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scott

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Mar 12, 2003
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What fish can I get to eat the algae in my tank? It's 90g. It gets some pretty heavy morning sun but its the only place I had a wall long enough to fit the tank without blocking a door:( So now I have a carpet like green algae on the driftwood and rocks and have to scrape the walls once a week and the back wall is....well covered. I put a common pleco in and he got killed so I got a bigger one and he lasted a little longer but he got killed ( He was about five inches). Should I get a bigger one? Or more? I know they get huge and I don't want the tank to be crowded. Is there a snail I can get that won't get eaten? Any help would be appreciated.
 
They got killed? Can you give us a list of fish which are in the tank? If Plecos are killed by other fish in a tank, there isn't much that can withstand the punishment doled out by its denizens.
 
Five inch JD, Five and a half inch Black Belt and seven inch Albino oscar. Also an eight inch (all sizes approximate) sun cat. The first pleco had half of his body missing, although he was only about two inches and the second one looked fine other than he had no skin(?) between the barbs on his fins. The female black belt did have fry though.
 
Yeah, she probably felt that the Pleco was a threat to her young'uns...splitting up any pairs would be for the best and then maybe a Plec could survive. Otherwise, you need to get an algae scraper for the short-term, and, for the long term, feed them a lot less, and reduce the photoperiod for the tank. The Black Belt will go nuts on plants, so adding them wouldn't be worth your while.
 
I but the male in a fifty five by himself but I didn't want to add another fish if it was going to get killed. I guess I will put another one in then. Thanks. Oh, I didn't feed them today and I will go to once a day as I had been feeding them twice. I will turn out the lights earlier but with the longer daylight hours of summer I don't know how well that will work. Are there any species that maybe don't get as big but are still hearty that I can put maybe two in? My LFS carries some pretty good fish and he said he would order me anything he could get, or maybe there is a place on line? What about the bristlenose I hear a lot of people talk about it but I am not familiar with it.
 
The problem with putting two in is that, if they are hardy enough to defend themselves, they will also stage battle royales in such confined quarters.

I do have another suggestion (Florida Flagfish, a killie), but I would hesitate to recommend it because I know very little about temperament, among other things. I have a feeling that they wouldn't last long, but perhaps someone else could chime in?
 
You might be able to get away with a nice sized gibbiceps. I got one that is 5-6" aprox with a 11-12" Jag and the gibbiceps still holds his ground as much as possible. Gibbiceps are not known to be push overs. They are territorial themselves and in that will defend themselves by sucking other fish or just slapping them with there tail. For something small you might want to go with a rhino pleco they get 12" but pretty much have the same additude.
 
as of 1 hour ago it had all fins intact the trick is to have enough hiding places for it to get away when under to much attack. Driftwood does good since it blends in really good. If its a bare tank then you might not have that much success with anything you put in there. Also a Gibbiceps gets 18" when an adult. Dont get more then one they are territorial and will kill each other if given the chance.
 
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