favorite algae eater

[rosita]

Rosita,
generally the BN is in water in the pH range of 5.5-7.8
but they have been acclimated to higher pH.

I am not sure how well accepted they are with those tank mates..but they seem to get along with semi-agressive fish well and can tolerate breeding angels..which may not be as agressive as many cichlids but they are mean when they are spawning..and it's more than posturing..angels have been known to kill other fish..I know from personal experience that most other fish are not safe in a tank with breeding angels. especially other angels.

Thanks, star_rider!! I'll just wait and see--I need something, but I don't want to risk a life. So far the "kids" are still small, @2", just cruising around, they are supposed to be some of the less aggressive cichlids, but I'd like to have some "bottom action" (aside from my own LOL) in there. Stick to snails for now!!

Deputy, if you don't use the rift lake salts or coral, you should be fine with them according to the balances!!

 

[DeputyChiefJR]

Yeah, but now I'm being told I should...I might have to go get some tonight...

 

[Lobo.]

i like snails, they are VERY easy to take care of, as they eat anything the fish don't with cucumber as a treat... they reproduce to fit the amount of food available (otherwise they have die off from starvation) and they keep reproducing so you don't ever have to replace them, unless you have snail eating fish... plus they can get into the small spots that even an otto cant get into, especially the MTS that burrow in the gravel.

some say i might have a snail problem, with my 70+ mts in my 30gal, but i hardly ever have to use my algae scraper, and if i get tired of them (and the added bio-load they may add) i just cut back on food and their numbers go down...

here you can see several of my MTS on the glass and the rocks around my fantail synodontis at night, during the day, they bury themselves in the gravel

 

[Web Gazelle]

Question: how would a bristlenose fare in a Lake Malawi-geared tank with Yellow Labs and Cobalt Blues? It's freshwater, I know, and the Mbuna need a higher ph (crushed coral in mine) and Rift Lake Salts (more minerals than actual salt)? I'm intrigued by all the good comments about them, but am not personally familiar with them (not really found in my region). Thanks!!

I actually had one in a tank with 3 electric yellows and the dominant male would always bother my bushynose. I eventually got rid of the electric yellows and went to my current setup.

 

[carttman]

I do not have a favorite but I have kept all of these before. It depends on what kind of tank that I am setting up before I could choose one of them. They all do a good job though!

 

[dorkfish]

otto, any one can properly house this one, most people can't evem dream of properly housing a pleco (becuase they usually buy the common pleco), some people are creaped out by snails(even though I like them). Otto is probably gonna win the vote, becuase of the reasons above and the fact that this pool is biased, in order to vote other you have to vote and post, too much work for some people, not many, but some.

:clap: I was right!

 

[hc8719]

i say pleco cuz its the only kind i ever had
lolz
n wtf is an otto :huh: :huh: :huh:
i search it n nothing show :read: :huh:

their actually name is like ottocinlous or something like that. they're short skinny little fish you see at lfs sucking on the glass

they might be the same thing as an algae eater fish petsmart sells

and i'd have to go with pleco, they're just cool, although a hillstream loach could be an other

 

[plah831]

Otocinclus species (family Locariidae). They are a catfish. O. affinis is usually what you find, but there are at least a few other species you can find at LFS.

And they should never be skinny. If they are, they're not getting enough to eat or are ill. Mine always have nice, full bellies that look like white marbles pressed against the glass

 

[Cfortunato]

n wtf is an otto

Should be spelled "oto."

 

[plah831]

some people spell it "otto", although I don't know why, given its full name. I have seen that, though.