OziOscar Posted January 5, 2004 Share Posted January 5, 2004 Hi Guys'n'Gals! Which kinds of catfish are good at algae control in a Malawi tank? I would ideally like to try to remain true to the biotope but am open to other possibilities. I already have a couple of S. eupterus in there, but they seem to love their algae wafers (Hikari and another spirulina tab) more than the real thing. The algae growth is the result of the exposure to sun in the room where that tank is located... I think (water parms are in check). Looking forward to your guidance. Cheers - OziOscar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazza Posted January 5, 2004 Share Posted January 5, 2004 There are many that could work. A few good ones are : Standard Bristlenose, Common Pleco and a Gibbicep. All eat algae and the pleco and gibbi eat it on a larger scale but i would suggest a large tank for them. How big is your tank? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OziOscar Posted January 6, 2004 Author Share Posted January 6, 2004 Hi Wazza I was worried about the higher pH of the Malawi tank being a problem for the BN and common pleco. It's 8.0 now. Isn't that an issue? I understood that BN are OK to 7.2 and common plecos are OK to 7.6... or am I confusing myself with science. That tank is a 36 x 14 x 20. That would mean the BN would be about the right size as the G. gibbiceps can get up to about 45 cms I hear and the common pleco much the same... unless I sell the mature specimen and start again later. Food for thought indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazza Posted January 6, 2004 Share Posted January 6, 2004 Nup, bn would be fine in that tank. I have a colony in a malawi tank and there fine. my ph is 7.7 and they are happy so if your concerned lower your ph just a little. as for the Plecos i dont know about the ph and if they would be ok. But im sure the bristlenose would be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sutalleco Posted January 6, 2004 Share Posted January 6, 2004 my 125 has a ph of 8+ and my 2 lil BNs are really healthy and happy...today i saw the male chase off the brichardi...never woulda thought that would happen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OziOscar Posted January 6, 2004 Author Share Posted January 6, 2004 Thanks for your help guys... looks like I'm in the market for some more BN. The little guy I got from PHL has been keeping the front hall community tank as clean as a whistle since he arrived (and is growing like a weed!), so the algae chomping ability is undisputed. Cheers!! OziOscar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazza Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 Nice m8 they sell for like $1 per cm. so they arent expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OziOscar Posted January 7, 2004 Author Share Posted January 7, 2004 Doesn't seem to be any stock around at the moment through the forum classifieds... I popped a WTB ad in and no sellers. Oh well - try again in a couple of weeks. Cheers - OziOscar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chorrylan Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 hi, Doesn't seem to be any stock around at the moment through the forum classifieds... I popped a WTB ad in and no sellers. I've still got some if you're going to the nswcs meeting on Saturday. http://scp.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=1814 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OziOscar Posted January 8, 2004 Author Share Posted January 8, 2004 Hi Chorrylan Sadly, no I won't be at the meeting owing to a previous commitment and you're a wee bit out of my way to drop by to collect else I would be well interested. Looks like it's just one of those things I will need to bide my time on. I'm going to relocate the BN from my pH 7 display tank to the Malawi tank, but will pre-acclimatise him over a couple of days so that the pH jump doesn't injure him. When he gets into the Malawi tank he will have his work cut out for him - the sunlight is giving me some ripper algal blooms. I located a common pleco to take over cleaning duties in the pH 7 tank. Still, could do with some more BN when they pop up locally. Cheers - OziOscar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reesy1 Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 My BN are breeding in my malawi tank with ph around 7.8-8.0 so they will be ok as long as its clean (nitrite,ammonia etc) they will chomp through your algae no worries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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