What can I add to my current setup??

[Mudbunny]

I am back again looking for some advice.

My current setup is in a 10g tank. I have a couple of plastic plants,
2 Orange Platys, 3 bloodfin tetras, and another fish that looks sorta
like a bloodfin tetra, but has scales that are more white than the
bloodfins. (When we bought it, it accidentally got caught up in the
net with the 3 bloodfins, and the seller didn't want to take it out
and try to catch them again). I live in Hull, quebec, so my water is,
from my understanding, pretty soft.

I am currently getting a fair amount of algae on the windows of my
tank that I am removing with a scrubber. Then it hit me that this
would be a good time to add something that eats algae. (All towards a
goal of me having to do as little as possible <grin>). In my current
set-up, is there anything I could add that would do a pretty good job
at eating the algae.

1. How difficult would it be to add a plant to the current set-up?? I
only have gravel on the bottom, so would it involve a great deal of
work to add a plant? Would this even do anything to the algae??

2. How about a snail or a fish? We had a snail for a couple weeks, but
it stopped moving for a couple of weeks, and then started floating, so
it got buried at sea.

Marcel

[Geezer From The Freezer]

I'd suggested scrubbing the algae off, doing a water change, then adding some
plants. Elodea
does well, and I've heard hornwort will suck up those nitrates pretty well.

On another note. Snails will sometimes float on the water surface, I saw one of
mine
swimming in the middle of the tank, it was quite extraordinary seeing him using
his
internal body (pumping in and out) to move!

[NetMax]

"Mudbunny" > wrote in message
om...
> I am back again looking for some advice.
>
> My current setup is in a 10g tank. I have a couple of plastic plants,
> 2 Orange Platys, 3 bloodfin tetras, and another fish that looks sorta
> like a bloodfin tetra, but has scales that are more white than the
> bloodfins. (When we bought it, it accidentally got caught up in the
> net with the 3 bloodfins, and the seller didn't want to take it out
> and try to catch them again). I live in Hull, quebec, so my water is,
> from my understanding, pretty soft.
>
> I am currently getting a fair amount of algae on the windows of my
> tank that I am removing with a scrubber. Then it hit me that this
> would be a good time to add something that eats algae. (All towards a
> goal of me having to do as little as possible <grin>). In my current
> set-up, is there anything I could add that would do a pretty good job
> at eating the algae.

Otocinclus and, ramshorn or nerita snails are some options. I usually
still clean the front glass, and the algae crew is for elsewhere.

> 1. How difficult would it be to add a plant to the current set-up?? I
> only have gravel on the bottom, so would it involve a great deal of
> work to add a plant? Would this even do anything to the algae??

Adding a plant is easy. Keeping it growing will usually depend on the
type and amount of light you have. If you have fluorescent light, then
experiment with a few inexpensive plants which you find attractive.

> 2. How about a snail or a fish? We had a snail for a couple weeks, but
> it stopped moving for a couple of weeks, and then started floating, so
> it got buried at sea.

I read something about some snails having a dormant period which can last
weeks. Yours might wake up in a land fill ;~) Until the shell is empty
or they smell bad, if they are not moving, I can't tell a live snail from
a dead snail. Hull's water is a bit soft for snails, so you might add
something to leech calcium back in to harden it a bit.

NetMax

> Marcel

[Mudbunny]

Geezer From The Freezer > wrote in message >...
> I'd suggested scrubbing the algae off, doing a water change, then adding some
> plants. Elodea
> does well, and I've heard hornwort will suck up those nitrates pretty well.

I will be dropping by my LFS (the Big Al's out in the west end of
Ottawa) to pick their brains. By calling around, I have been
recommended Otto cats (sp??), which will need a piece of wood (for
what I am not sure). I will also ask them about plants, and how
difficult it would be to throw one in my current set-up seeing as how
I have no dirt, only aquarium gravel.

> On another note. Snails will sometimes float on the water surface, I saw one of
> mine
> swimming in the middle of the tank, it was quite extraordinary seeing him using
> his
> internal body (pumping in and out) to move!

Mine never really swam. He would really motor across the bottom or
sides. It was amusing watching him pick up a piece of gravel, suck it
clean, and then spit it out again. It was when he sat in the exact
same position for a week, and then floated for a while (occasionally
getting stuck to the filter in-take) that I thought he was dead.

marcel

[RedForeman ©®]

> I will be dropping by my LFS (the Big Al's out in the west end of
> Ottawa) to pick their brains. By calling around, I have been
> recommended Otto cats (sp??), which will need a piece of wood (for
> what I am not sure). I will also ask them about plants, and how
> difficult it would be to throw one in my current set-up seeing as how
> I have no dirt, only aquarium gravel.

Most, if not all suckers(pl*cos, Otos) rasp on wood for a fiber content...
some more than others... my pl*co NEEDS it.. my Otos LOVE it.... need it,
love it... just give it..

> Mine never really swam. He would really motor across the bottom or
> sides. It was amusing watching him pick up a piece of gravel, suck it
> clean, and then spit it out again. It was when he sat in the exact
> same position for a week, and then floated for a while (occasionally
> getting stuck to the filter in-take) that I thought he was dead.
>
> marcel

--
RedForeman ©® future fabricator and creator of a ratbike
streetfighter!!! ==========================
2003 TRX450ES
1992 TRX-350 XX (For Sale)
'98 Tacoma Ext Cab 4X4 Lifted....
==========================
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is that better??

[Marcel Beaudoin]

"NetMax" > wrote in news:MXwhc.15403$CO3.846589
@news20.bellglobal.com:

> Otocinclus and, ramshorn or nerita snails are some options. I usually
> still clean the front glass, and the algae crew is for elsewhere.

Well, I now have three small Otto Cats working on keepin' the glass clean.
I also have a piece of driftwood in there. Luckily, it doesn't seem to be
leaching color. Perhaps due to 1 hour of boiling and 2 hours soaking???

>> 2. How about a snail or a fish? We had a snail for a couple weeks, but
>> it stopped moving for a couple of weeks, and then started floating, so
>> it got buried at sea.
>
> I read something about some snails having a dormant period which can last
> weeks. Yours might wake up in a land fill ;~) Until the shell is empty
> or they smell bad, if they are not moving, I can't tell a live snail from
> a dead snail. Hull's water is a bit soft for snails, so you might add
> something to leech calcium back in to harden it a bit.


Ooops.

Marcel

[Marcel Beaudoin]

"RedForeman ©®" > wrote in
:

> Most, if not all suckers(pl*cos, Otos) rasp on wood for a fiber
> content... some more than others... my pl*co NEEDS it.. my Otos LOVE
> it.... need it, love it... just give it..
>

Well. Mine seem to be too busy feasting on the bounty that is the algae on
the walls to have noticed the wood. I don't know if they have even seen the
wood yet. I have to admit, the fact that they are always on the walls makes
it a lot harder to find them in the tank...

Marcel

[Mudbunny]

Marcel Beaudoin > wrote in message >...
> "NetMax" > wrote in news:MXwhc.15403$CO3.846589
> @news20.bellglobal.com:
>
> > Otocinclus and, ramshorn or nerita snails are some options. I usually
> > still clean the front glass, and the algae crew is for elsewhere.
>
> Well, I now have three small Otto Cats working on keepin' the glass clean.
> I also have a piece of driftwood in there. Luckily, it doesn't seem to be
> leaching color. Perhaps due to 1 hour of boiling and 2 hours soaking???

Well. To update. The otto cats seem to have integrated nicely. Still
no discoloration of the water. Also, nothing changed (pH, nitrate
(ite), hardness, or buffering) between 11pm last night and this
morning. Well, one thing changed. My 3 bloodfin tetras plus the other
tatra (which is more orangish, not whitish as in my previous post)
have started swimming together more.

Marcel

[Mudbunny]

Marcel Beaudoin > wrote in message >...
> "NetMax" > wrote in news:MXwhc.15403$CO3.846589
> @news20.bellglobal.com:
>
> > Otocinclus and, ramshorn or nerita snails are some options. I usually
> > still clean the front glass, and the algae crew is for elsewhere.
>
> Well, I now have three small Otto Cats working on keepin' the glass clean.
> I also have a piece of driftwood in there. Luckily, it doesn't seem to be
> leaching color. Perhaps due to 1 hour of boiling and 2 hours soaking???

Well. To update. The otto cats seem to have integrated nicely. Still
no discoloration of the water. Also, nothing changed (pH, nitrate
(ite), hardness, or buffering) between 11pm last night and this
morning. Well, one thing changed. My 3 bloodfin tetras plus the other
tatra (which is more orangish, not whitish as in my previous post)
have started swimming together more.

Marcel