View Full Version : Keeping plecos with cichlids.
cichlidkeeper91
07-26-2006, 3:25 PM
Every time I get a plecostomus my fish always kill it. Why is that.
fishcatch22
07-26-2006, 3:27 PM
just individual agression, i assume. every fish is different. my mother has never had a cichlid kill a pleco, even when she put one in with a pike cichlid.
cichlidkeeper91
07-26-2006, 3:35 PM
for some reason mine always kill them each time I would get them. Do you know what would work good for algae? Like a medicine
fishcatch22
07-26-2006, 3:37 PM
algone is a good killer, but algae killers can kill live plants as well as algae. but the best way to get rid of algae is with a scrubber pad and your hard work.
cichlidkeeper91
07-26-2006, 4:15 PM
Well I have a mag float that works pretty good if its a strong magnet only on the out side of the tank but not the back because of my background. Are you sure you don't know anything that could rid of it by a medication.
sumthin fishy
07-26-2006, 4:19 PM
Are you sure you don't know anything that could rid of it by a medication.
Lessening your stocking levels and/or better water quality.
fishcatch22
07-26-2006, 4:27 PM
Well I have a mag float that works pretty good if its a strong magnet only on the out side of the tank but not the back because of my background. Are you sure you don't know anything that could rid of it by a medication.buy a handheld scrubber and scrub the back yourself!
Looking at your list of fish in that 55, I'm a little surprised that only the plecos have been killed. Are those fish all fully grown?
DeRo316
07-26-2006, 4:48 PM
The only pleco that would survive in that tank would be a larger common pleco which I would strongly advise against adding to your tank. I had a peppermint pleco with an oscar and they were OK together as long as the pleco had plenty of wood and many hiding spots. Right now I have a gold nugget with a dozen peacocks/africans and they dont even touch or pay attention to him.
And for the back wall just get a scrubber brush and go at it yourself. It only has to be done every few months and takes 5-10 minutes so no big deal.
cichlidkeeper91
07-26-2006, 5:05 PM
Looking at your list of fish in that 55, I'm a little surprised that only the plecos have been killed. Are those fish all fully grown?
Not even close.
cichlidkeeper91
07-26-2006, 5:06 PM
Now what about like the plant and the rocks.
blkwdw13
07-27-2006, 4:33 PM
Stick your hand in the tank and rub off the algae
DeRo316
07-28-2006, 11:12 AM
You can scrub the rocks with the algae brush too. Or just take the plant and the rock out and scrub them then put them back in.
DeRo316
07-28-2006, 11:14 AM
and in your sig if you want the regular name, instead of saying Hemichromis frempongi you can just call it a Jewel cichlid.
cichlidkeeper91
07-28-2006, 12:28 PM
and in your sig if you want the regular name, instead of saying Hemichromis frempongi you can just call it a Jewel cichlid.
Yea but its not just a jewel cichlid.
Star_Rider
07-28-2006, 1:01 PM
Isn't Hemichromis frempongi the real name(albeit scientific) and there is no common name??
cichlidkeeper91
07-28-2006, 3:00 PM
Thats what I thought. Its not the same as just a regular jewel cichlid.
DeRo316
07-28-2006, 3:22 PM
I know but, they all look the same......its better than spitting out that scientific name every time you describe it. They're all listed together but only 2 have common names but are all listed as African Jewel Cichlids. This site has good info:
http://www.sydneycichlid.com/old_scp/hemichromis.html
Looks like the frempongi is more rare than the others and is limited to one or few lakes in Ghana.
losthere
07-28-2006, 4:24 PM
I have 3 smaller rubbernose plecos with my full grown african peacock cichlids. I have a 55 gal with tons of rock, the rubbernoses do a great job on the rocks by far the best of all the plecos that i have tried. You just need places for them to hid e and get away from being picked on. They are also mostly nocturnal and are active when the other fish arent. I would highly recommend them.
cichlidkeeper91
07-28-2006, 4:40 PM
I have 3 smaller rubbernose plecos with my full grown african peacock cichlids. I have a 55 gal with tons of rock, the rubbernoses do a great job on the rocks by far the best of all the plecos that i have tried. You just need places for them to hid e and get away from being picked on. They are also mostly nocturnal and are active when the other fish arent. I would highly recommend them.
Yea but the problem with me is that mine kill any that I put in there.
cichlidkeeper91
07-28-2006, 4:44 PM
I know but, they all look the same......its better than spitting out that scientific name every time you describe it. They're all listed together but only 2 have common names but are all listed as African Jewel Cichlids. This site has good info:
http://www.sydneycichlid.com/old_scp/hemichromis.html
Looks like the frempongi is more rare than the others and is limited to one or few lakes in Ghana.
These don't look at much like the same.
sumthin fishy
07-28-2006, 7:40 PM
The pics you posted do look a bit simmilar. Slight color differences and more spots on the pongis, but ovrall shape and markings are close. I will reitterate that you do not need a pleco to controll algae. proper water conditions will limit its growth. Keep your nitrate levels at or below 20 ppm. Scrape off algae prior to doing water changes so you will suck up a portion of it with each change. I would never buy a fish to deal with a problem in my tank, especially when it's an easy fix.
Jaredo
08-16-2006, 12:12 AM
hey i had a recent bloom of red algae and with some research
i got rid of it by keeping the lights on only two hours a day and doing 10% water changes EVERY day until the algae dissappears
algae can be an indicator of high phosphates which come from excess food. The algae feed on phosphates so try reducing feedings as well.
i got rid of it in about 2 days