Ideas for a noob (55 g tank)
- Thread starter mjy6087
- Start date
unless you want to make the special provisions for algae eaters, I would not recommend getting one just to get rid of algae. I have otocincluses, and they are hard to feed. They do a killer job on soft algae, but after that's gone, they need to be supplemented with veggies and other herbivore foods otherwise they starve.
Many other "algae eating" fish grow huge and become aggressive and more meat-eating as they grow (Chinese Algae Eaters and plecostemuses come to mind).
There is actually a bunch of people on this forum whose pet peeves is newbies trying to get algae eaters to solve algae problems, and it's gotten very heated and ugly at times. So my advice is to use a little elbow grease and clean it off yourself. Regular water changes also remove fish wastes that act as nutrients to algae.
Unless you like the algae eaters for themselves, and are willing to care for their special needs for the rest of their lives, I would advise against getting one.
Many other "algae eating" fish grow huge and become aggressive and more meat-eating as they grow (Chinese Algae Eaters and plecostemuses come to mind).
There is actually a bunch of people on this forum whose pet peeves is newbies trying to get algae eaters to solve algae problems, and it's gotten very heated and ugly at times. So my advice is to use a little elbow grease and clean it off yourself. Regular water changes also remove fish wastes that act as nutrients to algae.
Unless you like the algae eaters for themselves, and are willing to care for their special needs for the rest of their lives, I would advise against getting one.
Just cycle first man. It will save you money in the long run. Someone suggested to me a little while ago just to get a filter from a friend/store thats already in a cycled tank and rinse some media from it into like a gallon of water and then put that in your tank and the cycle will be nice and quick.
arowanas get way too big for a 55. i've heard of lots of folks with Synodontis catfish that do great with cichlids. They're bottom feeders so they'll help clean up what your cichlids don't eat. They would appreciate some bottom feeder sinking wafers or pellets, though. But they're pretty easy to care for and quite hardy. They also appreciate a hiding spot to escape the light, as they usually only come out at night.
Some of them get up to a foot, though, so that may be a consideration. The fish (at max size) should have at least twice its body length to turn around in the tank, I think. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. So if your tank is a foot wide, max fish size should be 6 inches?
Some of them get up to a foot, though, so that may be a consideration. The fish (at max size) should have at least twice its body length to turn around in the tank, I think. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. So if your tank is a foot wide, max fish size should be 6 inches?
