We have a big community here; maybe something else DOES exist…
Do I have the only pleco that DOES NOT eat plants? He is almost 2 yrs old and 16+ inches. Rufus has no interest in my plants, thankfully.
Budrecki,
I don't think many plecos, if any, do eat plants. I think what happens is that they are trying to eat the algae or scavenge for left-overs and plant damage is a consequence of that. They're pretty heavy fish and their mouths are pretty rough. Has to be to scrap algae off.
Same with clowns. Someone posted about clowns eating plants and I noticed some of my plants look "eaten", so I started watching my clowns. They *aren't* eating the plants. They are going through the plants looking for food and they unintentionally marr/rip/gnaw the plants in the process.
The minute I started making sure that any food I feed got to bottom and supplemented them with veggies, they stopped rooting through the plants.
No more plant damage.
I think it's a case of guilty until proven innocent.
IMO & IME
Roan
I don't think many plecos, if any, do eat plants. I think what happens is that they are trying to eat the algae or scavenge for left-overs and plant damage is a consequence of that. They're pretty heavy fish and their mouths are pretty rough. Has to be to scrap algae off.
Same with clowns. Someone posted about clowns eating plants and I noticed some of my plants look "eaten", so I started watching my clowns. They *aren't* eating the plants. They are going through the plants looking for food and they unintentionally marr/rip/gnaw the plants in the process.
The minute I started making sure that any food I feed got to bottom and supplemented them with veggies, they stopped rooting through the plants.
No more plant damage.
I think it's a case of guilty until proven innocent.
IMO & IME
Roan
losthere,
Algae is caused by a nutrient imbalance -- in this case probably an excess of nutrients. Since java fern is a very slow growing plant, it's not usual for algae to form on the leaves.
Try to find some cichlid-proof fast growing plants and add those to your tank. See if that helps.
Someone else can probably help here as I know wack about cichlids
Roan
Algae is caused by a nutrient imbalance -- in this case probably an excess of nutrients. Since java fern is a very slow growing plant, it's not usual for algae to form on the leaves.
Try to find some cichlid-proof fast growing plants and add those to your tank. See if that helps.
Someone else can probably help here as I know wack about cichlids
Roan