freshwater plants question

Tara Legale wrote:

"Reel McKoi" wrote
You may want to think about trading him in for a few otos aka otocinclus
(sp?) . They stay small and eat only algae.


Thank you for the tip. I live in Wisconsin and I'll call Foster & Smith
tomorrow and see if they have them in their local store to buy. I have a
co-worker at work with a tank, I can probably bring the Pleco there as I'm
sure F&S won't trade it.


As someone else said, be sure you have some algae, although I have seen mine
feed on algae wafers. I guess it's a case of some will, some won't.

You may or may not ever see the otos. Even with 4 or more, mine tend to hide
and only come out when it's really dark. In other tanks, I've had them come
out in the daytime.

Also, be aware that otos are infamous for dying with no reason.

I got some albino cory catfish for my 40G and they stay active most of the
time. They don't eat algae, but they do keep the bottom clean of uneaten
food. And since they're white, I can find them :-).

--
It's turtles, all the way down

Larry Blanchard wrote in
:

Tara Legale wrote:

"Reel McKoi" wrote
You may want to think about trading him in for a few otos aka
otocinclus (sp?) . They stay small and eat only algae.


Thank you for the tip. I live in Wisconsin and I'll call Foster &
Smith tomorrow and see if they have them in their local store to buy.
I have a co-worker at work with a tank, I can probably bring the
Pleco there as I'm sure F&S won't trade it.


As someone else said, be sure you have some algae, although I have
seen mine feed on algae wafers. I guess it's a case of some will,
some won't.

You may or may not ever see the otos. Even with 4 or more, mine tend
to hide and only come out when it's really dark. In other tanks, I've
had them come out in the daytime.

Also, be aware that otos are infamous for dying with no reason.


I have otos in a 10 gal, and they do well on cleaning the glass. Others
I have heard prefer the flying fox as a more durable algae eater than
otos. My LFS has a source for robust otos, it seems.
In another tank with a thread algae issue, I recently tried a trio of
amano shrimp. Holy Cow! Do those guys love thread algae. They had the
tank tidied up in a week and a half. I haven't had an issue with algae
on the glass in that tank, so I'm not certian if they're helpful there or
not. So long as your tank doesn't have invert predators, and you have a
separate hospital tank for your fish (inverts don't tend to hold up well
when you medicate a tank), I'd look into them.

DaveZ

On Mar 16, 11:05�am, atomweaver wrote:
Larry Blanchard wrote :





Tara Legale wrote:

"Reel McKoi" wrote
You may want to think about trading him in for a few otos aka
otocinclus (sp?) . *They stay small and eat only algae.

Thank you for the tip. *I live in Wisconsin and I'll call Foster &
Smith tomorrow and see if they have them in their local store to buy.
* I have a co-worker at work with a tank, I can probably bring the
Pleco there as I'm sure F&S won't trade it.

As someone else said, be sure you have some algae, although I have
seen mine feed on algae wafers. *I guess it's a case of some will,
some won't.

You may or may not ever see the otos. *Even with 4 or more, mine tend
to hide and only come out when it's really dark. *In other tanks, I've
had them come out in the daytime.

Also, be aware that otos are infamous for dying with no reason.

I have otos in a 10 gal, and they do well on cleaning the glass. *Others
I have heard prefer the flying fox as a more durable algae eater than
otos. *My LFS has a source for robust otos, it seems.
* In another tank with a thread algae issue, I recently tried a trio of
amano shrimp. *Holy Cow! *Do those guys love thread algae. *They had the
tank tidied up in a week and a half. *I haven't had an issue with algae
on the glass in that tank, so I'm not certian if they're helpful there or
not. So long as your tank doesn't have invert predators, and you have a
separate hospital tank for your fish (inverts don't tend to hold up well
when you medicate a tank), I'd look into them.

DaveZ- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I *loved* my Amano Shrimp. However, after setting up a larger tank for
my 6 yr old male Betta to have for himself, they decided to climb up
and out of this tank. The top was set up differently and the cord
fromt he heater is thicker and made a space.
One morning after waking my daughter for school we walked past the
tanks and she said OOO....somethig's ont he floor Ma, it looks like a
dead shrimp. = O Oh no! It was. So sad. All crispy. I later found
it's buddy dried inside the cabinet (I have a few Betta tanks inside
the cabinet of my 75g).
I loved those little dudes. They did such a great job on algae
control. They kept it gone, that's for sure. They kept my baby Java
fern's completely clean without ever harming them.
The only shop I could get them at has recently closed down (I just
found this out yesterday).
What a bummer it was to lose them. = /

"Tynk" wrote I have otos in a 10 gal, and they do well on
cleaning the glass. Others
I *loved* my Amano Shrimp.


Do the amano Shrimp eat plants?

Tara Legale wrote:
"Tynk" wrote I have otos in a 10 gal, and they do well on
cleaning the glass. Others
I *loved* my Amano Shrimp.


Do the amano Shrimp eat plants?



No, just algae although your goldie might say thanks for the
snack....but like the otos they are tropical.....are you sure your plec
didn't just uproot the vals and the goldie then ate them? I've never
known my plecs to eat my plants although I have seen them uproot them
from time to time.....

Gill

"Gill Passman" wrote
No, just algae although your goldie might say thanks for the snack....but
like the otos they are tropical.....are you sure your plec didn't just
uproot the vals and the goldie then ate them? I've never known my plecs to
eat my plants although I have seen them uproot them from time to time.....

My goldie has never eaten a plant. I watched the pleco go from plant to
plant and scrap the vals like corn on the cob. By the time I got home today
the vals are so transparent, like tracing paper (except the lower stems). I
took them out and they are in a vase of water in light... not sure if they
will grow like that though. Right now I just have the 2 sword plants which
are very thick, and he is on that plant working every leaf, but I don't see
any damage (yet). Plus I have the two onions. I'm waiting to see if he
ruins the swords or not. Then I can either place another plant order, or
replace the pleco. Not sure yet. The place I bought the plants from
suggested java fern because they taste bad, and more onions, and possibly
anubias (not sure the spelling) because of their thick leaves.

But I bet you sure do make up eating what your goldie does not
eat.....ya little hog!

On Fri, 16 Mar 2007 23:57:53 GMT, "Tara Legale"
wrote:

"Gill Passman" wrote
No, just algae although your goldie might say thanks for the snack....but
like the otos they are tropical.....are you sure your plec didn't just
uproot the vals and the goldie then ate them? I've never known my plecs to
eat my plants although I have seen them uproot them from time to time.....

My goldie has never eaten a plant. I watched the pleco go from plant to
plant and scrap the vals like corn on the cob. By the time I got home today
the vals are so transparent, like tracing paper (except the lower stems). I
took them out and they are in a vase of water in light... not sure if they
will grow like that though. Right now I just have the 2 sword plants which
are very thick, and he is on that plant working every leaf, but I don't see
any damage (yet). Plus I have the two onions. I'm waiting to see if he
ruins the swords or not. Then I can either place another plant order, or
replace the pleco. Not sure yet. The place I bought the plants from
suggested java fern because they taste bad, and more onions, and possibly
anubias (not sure the spelling) because of their thick leaves.




-------
I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know!

"Tara Legale" wrote in message
...
Thank you for your comments Larry. I may look into a little less light.


look into a cheap DIY yeast CO2 system.
It really is incredible how plants can grow with that bit of extra co2.
If you have never tried it, I'd say have a look.
do it cheap and if not for you, then no loss, but co2 is kinda cool if ya
have enuf light to benefit from it.

I used to buy the plant, only to dissolve them and die off my 120L tanks. Better lighting and booming Excel, combined with a better choice plants on line to buy a miracle. Algae has all but disappeared. I did a 15% changes each week, skipping one in every four weeks. Less water exchange better plants, more bad fish. This is about finding balance your installation.

Some types of floating plants to provide food in an aquarium of fish in some herbivores. These plants can also reduce the light intensity of the tank, it can be a good thing or a bad thing depends on the type of fish and plant growth as follows.