common plec with mbunas?

Hi all. I recently started a beginner's mbuna cichlid tank containing 2 psudotropheus socolofi (1m1f) and a maylandia estherae and happen to have a plecostomus remaining. I've noticed that all of a sudden the tank seems to be sparkling more than ever and that the plecostomus seems to be working harder for food. turning over rocks more and scarfing down algea tabs I have now started to provide. Are mbuna really that good of algea eaters that the plec needs to go? Or is it possible to keep him there at all?

Everyone seems to be getting along well including 6 ghost shrimp I also left within. The tank is small (30g) and I will be upgrading soon enough I hope! Filtration is whisper and not undergravel.

I'm also considering a convict or two if plausible.

I'm having concerns about feeding as well since they seem to be bottom dwellers and race to the surface infrequently and too fast to even notice food is floating. I've tried flakes and now pellets even. It takes them 10 minutes to see the pellets...is this normal?

Another concern: I'm also crazy about convicts and wonder if it is completely out of the question to place them in an mbuna tank...even if I choose docile mbunas.

Thanks for reading and I'll appreciate your input! Be kind tho! I'm a newbie and I'm sure you can tell!

I have a 55 gal tank w/ 3 Mbuna, a N. venustus, and a M. auratus. My pleco
has had enough to eat to grow to 8' so far. I've never had to supplement
algae wafers, though he does enjoy zucs and cucs which I feed the Cichlids.

P.S. Maylandia estherae is actually Metriaclima estherae, which I suspect
may incite a hot debate.



--
"The task is not so much to see what no one yet has seen, but to think what
no body yet has thought about that which everyone sees."

Schopenhaeur (1788 - 1860).


"charliebrowniee" wrote
in message .com...

Hi all. I recently started a beginner's mbuna cichlid tank containing 2
psudotropheus socolofi (1m1f) and a maylandia estherae and happen to
have a plecostomus remaining. I've noticed that all of a sudden the
tank seems to be sparkling more than ever and that the plecostomus
seems to be working harder for food. turning over rocks more and
scarfing down algea tabs I have now started to provide. Are mbuna
really that good of algea eaters that the plec needs to go? Or is it
possible to keep him there at all?

Everyone seems to be getting along well including 6 ghost shrimp I also
left within. The tank is small (30g) and I will be upgrading soon
enough I hope! Filtration is whisper and not undergravel.

I'm also considering a convict or two if plausible.

I'm having concerns about feeding as well since they seem to be bottom
dwellers and race to the surface infrequently and too fast to even
notice food is floating. I've tried flakes and now pellets even. It
takes them 10 minutes to see the pellets...is this normal?

Another concern: I'm also crazy about convicts and wonder if it is
completely out of the question to place them in an mbuna tank...even if
I choose docile mbunas.

Thanks for reading and I'll appreciate your input! Be kind tho! I'm a
newbie and I'm sure you can tell!


--
charliebrowniee

charliebrowniee wrote:
Hi all. I recently started a beginner's mbuna cichlid tank containing 2
psudotropheus socolofi (1m1f) and a maylandia estherae and happen to
have a plecostomus remaining. I've noticed that all of a sudden the
tank seems to be sparkling more than ever and that the plecostomus
seems to be working harder for food. turning over rocks more and
scarfing down algea tabs I have now started to provide. Are mbuna
really that good of algea eaters that the plec needs to go? Or is it
possible to keep him there at all?

Everyone seems to be getting along well including 6 ghost shrimp I also
left within. The tank is small (30g) and I will be upgrading soon
enough I hope! Filtration is whisper and not undergravel.

I'm also considering a convict or two if plausible.

I'm having concerns about feeding as well since they seem to be bottom
dwellers and race to the surface infrequently and too fast to even
notice food is floating. I've tried flakes and now pellets even. It
takes them 10 minutes to see the pellets...is this normal?

Another concern: I'm also crazy about convicts and wonder if it is
completely out of the question to place them in an mbuna tank...even if
I choose docile mbunas.

Thanks for reading and I'll appreciate your input! Be kind tho! I'm a
newbie and I'm sure you can tell!


I have always had good luck with my mixed mbuna tanks keeping rocks, etc
clean, but I find they don't do a very good job with the 'open' glass.
The glass on the rear of the tank with a decorative 'glasscape' taped to
the outside of the tank is ok, but the other three sides don't get
touched by them. This is where my small pleco's do a great job.


--
G.D.Smith
Harpers Ferry, WV

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