Fish?!

[keet_tweet4]

I need an algae-eating fish for my guppy aquarium.

I asked at the store where I got them and my friend who works there told me that plecos would be good. But plecos grow too big and, besides which, they are hideous (according to my mum. "Your tank is so pretty, why would you put something that ugly into it?!"). She said there was another type of fish which stayed small and was good with guppies...in fact, they kept them with their guppies. She forgot the name, but they had none ATM anyways. (a couple weeks before they had some, it was adorable, but my tank was still cycling so I couldn't get anything) They haven't had any of these magical dream fish for weeks. I thought of looking at other stores, but since I didn't know the name, it would be hard.

So I did some Googling ("Algae-eating fish with guppies") and I found something called an Otocinclus. I did an image search for that and they looked similar to what I had seen before. :S So, my question is...are these things good with guppies? Or has Google betrayed me?

[Goldielover]

Yes, they'd be good for the job. They do like the company of other otos, so hopefully your tank is big enough to accomodate several. They're very peaceful, and won't view your guppies as a snack.:) They can be a little fragile, especially at first, and optimum water quality is definitely required. You mentioned cycling your tank, which is great. Do you do water quality readings on it? Ammonia and nitrites should both be at zero, and nitrates should be present but minimal. There is a site called otocinclus.com for lots of information about how to keep these fish.

[keet_tweet4]

Thank you for replying. I cycled my tank for about a month before I added my guppies. I'm going to start doing the water readings, I need to get one of those testing kits.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/CatfishesPIX/Loricariids/Otocinclus_U1AQ.jpg

I'm looking at those sites right now. They are really cute. I just came back from the store, and they still have none. :( The plecos were there, though, and they are uglier than ever since they're bigger now. Their ugliness is sort of reassuring, though. "The plecos are ugly, just as it should be, God is in his heaven and all is right with the world" or however it goes. ;)

I saw something cute that looked like one but it was a Chinese Algae-Eater, which are apparently evil and suck the slime off your fish or something. LOL

[tstmard]

Ghost shrimp and snails are supposed to be good at cleaning tanks too.

[tstmard]

The plecos were there, though, and they are uglier than ever since they're bigger now. Their ugliness is sort of reassuring, though. "The plecos are ugly, just as it should be, God is in his heaven and all is right with the world" or however it goes. ;)

Plecos aren't ugly.:( I love my plecos. I think they're cool looking, although my husband does think they are ugly.:rolleyes: Although the bushy nose ones or whatever they're call are kinda ugly. I'd never have one.

[Ciisea]

What about a apple snail? They do a good job at eating algae. :)

[keet_tweet4]

Snails are nice, I've never really thought about them...maybe I'll read some more about them.

About plecos - The spotted ones are okay but the black ones are hideous!

Do they really grow this big? I read only some kinds do...but still, it's scary!

http://www.thejump.net/id/more-fish/Black-Adonis-Pleco.jpg
http://www.bowfinanglers.com/images/nickv_pleco_072806.jpg
http://www.mycity.co.yu/uploads/733_383984366_common_pleco2.jpg

[absolutangel]

I like plecos too, don't think they're ugly.

The issue we used to have with snails is the rate at which they multiply, we had a few and ended up with loads. I suppose this could vary depending on the type of snail but don't know much more on the subject.

[rachelle83]

Wow, that's huge. None of mine ever got that big, but then again, I never had a tank where they could grow that much. I loved my snails! They were awesome, but they mainly just cleaned the plants, not the sides of the tank.

[Goldielover]

Not all species grow that big, but most do grow too big for the smaller tanks. Even the bristlenose pleco, which is one of the smaller varieties, needs a minimum tank size of 20 gallons.

Apple snails can grow huge - up to the size of a baseball. A bit big for a smaller tank when they're fully grown.

Some of the other snail species can become an outright pest in the aquarium. They reproduce like mad, and can take over an entire tank. You've sometimes got to get a little hard hearted and cull them.

[tstmard]

I know as a kid we got those little brown ones like crazy in our tanks and we'd squish them against the glass and the fish loved it they thought it was a treat. But my snails clean everything in my tanks, the sides, the fake plants, just about everything. That would be cool to have a snail grow that big. I SO need to get a bigger tank. But need to get into buying a house first. Tried to talk my DH into a 45 gallon tank the other day and he said no, so told him I needed a 2 1/2 gallon tank and he said we don't need anymore tanks. But I'll convince him somehow on the 45, maybe the next time he has a really nice check. I'm always able to work out some deal eventually with him.

[prettybird1212]

I once had some snails, and by the end of the month, we ended up getting rid of the tank because there was nothing but snails, all you could see were snails snailsa floating through the water :eek:

[DeBree420]

personally i would definitely go the Otto (Ottocinclus) but you will need a group of at least 4 for them to be happy... what size tank is it?
the photo you posted first was a 'Zebra Otto' we cant get them here in Oz and im soooo jealous! Ottos are one of my fave fish, because they are just so peaceful and useful! i dont think i can name another single placid fish that will still be interested in algae when it becomes an adult, even the CAE(chinese algae eaters) becomes interested in other food when it matures! i would steer away from CAE they can get as big as a bristlenose catfish (plec- even though they are not a plecostomus) and as they age, they get aggressive, they will hang on the sides of fish and suck off their slime coat making them susceptible to disease if they don't in fact kill the fish themselves...
bristlenose are great, but again only the juvies are all that interested in cleaning your tank...

dont get snails to do tank cleaning, most of the time they wont clean the tank, but they will give that illusion to someone who overfeeds their fish (95% of us :p) as they will eat the food that is uneaten and falls to the substrate, which in turn cant rot and provide the nutrient for the algae to bloom ;)

for my tanks, if i have an algae issue, i put ottos in, the only places i dont put them, is where they might be eaten, then i use bristlenose catfish... as they are bigger and more protected... but i never expect the ottos or BN to clear the tank of algae...

if you have a snail problem, the best thing to do is go to your LFS (local pet shop) and see if you can 'borrow' a clown or Pakistani loach for a month(you will probably still have to pay for it, but see if you can get your money back when you return it) they will eradicate your snail problem!

(not directed at ANYONE, just thought i needed to say it...)
NO fish will ever just 'do the cleaning for you' i suggest always buying a magnetic glass cleaner and/or a non scratch, clean but never been soapy scourer, the kind you use to wash your dishes... fish need to be cleaned! fish may seem fine in dirty water with filthy filters, BUT they will suffer bad long term effects from it!
please clean your tanks as often as you can, doing 2 or 3 tiny waterchanges a week is so much better than a third waterchange once a week... any less than this and you would want to have some excellent filters for your fish to live long happy lives!

[Squeak_Crumble]

I used to have tropical fish (Guppies angel fish tetras etc.) And i had a gold algae eater called Treasure lol. When i got him he was about this big ( )
and then he grew to this big in a year and a half ( )
My cat was absolutely obsessed with him and he would come out and tease my cat.

[Squeak_Crumble]

Here is a picture lol:
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd279/Squeak_Crumble/100_1043.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd279/Squeak_Crumble/100_1044.jpg

[Goldielover]

Keeping your tanks away from windows can help with any algae problem too. That's been a problem for me ever since I moved into this place - even although my betta tanks are ten feet away from my living room windows, they still get enough sun to cause me problems. :(

I don't keep any cleaner type fish in my tanks - I prefer to have a scrub at the tank walls with either my long handled scrubber, or the algae mitt for the smaller tanks. I do this maybe an hour or so before doing a tank vacuum, so the debris has a chance to settle.

Agree about the frequent water changes, especially if your tank stocking is a bit high, or you have "dirty" species like goldfish. My goldies get a change every other day, while the guppy tank can get away with once a week, as that tank is understocked. On the tanks with the Aquaclear filters, I don't change all the media at once, as I don't want to upset the tank cycle. On the smaller tanks with the Penn-Plax filters, I don't have a choice, as they only have a single cartridge, but I make sure I change them at a separate time from tank vacuuming.

Surprisingly, my cats have never taken any interest in the tanks, other than as a warm place to sit. Good thing they all have sturdy canopies.:)

[trixa]

Snails are nice, I've never really thought about them...maybe I'll read some more about them.

About plecos - The spotted ones are okay but the black ones are hideous!

Do they really grow this big? I read only some kinds do...but still, it's scary!

http://www.thejump.net/id/more-fish/Black-Adonis-Pleco.jpg
http://www.bowfinanglers.com/images/nickv_pleco_072806.jpg
http://www.mycity.co.yu/uploads/733_383984366_common_pleco2.jpg

are plecos the "janitor fish"??? it kinda looks like it..
janitor fishes were televised here,.. the fishermen were having trouble fishing in a river somewhere here because gigantic janitor fishes suck all the fishes..O_O and if that is a janitor fish, i have to say they grow even bigger than that pic...:)

[keet_tweet4]

Thank you all for replying..

Thank you, my tank is currently a five gallon but I think I might upgrade it to a ten gallon. I have two unused ten gal. tanks in my basement.

I don't know if a Pleco is a janitor fish, but maybe it is...

I scrub the sides of the tank with a toothbrush until I can get something better. I'm also going to buy a vacuum thing (is that what they're called?). I'll start changing their water once a week, thank you for the advice =)

[Goldielover]

Thank you all for replying..

Thank you, my tank is currently a five gallon but I think I might upgrade it to a ten gallon. I have two unused ten gal. tanks in my basement.

I don't know if a Pleco is a janitor fish, but maybe it is...

I scrub the sides of the tank with a toothbrush until I can get something better. I'm also going to buy a vacuum thing (is that what they're called?). I'll start changing their water once a week, thank you for the advice =)

Like with bird cages, bigger is better.:) Actually, I find a five gallon one of the most awkward tanks to stock. Most species really prefer something a bit bigger. Makes a good hospital tank, though. I only have one five gallon at the moment, and it is home to a solitary betta. I'm thinking maybe its next occupants might be a couple of dwarf puffers.

[DeBree420]

a Janitor fish is a type of pleco called a Pterygoplichthys pardalis, they get to 35cm (14inches) the guys in the pikkies are different, theyre bigger plecs ;)

i hate the name 'Janitor fish' as it implies they clean a tank, they do, a little, but they are poo machines, so they waste up the tank more than they clean usually... :p

[Cdog]

I love my fish as much as my budgies. It is true, snails will eat algae and the left over food on the bottom of your tank, but some will multiply rapidly as stated earlier. Clown Loaches or loaches in general are a great defense and love to eat snails, but also get too big for most small aquariums. I have seen clown loaches over 12" in length. You could try borrowing one, but most LFS don't like to take fish back due to diseases which could effect there tanks and fish as well so you may not get your $ back? There is a lot of good info as stated earlier! Here is one of my favorite fish:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/joylynn_03/Blue0.jpg

[Will]

I like plecos too. They look really cool- not ugly.

[DeBree420]

heres my plec Garry, he is a three beacon pleco (L091)...
and worth about $600... :p
he never poses for shots, so i had to draw him lol...
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u12/DeBree420/art/gary.jpg

nice fish Cdog, is it a Texas?...
and yeah i love catfish :p...

if the tank is too small for a clown, thats where i use the Paki loaches... i actually use the pakis everywhere but the aggro tanks for a snail problem as they are better than the clowns for that...

[keet_tweet4]

My friend has like five plecos in a tank. :XD: (it's huge btw) One is gigantic. Someone gave it to her along with two goldfish. He's sort of pretty, I suppose, he's got like goldish stripes.

This is my favourite fish. He's my otocinclus and his name is Bento Box. For those who don't know, those little boxes of sushi are called bento boxes.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd224/KappaKakuro/Fish/Five%20Gallon/miscpix021Small.jpg
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd224/KappaKakuro/Fish/Five%20Gallon/miscpix010Small.jpg
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd224/KappaKakuro/Fish/Five%20Gallon/miscpix009Small.jpg
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd224/KappaKakuro/Fish/Five%20Gallon/miscpix008Small.jpg
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd224/KappaKakuro/Fish/Five%20Gallon/miscpix004Small.jpg

Ignore that evil plastic plant that keeps digging itself up...like I said, it's evil and is out to make my life miserable.

[Cdog]

heres my plec Garry, he is a three beacon pleco (L091)...
and worth about $600... :p
he never poses for shots, so i had to draw him lol...
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u12/DeBree420/art/gary.jpg

nice fish Cdog, is it a Texas?...
and yeah i love catfish :p...

if the tank is too small for a clown, thats where i use the Paki loaches... i actually use the pakis everywhere but the aggro tanks for a snail problem as they are better than the clowns for that...

Sorry for getting back to you so late. Yes it is a Texas (Carpintis "escondido") That is a nice looking Pleco as well :)