I want to get a pleco fish ( the fishies that eat algae off the side of your tank) but i don't know if it would have enough food. Right now I have only one beta fish and I havent cleaned the tank in about three months. There is a film of green algae on the side. I was wondering if the pleco would eat alot of algae fast or if this supply of food would replenish itself faster than the pleco can eat it...........if the pleco would eat this and fast, is there like a type of food you can buy at a store to feed the pleco until more algae grows?
2007-11-24 14:18:47 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
They make Pleco food-it's green algae tablets you drop in (one a day or so) that gets soft and the Plecos eat them. Plecos are SO cool! I used to have a 55 gal tank with 2 Plecos. One got about 8" long & I traded him for a baby one.
2007-11-24 14:36:03 · answer #1 · answered by wi_mbr 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your plecostumous has plenty of food. There doesn't even have to be visible algae in the tank for it to eat. You might even want to get another if you have that much. ANd if your still worried about food walmart, meijers and any pet store with fish carries algae disks (or pleco food ) I have put a pleco in my tank a week after starting it and it is still alive a year later.
2007-11-24 23:42:21 · answer #2 · answered by craig e 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, if your betta is in a 55 gallon tank with a filter to match I'd say a pleco would be a good idea. Anything smaller and it's not going to work out.
It's really easy to clean the algae off the sides of the tank. Just get one of those little magnetic scrubbers. One side goes in the tank and one side stays outside. You don't even have to get your hands wet. Three months is an awfully long time to go without cleaning your tank. I'm sure you know that.
If you really, really just have to have a little algae eater in there I would recommend an otocinclus. Make sure you have proper filtration and a heater. Also make sure your water levels are up to snuff before you plop the little guy in there. Otos are pretty sensitive to poor water conditions.
2007-11-24 22:43:31 · answer #3 · answered by Corinne 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
What size tank are you working with?
I'd advise against buying anything to use as a live-in janitor for your tank. The various suckermouthed catfish that enjoy an algae snack from time to time are not going to keep your tank algae-free and will compete with your existing fish for foods. If you want to buy one of these guys, buy it because it's a unique fish that you'll enjoy (as with your other fish).
For a small tank (in the 5-30 gallon range), otocinclus catfish or snails would work at keeping some of the algae at bay, but you'll have to roll up your sleeves and scrub most of it off by hand. I usually do this in my tanks just before waterchanges so I can vaccuum up the algae spores along with the rest of my waste water.
To discourage algae growth, there are a few things you can do:
* Don't leave your lights on for prolonged periods of time. Consider putting your aquarium lights on a timer so that it will cut on or off automatically. I try simulate day and night with my tanks. The light is on from about 10am until about 10pm.
* Don't feed your fish more than they can consume within 3-5 minutes. Whatever isn't eaten and isn't removed from the tank by hand will decompose in the water and become a food source for nuisance algae.
* Add live plants to your tank. Live plants will compete with algae for food sources. Nuisance algae won't be able to compete with the live plants and will starve. It's important to keep in mind, though, that many aquarium plants have specific lighting needs. If you buy a plant, make sure that it will tolerate your current lighting. Java moss does very well in low light and it doesn't need to be potted, so there's an easy plant for consideration.
2007-11-25 01:22:54 · answer #4 · answered by Quiet Tempest 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
so many people buy plecs to keep the algae away, and whilst they help to keep a tank algae free, it is cruel and you will have a less healthy fish if that is your sole reason for having a plec. All fish thrive on a varied healthy diet, and plecs are no exception. feed the plecs as you would other fish, and take 5 minutes to clean the algae yourself.its thats too much effort, you shouldnt have fish. in fact, if you havent cleaned your tank for 3 months and you have algae growth, perhaps you would be better suited to a pet brick.......very low maintenance
2007-11-24 23:42:12 · answer #5 · answered by british_soldier2 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
yes,you can buy algae discs from walmart or almost any pet store that has fish,and sometimes they eat left over food on bottom of tank(still buy algae discs)
2007-11-24 22:37:43 · answer #6 · answered by Adrian B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleco
2007-11-24 22:34:18 · answer #7 · answered by tronary 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋