Sinking algae wafers...

[ae123]

Can anyone recommend an algae wafer for my pleco(pterygoplichthys paradalis)? The ones I have donnot dissolve fast enough and he gives up on them for the other fish pestering him to get it.

I've been soaking them and putting the resulting mush down for him to get. This works out fine but it's pretty messy & I'm not sure if it's all getting eaten. I think it is. My fish are constantly nibbling.

What do you know about sinking algae eater pellets? Spirulina based or New Life Spectrum?...any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
ae123

 

[gabysapha]

What are you using now???

 

[Dale_I]

Spirulina based are good. New Life Spectrum are awesome. Currently, I have Hikari, which is another good brand.

But, if he's giving up on them, I wouldn't think it would be because of the other fish, unless they are highly aggressive. I have a little BN and he'll shoo everyone away once he finds it. Might not be hungry? How often are you dropping them for him?

 

[ae123]

No, I know my pleco pretty well. The type I use now just don't dissolve. And sure enough, the other fish(swarm upon barrage of mollies and molly fry)will fight and fight til it's in a place where he can't get at. Every time. Or else he just gives up. I know he's looking back and yerning for the days when it was just him and 55 gallons.

He's in good health, though. He's always cleaning up the leftover flakes and pellets i feed the rest of them. & keeping the tank algae-free. So I guess it really doesn't matter from that standpoint.

Ya know, come to think of it, perhaps I should try feeding him after the lights have been off and everyone else is shutting down.

Still, I'd rather him not have to put forth so much effort just for a single pellet.

Can't remember the type I had before this batch. It definitely dissolved quicker, though.

So Spectrum makes algae eater pellets? How do they dissolve? What about the kinds you've used?

 

[Dale_I]

To tell you the truth, I've never timed their disintegration, or looked at who got what part of it.

 

[ae123]

Never timed their disintigration? What kind of fishkeeper are you? Preposterous.

 

[ILikeFishesALot36]

I use top fin algae chips for my mystery snails, Malaysian trumpet snails, and amano shrimp. It is almost completely mush after 3 minutes in the 80 degree ( I don't know if temperature makes a difference) water. It foes a good job of staying together though. It will take 24 hours for it to be that nasty mixture of sludge on the bottom.

 

[ILikeFishesALot36]

I use top fin algae chips for my mystery snails, Malaysian trumpet snails, and amano shrimp. It is almost completely mush after 3 minutes in the 80 degree ( I don't know if temperature makes a difference) water. It foes a good job of staying together though. It will take 24 hours for it to be that nasty mixture of sludge on the bottom.

I meant " does" not foes

 

[ae123]

I liked "foes" better. A nice change of pace.

 

[smkooq]

my bn pleco tends to munch on his algae wafer for 5 or so minutes then goes running off, in which my other fishes in the tank start to nibble at the wafer. After a while when i check up on the progress of the wafer i will find the bn pleco back on the wafer munching away.