decisions decisions ..

[pantherspawn]

I'm starting to stock my planted tank after a silent cycle. My plan was a mostly SA tank. As if now I have 9 skirt tetras. 5 black and 4 gold/white. 5 peppered cories and 2 candy stripe pleco. I'm starting to think I made a mistake with the pleco. And I'm considering adding some otos. My only hesitation is the fact that im planning on adding apistos and Bolivian rams down the road. Are the otos too sensitive to be housed with the dwarf cichlids? Also for my second school I am considering either bleeding hearts or raspboras.. was leaning towards raspboras and glolights just to get shape and color contrasts from the standard tetra form.

 

[HN1]

No. Otos can be housed with dwarf SA fish. I wouldn't recommend them though. They really need to go into a very well established tank to do well longterm. I'd also caution about the bleeding hearts. They get larger and bulkier than most think. Think medium angelfish. What size tank?

 

[pantherspawn]

It's a 55 gallon. Its been set up for about two months. I started heavy planting with stem plants and have slowly removed close to half of them and substituted with rooted plants. Haven't had any ammo or nitrites at all and have had a pretty steady nitrate of about 30 at end of week before doing 50% pwc's

 

[pantherspawn]

If not otos .. what would you suggest for an algae crew besides the two candy stripe pleco? I had an abundance of pond snails but the assassins did a better job than I originally thought they would. What about Siamese algea eaters?

 

[dollabill420]

If not otos .. what would you suggest for an algae crew besides the two candy stripe pleco? I had an abundance of pond snails but the assassins did a better job than I originally thought they would. What about Siamese algea eaters?

SAE's get fat n lazy on Algee cleaning and get aggressive with old age from what I've seen

 

[HN1]

Nerite snails. SAEs would work as well, but they go from algae to flake (or anything) fairly young. They will nibble on hair algae for life, but they prefer an easy meal.

 

[pantherspawn]

I've read alot about confusion between sae and flying fox or false sae. From what I've read is that true sae prefer algea and are shoalers compared to the others which will switch up food preferances and can be hostile towards like species.

 

[pantherspawn]

Will nerites get taken down by the assassins? I've read conflicting stories that they'll be safe and others that the assassins will team up against them.

 

[HN1]

Will nerites get taken down by the assassins? I've read conflicting stories that they'll be safe and others that the assassins will team up against them.

Not from what I've seen. The nerites would get eaten if they were dead or on their way out, but a healthy nerite should be fine. Unless the assassins get really hungry. They are very fast for a snail as I'm sure you've noticed.

I've read alot about confusion between sae and flying fox or false sae. From what I've read is that true sae prefer algea and are shoalers compared to the others which will switch up food preferances and can be hostile towards like species.

Yes, sort of. Flying foxes are individualistic and get aggressive in older age. SAEs simply switch to prepared easy food sources, but still do well in groups and will nibble. Neither are a great longterm algae eater, but they are both cool fish.

 

[pantherspawn]

Thanks for the info HN .. always a help.