am i overstocked?
- Thread starter dank104
- Start date
dank...
best algae control you do get... is yourself. Regular water changes, proper fertilization (if planted), regular maintenance will take care of algae.
To supplement this, true SAE (the edges of the black line should not be straight or smooth), otocinclus catfish, clown (dwarf) pleco, snails, shrimp, and even herbivore + omnivore fish will help reduce algae.
Just don't expect the fish to do all the work for you. Even if someone has a story with that, they are probably lucky
best algae control you do get... is yourself. Regular water changes, proper fertilization (if planted), regular maintenance will take care of algae.
To supplement this, true SAE (the edges of the black line should not be straight or smooth), otocinclus catfish, clown (dwarf) pleco, snails, shrimp, and even herbivore + omnivore fish will help reduce algae.
Just don't expect the fish to do all the work for you. Even if someone has a story with that, they are probably lucky
dank104 said:
That might depend on a few factors- but my point was more that you (anyone) should get a Pleco only if you really want that fish, and you have the room for one- not simply because you (or someone) needs an algae control fish (or algae control creature).
For example- in your question, if someone had a 90 gallon tank, AND they need algae control, and they want a pleco, I say get one. You may still need other helpers with the algae (including water care), bu under those conditions, a Pleco is not a bad addition.
The antithesis of that is someone who has a 20 gallon tank, is moderately stocked, and decides they want something to help them with their algae. The LFS guy/gal suggests a pleco... that nice young one looks good and small... and if both dont have the experience to question tank size or current bioload, bang! Another Pleco winds up somewhere it should not have.
So if I had a 10 gallon- would I prefer snails of some sort over a Pleco? Sure, but keep in mind the snails might still not be the best choice. In the 90, I might prefer to add a pleco, as long as it fit all of the other particulars of the tank (i.e., I would not put a Pleco in a heavily planted tank that has the goal of looking like Amano's tanks...)
It is almost impossible to eliminate algae, but it can be controlled very well. I clean for algae on the viewing surface of the tank only (nothing else has enough on it to be noticeable) about every 2-3 weeks. Lighting (duration and intensity), proper bioload and filtration for the bioload, plants (if you can have them), proper feeding levels, and the right creatures- all go a long way toward conrolling algae. Other than that, checking for nitrates and phosphates and changing water appropriately is all that is needed beyond that.
Amen to that. I'm not sure WHY, but it's common for people to think they must have a pleco to control algae. With the increasing availability of fancy plecos, this is becoming a serious problem, since many of the fancies don't eat algae much, and the common are too large for most setups in addition to the fact that they switch to more meaty foods as they mature. Getting an animal with the sole purpose of it performing a job requires a lot of research first, to make certain it will fit in with the setup in addition to being able to provide a service.
OrionGirl said:
While it really is the pet owners responsibility, ultimately, to be informed, I still blame the stores. They should be asking the right questions and not just selling fish. Trouble is, sometimes the "help" at the stores are no more informed than someone who just walked in through the front door asking where they can find the dog chews.
Great post Tetra Botia! I wholeheartedly agree. I have always enjoyed pleco's but I knew my 44g corner tank did not have nearly enough space for a 'standard' one. So I went in search of dwarf varieties. Every time I asked about them at a store they always said "why don't you just get a regular one and trade it in when it gets too big" I would just shrug and leave the store. I now have a rubbernose pleco in my tank - it's the only fish I have named because I just enjoy it so much! His name is Larry. I'm considering getting a bristle nose as well... perhaps I'll name him Moe
You are neglecting to understand the nature of business. A shop employee's job is to sell fish. I agree they should sell responsibly but some customers "know" better than the employees and will insist on making poor selections or the employees really don't know any better. Remember, selling fish is not exactly a high paying, high demand job with lots of training involved.
Teelie said:
I understand the nature of the business and that they need to make money but I personally feel people who work in fish stores should at least try and be advocates for proper treatment of fish. If the customer 'knows better' as you say then that's a different situation... I just don't think that telling someone to get a fish and then trade it in when it gets too big is really the best thing for the fish OR the aquarium. Getting a fish home and into a tank is stressful enough on the creature - and they want me to then take it out in a few months and transfer it back to the store to go through all that again? Not to mention that plecos add to the bio-load of a tank VERY quickly and are likely to cause more problems than they would solve in a tank that's too small. I have had many great FS employees suggest appropriate fish to me before and I really appreciate that even if I don't go with their suggestions. If the employees don't already know enough about fish to do this then I feel it's the responsibility of the owner (or whoever knows the stuff) to teach them! It only reflects badly on the store when the employees don't know what they are talking about and give people bad advice.
Of course that's just my humble opinion... everyone has different feelings on these matters...
I think I'll chime in here..I worked retail for almost 15 years..tho not in an IFS..I worked in sporting Goods
It is true that the main job of the sales clerk is "sales" and they are versed in selling not educating customers.
while it benefits them to know some basics about aquariums..their main function is to sell stuff..fish, aquariums, hoods, plants, food etc...
most of the clerks only have a general knowledge..some have more knowledge..but not many have a comprehensive knowledge.and fewer still know enough about some species to add valuable information.
they base a lot of their info on the cards near the tanks.
in terms of pleco's there are so many varieties..I won't evne pretent I know enough to add too much ..other than the species I studied..the clerk at the IFS didn't know as much as I did..I lost a very nice clown pleco besause I didn't study enough and the clerk had no valuable info.
I still have a BN that I added to my 55 and she is doing very well..
btw..bn's are one of the varieties that do a very nice job of cleaning algae..and are a species that is primarily a vegetarian..but will consume you angel spawn given the opportunity. while it's nice to have wood for Bn's they don't have to have it..as opposed to the clown.
IMHO
let the buyer beware..it's the motto of retail..
also the customer is always right tends to leave you with a don't tell them unless they ask attitude.
ed
It is true that the main job of the sales clerk is "sales" and they are versed in selling not educating customers.
while it benefits them to know some basics about aquariums..their main function is to sell stuff..fish, aquariums, hoods, plants, food etc...
most of the clerks only have a general knowledge..some have more knowledge..but not many have a comprehensive knowledge.and fewer still know enough about some species to add valuable information.
they base a lot of their info on the cards near the tanks.
in terms of pleco's there are so many varieties..I won't evne pretent I know enough to add too much ..other than the species I studied..the clerk at the IFS didn't know as much as I did..I lost a very nice clown pleco besause I didn't study enough and the clerk had no valuable info.
I still have a BN that I added to my 55 and she is doing very well..
btw..bn's are one of the varieties that do a very nice job of cleaning algae..and are a species that is primarily a vegetarian..but will consume you angel spawn given the opportunity. while it's nice to have wood for Bn's they don't have to have it..as opposed to the clown.
IMHO
let the buyer beware..it's the motto of retail..
also the customer is always right tends to leave you with a don't tell them unless they ask attitude.
ed
Selling living creatures *should* be different than selling goods but of course that's just not the case. I also feel a store selling live animals might want to give the customer good advice so that the animal will survive and the cutomer will continue to return to the store. SOOO many people have become completely discouraged and given up on their aquariums because the people who 'helped' them did not know what they are talking about. I just think it's a real shame for both the people and the animals...
A lot of people assume that if a person in a fish store tells them something, they should be able to trust it - I don't think it is entirely unreasonable to think this way. On the flip side, you are correct on the 'buyer beware' caution. The reality of the situation (no matter how unfair it may be) is that the customer has a responsibility to do the research! If you are looking into keeping fish, you MUST do the research yourself BEFORE starting. I have made mistakes too and I am the first to admit them but it's really frustrating to hear so much BAD advice being given to people in stores.
There's no real solution to all of this, just some random thoughts and pet peeves I suppose so this is the last I will say about it...
A lot of people assume that if a person in a fish store tells them something, they should be able to trust it - I don't think it is entirely unreasonable to think this way. On the flip side, you are correct on the 'buyer beware' caution. The reality of the situation (no matter how unfair it may be) is that the customer has a responsibility to do the research! If you are looking into keeping fish, you MUST do the research yourself BEFORE starting. I have made mistakes too and I am the first to admit them but it's really frustrating to hear so much BAD advice being given to people in stores.
There's no real solution to all of this, just some random thoughts and pet peeves I suppose so this is the last I will say about it...
