High pH pleco?

Y

yonsu

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Jun 5, 2006
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This may be a dumb question. My friend has a freshwater african cichlid tank (just two small fish total, 37 gallon), uses aragonite and crushed coral as a substrate, and the pH sits at 8.4 or so.. Is there a species of pleco or something similar that can tolerate these conditions? He apparently is having a problem with "gold algae" on the glass as well, now.
Thanks!
 
A lot of plecos can tolerate high pH but I would never try them with African cichlids. Are these cichlids Lake Malawi or Lake Tanganyika? Small species of synodontis (look into www.planetcatfish.com would be your best bet. Any pictures of this "golden algae"?
 
They are (2) frontosas.. could you name a couple popular species that could tolerate such a high pH? Will synodontis also eat algae?
Sorry, I don't have any pictures of this gold algae, as it's not my tank. I think it's just diatom algae, but he seems very adament about having his pleco.
 
yonsu said:
They are (2) frontosas.. could you name a couple popular species that could tolerate such a high pH? Will synodontis also eat algae?
Sorry, I don't have any pictures of this gold algae, as it's not my tank. I think it's just diatom algae, but he seems very adament about having his pleco.
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Synodontis don't eat algae. Please tell your friend the frontosas will soon outgrow his tank. I'd suggest sticking to smaller Lake Tanganyikan cichldis such as julidochromis, shelldwellers, calvus or brichardis. As for algae, I'd use a magnet algae scrubber rather than add unnecessary bioload with a fish. Besides, I don't think algae looks bad unless left uncontrolled.:)
 
I am pretty sure he is just using the current tank temporarily, as he recently upgraded his pair of brichardis. He will be moving the frontosas into a larger tank once they grow, but as of now, they are only about 1.5 inches long.. I do not think he wants a pleco for algae control, but rather just because they interest him.. which species can be found locally that will tolerate a high pH? How about a bulldog or a bristlenose pleco?
Thanks.
 
Hmmm..Since it peaks his interest, (and I do hope he is not going to put the plec with the cichlids for long), I'd vouch for the ancistrus.:)
 
the africans would probably nibble the bristles right off as the pleco matures.
 
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