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03-17-2008, 06:54 PM
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#1 (permalink)
| | Plankton
Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Avon, Indiana Age: 23
Posts: 20
Karma: 9
 |  Plecostomus question
Hi everyone. I hope there are enough freshwater people out there to help me!! I have a 36 gallon corner fish tank. I have 3 tiger barbs, 2 danios, 3 gouramis, a knight goby, and a plecostomus. We got the pleco because after about 3 weeks or so the back glass was so dirty with algae, that you couldn't even see the reflection of the plants. It wasnt green algae, it was white, looking in on it. He got rid of all the algae in a matter of a couple of days. Anyway, I have found out by reading things on the internet that my pleco will definately outgrow my tank. Is there anything else that I could put in my tank to help with the algae? Eventually, we may have to either sell the pleco when he gets too big, or just give him to someone with a big tank. I really like him and don't want to give him away, but I dont want him to feel cramped. Plus, I think he is really contributing to my extremely HIGH levels of ammonia, even though the water is clear and all my fish look fine and are at the appropriate levels of the tank (gouramis at mid to top level, goby mid to low level, danios mid level, pleco bottom, and barbs mid to low level.) I would appreciate any help on this!! Thanks!!  | 
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03-17-2008, 07:04 PM
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#2 (permalink)
| | Flamingo Tongue
Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Beatrice, NE
Posts: 110
 
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My pleco shares a 55 with an oscar, been there two years now and he just got to a decent size and never got bigger so everything works fine. They are crappin machines though.
_________
In the process of building --
55 gallon display, 10 gallon sump, letterbox fuge, 260 W odyssea pc lighting, to be continued... | |
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03-22-2008, 01:49 PM
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#3 (permalink)
| | 3reef Sponsor
Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: California
Posts: 100
Karma: 145
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Well, if your aquarium is only 3 days or around a week old, then the ammonia is due to the aquarium still being in its cycling stage (this will take around 4-8 weeks to complete depending on your filtration system). Add something like cycle / stability, to help with the cycle, and do 25%-50% water changes w/o touching your filtration media 1-2 time a week.As you already have too many fish for a new system, thats the best regiment for keeping the cycle going and preventing fish death. You can also run things like chemi-pure filters and/or polyfilters to help with those waste levels.
as for different species. I would recommend chinese algae eaters, golden algae eaters, dwarf plecos such as bristle nose plecos, and horse face loaches. There are also otocinclus, which are great, but they max out at 1" and wouldnt mix too well with semi-aggressive fish like gouramis and tiger barbs. | |
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03-22-2008, 01:58 PM
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#4 (permalink)
| | Purple Spiny Lobster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 470
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Pleco will get certainly get big but it will take him some time to do it. He should be okay in a 36 for quite some time. Enjoy him and when it comes time take him to you LFS and trade him for another one.
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I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory.--Unknown
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.--Unknown
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03-22-2008, 02:15 PM
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#5 (permalink)
| | Fire Shrimp
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 314
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Not all Plecos will out grow your tank, keep looking around. Also, even the ones that get big, you can put to work for a few years then put them up for adoption when they grow too. big.
My Chineese algae eater in 12 months old and is still only 2.5 " long and very small. I suspect the same would be true after 3 years. He is a good eater and doesn't bother anyone right now.
Plenty of small ones out there. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...cfm?pCatId=998 Tropical Fish for Freshwater Aquariums: Candy Stripe Pleco (L-137) Tropical Fish for Freshwater Aquariums: Tiger Pleco (L-02)
\Cheers
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Tank Stuff:
46Gal, 1 AC110, CPR Skimmer, VA Reactor, CL t5 ho 4 x 60 w w/lunar lights , 50 lbs LR, 60lbs LS
FISH:
1 Coral Beauty, 1 Flame Angel, 1 Flame Hawk, 1 Clown Goby, 1 Damsel, 2 Chomis, 1 Black Sailfin Blenny, 1 Royal Gramma
CORAL:
Mushrooms, Anemone, Feather Dusters
INVERT:
hermits different kinds, 2 turbos, 4 Nassarius Snail , Bumblebee, Banded Coral Shrimp, 2 Emeralds, 1 Sally Lightfoot
Params:
Temp 78, PH 8.3, Alk 2.9, Ca 480, Sg 1.023, Dkh 10, Mg 1400, Am .15, N2 .5, N3 10, P4 .05 | |
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03-22-2008, 02:32 PM
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#6 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Meriden, Connecticut Age: 43
Posts: 3,864
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What kind of Pleco are you talking about?
Clowns, Bristlenose and Gold Nuggets stay rather small! _________ 125gal.w/Mag9.5 return(dual megaflow)>Mag7 pump Aqua Cev180skimmer.Wave2k Hamilton Reefstar(2)250watthqi(mh)pend.a Yellow, Naso Tang Red Lip Blenny Percula Clown Demoiselles Niger Trigger F. Wrasses Ceriantharia Orn.Shrimp and Stars Hermits Queen Conch asst. snails> Stars Zoos shrooms Montipora Brains Gorgonians Favia Turbinaria(large+small polyp) Acropora Xenia Tridacna (CroceaMaximaSquamosa) Leathers <35+75gal.reef tank as well> 
"IF THE PHONE DOESN'T RING...IT'S ME"  jb  | |
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03-22-2008, 02:37 PM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Spanish Shawl Nudibranch
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 83
Karma: 3
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I had a pleco for about 18 years that just died a few months ago. He was about 1' 6" long. He'd had many different tank mates over the years too. He fit pretty comfortably in the 30 gallon for all those years. | |
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03-22-2008, 03:48 PM
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#8 (permalink)
| | Skunk Shrimp
Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: monterey...cali Age: 25
Posts: 274
Karma: 118
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with a 36 gal you should be kool with the pleco for good long time, but he wont eat algea for ever as they get bigger they need more. my last pleco was eating the feeders for my clown knife.
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29 gal/ 10gal refugium with more things then I have space to list.
with a 7gal sea horse tank slowly in the works | |
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03-22-2008, 06:02 PM
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#9 (permalink)
| | Caribbean Reef Squid
Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: ohio Age: 32
Posts: 2,879
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I had my pleco in a 20 for a long time until I gave him away. Never had any problems.... Did feed him zuchinni.....
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5.5 gal, 72w of pcs, 2 leds, rio nano skimmer, 40 gal hob filter, 50w visi-therm heater, 5pds lr, 1 inch live sand bed, 1 true perc ,1 porcelain crab, tuxedo urchin, 1 pep shrimp, 1 lge turbo , 3 cerith, 1 astrea, 1 nassaruis snails, rd/blue blastos, neon grn bali slimer acro, ROB, 1 grn 1 purple tipped frogspawns, feather duster, purple, and orange rics, monti's, duncans, grn polyps, cndycane corals, shrooms, zoa's, blue clove polyps, purple death pallys and grn star plyps. | |
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03-22-2008, 06:32 PM
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#10 (permalink)
| | Astrea Snail
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 57
Karma: 134
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I agree with others. I have 2 bristlenose plecos and they are great. They max out at around 5" and take care of any algae growing. I also have a candy stripe in another tank and love it also. | |
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