Picky Pleco

I havea Rubber-Lipped Pleco that I bought for abrown algae problem.
It took a day or two, but he quickly raced through it all. Now, I've
developed a green algae outbreak and he does not seem to have nay
interest. Is that typical of plecos? Do I need another kiind of
algae eater for the green strain, or is this one just finicky?

Thanks!

"A. Scott" wrote in message
news
I havea Rubber-Lipped Pleco that I bought for abrown algae problem.
It took a day or two, but he quickly raced through it all. Now, I've
developed a green algae outbreak and he does not seem to have nay
interest. Is that typical of plecos? Do I need another kiind of
algae eater for the green strain, or is this one just finicky?

Thanks!

If your tank was big enough, you could have a crew of algae eaters,
(shrimps, plecs, flagfish, CAEs, SAEs, Mollies, Otos, nerita snails ..
etc) and you wouldn't have to worry about algae again. Otherwise, each
of these creatures usually has a limited menu of algae they will consume.
Generally, it's very easy to determine what types they will not eat.
It's the type you're left with ;~).

You can sometimes coax them into eating their 2nd choice by holding off
on supplements a bit (zucchini, algae wafers etc), but watch their
colours don't go off, or their stomach goes concave (signs of
starvation). Otherwise, add another member of the algae crew (which one
depends on the size of the tank-mates).

NetMax

If your tank was big enough, you could have a crew of algae eaters,
(shrimps, plecs, flagfish, CAEs, SAEs, Mollies, Otos, nerita snails ..
etc) and you wouldn't have to worry about algae again. Otherwise,
each of these creatures usually has a limited menu of algae they will
consume. Generally, it's very easy to determine what types they will
not eat. It's the type you're left with ;~).

NetMax, what's this snail you've been pushing the last few days? Nerita
Snail? Got any pics, info?

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...21&pCatId=1076 is
all I found

--
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streetfighter!!! ==========================
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1992 TRX-350 XX (For Sale)
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is that better??

"RedForeman ©®" wrote in message
...
If your tank was big enough, you could have a crew of algae eaters,
(shrimps, plecs, flagfish, CAEs, SAEs, Mollies, Otos, nerita snails
...
etc) and you wouldn't have to worry about algae again. Otherwise,
each of these creatures usually has a limited menu of algae they will
consume. Generally, it's very easy to determine what types they will
not eat. It's the type you're left with ;~).

NetMax, what's this snail you've been pushing the last few days? Nerita
Snail? Got any pics, info?


http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...21&pCatId=1076
is
all I found
--
RedForeman ©®
snip

Of course ) I can see that you're in dire need of _much_ better links.
How about:
http://members.aol.com/Mkohl2/Neritidae.html
and
http://perso.infonie.be/pomacea/neri...alensis_uk.htm

Like a kid in a candy store, I order everything (includes weird stuff),
so when I saw a listing for Dwarf African Striped snails, I bought some.
They were somewhat unimpressive, very small compared to Apple snails,
pretty shells, but they were always hunkered down in their shell, even
when moving. Another weird habit is they park out of water for long
periods of time. They slowly sold as a novelty until a fellow comes in,
notices my last 6, informs me that I'm the only store in Ottawa that has
had them in 10 years, and buys them all. Apparently these snails do not
eat plant matter but they do eat algae. I was not about to argue with
someone with deeply held convictions, so I later ordered more.

The same pattern repeats (novelty sales) until a fellow who keeps African
cichlids comes in, notices them and buys all I have left (6 or 7, iirc).
He tells me that they are immune from cichlid attacks because they don't
come out of their shell, and they are good scavengers (uneaten food &
algae).

Now I'm getting more interested.. (you don't have to hit me on the head
more than twice to get my attention ;~), a snail which works in planted
tanks AND in African tanks, which doesn't eat plants, doesn't get eaten,
doesn't seem to multiply, is a bottom scavenger and eats algae! Could
this be the snail for aquarium nirvana? It's still kind of ugly, odd
and does weird things, but for such good behaviour, I can overlook all
that.

NetMax (never a short answer that you can't string along ;~)

You left out the link to the store where you purchased them. Tracy


"NetMax" wrote in message
.. .

"RedForeman ©®" wrote in message
...
If your tank was big enough, you could have a crew of algae eaters,
(shrimps, plecs, flagfish, CAEs, SAEs, Mollies, Otos, nerita snails
..
etc) and you wouldn't have to worry about algae again. Otherwise,
each of these creatures usually has a limited menu of algae they will
consume. Generally, it's very easy to determine what types they will
not eat. It's the type you're left with ;~).

NetMax, what's this snail you've been pushing the last few days? Nerita
Snail? Got any pics, info?


http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...21&pCatId=1076
is
all I found
--
RedForeman ©®
snip

Of course ) I can see that you're in dire need of _much_ better links.
How about:
http://members.aol.com/Mkohl2/Neritidae.html
and
http://perso.infonie.be/pomacea/neri...alensis_uk.htm

Like a kid in a candy store, I order everything (includes weird stuff),
so when I saw a listing for Dwarf African Striped snails, I bought some.
They were somewhat unimpressive, very small compared to Apple snails,
pretty shells, but they were always hunkered down in their shell, even
when moving. Another weird habit is they park out of water for long
periods of time. They slowly sold as a novelty until a fellow comes in,
notices my last 6, informs me that I'm the only store in Ottawa that has
had them in 10 years, and buys them all. Apparently these snails do not
eat plant matter but they do eat algae. I was not about to argue with
someone with deeply held convictions, so I later ordered more.

The same pattern repeats (novelty sales) until a fellow who keeps African
cichlids comes in, notices them and buys all I have left (6 or 7, iirc).
He tells me that they are immune from cichlid attacks because they don't
come out of their shell, and they are good scavengers (uneaten food &
algae).

Now I'm getting more interested.. (you don't have to hit me on the head
more than twice to get my attention ;~), a snail which works in planted
tanks AND in African tanks, which doesn't eat plants, doesn't get eaten,
doesn't seem to multiply, is a bottom scavenger and eats algae! Could
this be the snail for aquarium nirvana? It's still kind of ugly, odd
and does weird things, but for such good behaviour, I can overlook all
that.

NetMax (never a short answer that you can't string along ;~)

"Tracy Bass" wrote in message
...
You left out the link to the store where you purchased them. Tracy

I purchase them for the LFS I work for (and we don't sell on-line), and I
get them from Singapore through a trans-shipper (who doesn't sell to the
public), so I don't have a link which would help you.

Should I start selling stuff on-line? Snails & plants would be easy,
anywhere across Canada, but crossing the borders, or selling fish would
make me nervous.

In any case, with the common name (Striped African snail) or the latin
name (in the subject bar) you might be able to locate them locally to
you.

An odd characteristic, they almost always have chipped shells (another
annoying feature) but a regular customer tells me that they heal over, so
if you see chips, just pick one with the least damage. I'm not sure what
their ideal water parameters are. They are listed as African riverine
(soft acidic water) but they are freshwater adapted marine invaders (hard
alkaline water), so no clues there.

NetMax

big snip

"NetMax" wrote in message
"RedForeman ©®" wrote in message
NetMax, what's this snail you've been pushing the last few days? Nerita
Snail? Got any pics, info?
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...21&pCatId=1076
is
all I found
--
RedForeman ©®
snip

Of course ) I can see that you're in dire need of _much_ better links.
How about:
http://members.aol.com/Mkohl2/Neritidae.html
and
http://perso.infonie.be/pomacea/neri...alensis_uk.htm

Like a kid in a candy store, I order everything (includes weird stuff),
so when I saw a listing for Dwarf African Striped snails, I bought some.
They were somewhat unimpressive, very small compared to Apple snails,
pretty shells, but they were always hunkered down in their shell, even
when moving. Another weird habit is they park out of water for long
periods of time. They slowly sold as a novelty until a fellow comes in,
notices my last 6, informs me that I'm the only store in Ottawa that has
had them in 10 years, and buys them all. Apparently these snails do not
eat plant matter but they do eat algae. I was not about to argue with
someone with deeply held convictions, so I later ordered more.

The same pattern repeats (novelty sales) until a fellow who keeps African
cichlids comes in, notices them and buys all I have left (6 or 7, iirc).
He tells me that they are immune from cichlid attacks because they don't
come out of their shell, and they are good scavengers (uneaten food &
algae).

Now I'm getting more interested.. (you don't have to hit me on the head
more than twice to get my attention ;~), a snail which works in planted
tanks AND in African tanks, which doesn't eat plants, doesn't get eaten,
doesn't seem to multiply, is a bottom scavenger and eats algae! Could
this be the snail for aquarium nirvana? It's still kind of ugly, odd
and does weird things, but for such good behaviour, I can overlook all
that.

NetMax (never a short answer that you can't string along ;~)

you ARE da man... but you already know that huh? Thanks....