Am I doing this right?

I have a clown pleco, have had him for years. He sucks at algae control - meaning he absolutely will not touch the stuff. He's doing quite well, grew to roughly 3 inches, and has remained healthy - all while my tank has been overrun with algae. So, I invested in an algae scrubber.


I have nerite snails in the same tank (46g bow), and they've done a decent job cleaning algae off the live plants, but I still have it taking over the glass. (Did I mention an algae scrubber?) My tank doesn't get direct light either, but I invested in a Nat Geo LED because I like LEDs. It also has a timer, so makes it easier to set a light cycle without having to manually turn them off and on.


I also have a 25g community tank set up with the factory fluorescent hood and live plants, right next to the 46g. The 25g is just standard community fare - tetras, danios, guppies. I have 3 spotted corys and 6 black khuli loaches as the groundskeepers and a bunch of bladder and ramshorn for added support. Oddly, this tank doesn't have algae, but that might be due to having more plants.


I vacuum the gravel every time I change water, because a lot of debris accumulates in the gravel. Plecos and snails produce a LOT of waste too, so I usually move the decorations to vacuum under them too. I usually do substantial water changes monthly, with smaller weekly changes as required by test readings.

Too expand on RB's post, how long are your tank's lights left on? With an unplanted tank you have no need for lights really, except when you are viewing the fish, so more than a few hours is a bad idea.
unless you have low light levels. What kind of lights do you have?
A weekly water change of 25% or more is a good maintenance habit to stick to, especially given your smallish filter.
What are you using to treat for ich?
Also, what are the dimensions of your tank in inches? Can you provide pics, especially of the fish with the spots?

First, when the ich has been cleared, you need to seriously consider re-homing the Bala Shark [if I read this thread correctly, only one is left). If not, it will be unhealthy to put it mildly. This fish will (or should) attain 14 inches, and there are many that reach 16 inches.

What species is the pleco? The common pleco, Hypostamus plecostamus, will attain somewhere between 12 and 20 inches. There are smaller species, like the 4-5 inch Bristlenose (Ancistrus sp.). The latter is primarily vegetarian, but many pleco are omnivorous and their effect on algae is, as others have said, variable at best. There are some fish species that do eat algae, but only certain types; and of course, "problem" algae is never any of these.

Algae. If you do not intend live plants, algae is actually good, as like plants it consumes nutrients and produces oxygen. Except when it grows on live plant leaves, choking them and killing the plant, it can be beneficial and natural, depending upon the type (there are many).

Water changes are the most important part of maintaining a fish tank, probably equal to feeding. You can never change too much water, provided the parameters are close. I do 50% of my tanks (I have six presently) every week without fail. Water changes remove substances that cannot be removed by any other means. A heavily planted tank with a very minimal fish load could somewhat maintain itself without water changes, but even here they do have a benefit for the fish. Every week is minimum, and the volume can depend upon the fish load (number and species), live plants, feeding. I would get in the habit of changin water weekly; your fish will thank you. I've been doing this for 15+ years, and it still amazes me how the fish respond.

Vaccuming the substrate is part of the water change; the fish load, both species and numbers, will again dictate how much is needed. With substrate-rooted live plants, one can reduce this, sometimes even eliminate it. The breakdown of organics in the substrate by bacteria provides nutrients for the plants, especially the major source of CO2. But without live plants, cleaning the substrate will benefit, though you don't want to overdo it, as the various types of bacteria do perform vital roles in a healthy aquarium. Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria are important.

The filter inflow (pulling water out of the tank) should be close to the substrate, about 3-4 inches with the gravel you mention. [I would have it about 6 inches with sand.] The return should be close to the surface.

Byron.

A pic of the fish and the tank could be helpful.
If you do have ich I would go ahead and finish the dosages of the Kordan product since you are already using it. The extra water changes cannot hurt either.
I'm guessing something is amiss with your water given your heavy losses. Maybe high nitrates due to infrequent water changes.
Just how large are those sharks and plecos?

I agree with others that a photo would be a big help. One white spot on a fish is not necessarily ich, and frankly not that likely to be ich. And something I missed earlier, the white spots on the tank walls, also probably not ich. You need to definitely ID the issue (if there is one) before going further.