SaraB
Aquarium Advice Addict
Kuhli loaches need sand to dig around in. Not sure if having them with a carpet would work.
Fish stocking
- Thread starter Lukester
- Start date
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Lukester
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
ok. On Saturday the 18th I'm going to the pet store. What I think i'll do is get some java moss, 3 nerite snails, and 1 SAE. Do SAE need to be in schools bc if they do i'll bump it up to 3-6.
Does this Sound good?
Any more suggestions?
Does this Sound good?
Any more suggestions?
SaraB
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yes they need to be in a school
OP
OP
Lukester
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
ok. so 3 nerites and 6 SAE. When the algae is gone can I just use these.
https://www.amazon.com/API-ALGAE-WAFERS-6-4-Ounce-Container/dp/B005XDCNBS?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_4
https://www.amazon.com/API-ALGAE-WAFERS-6-4-Ounce-Container/dp/B005XDCNBS?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_4
libertybelle
Aquarium Advice Addict
6 SAE? They get huge and while they school as juveniles they can get territorial when they get older. Perhaps 3 would be a better number? Give them conspecific company when they’re young but not so many that they’ll bicker over territory later. Also not too long ago you had a pretty massive ammonia spike so you probably don’t want to add too many fish at once anyway!
OP
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Lukester
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
ok. 3 SAE and 3 nerites. How big can they get and about the ammonia spike. how is that caused? did the ammonia spike cause the algae bloom? Also is there a certain food that they need after the algae is gone or can I just continue like normal. The algae in my tank starts growing again about every 3-4 days.
libertybelle
Aquarium Advice Addict
They can get six inches long and be quite aggressive /territorial as they get bigger. Not to mention they learn pretty quick to hunt down fish food rather than eating algae in well fed tanks. So unless you really like them I’m not sure they’d be a great fit; especially considering how much stock is already in the tank and how new the tank is. If you’re thinking about them just to solve an algae problem I would strongly reconsider. Honestly if you want a work-critter that’s going to focus on algae nerites are 100% the way to go.
I was like you before I had them; not particularly sure if I wanted them, but they have beautiful patterns and can’t replicate in freshwater so no worrying about infestation. I absolutely love them now!
Otos are another great choice for algae (Once the tank is a little older) and you can purchase tank bred otos online these days.
You said there was a dead fish. Unclear if the dead fish caused the ammonia or the ammonia caused the dead fish. When was the last time you tested your water parameters; are you sure everything is back the way it should be?
If you aren’t familiar with cycling / minicycling / where ammonia comes from eta take a look at this and it will help: I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice.
I was like you before I had them; not particularly sure if I wanted them, but they have beautiful patterns and can’t replicate in freshwater so no worrying about infestation. I absolutely love them now!
Otos are another great choice for algae (Once the tank is a little older) and you can purchase tank bred otos online these days.
You said there was a dead fish. Unclear if the dead fish caused the ammonia or the ammonia caused the dead fish. When was the last time you tested your water parameters; are you sure everything is back the way it should be?
If you aren’t familiar with cycling / minicycling / where ammonia comes from eta take a look at this and it will help: I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice.
OP
OP
Lukester
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
libertybelle, thank you. What store should I do for ottos? The fish caused the Ammonia. Before the fish died,I checked the water and it was mostly good except for the nitrite/nitrate.(get them confused anymore) Are the SAE picky? I am familiar with all the cycling.
libertybelle
Aquarium Advice Addict
Aquatic arts does tank bred otos. There may be others but that’s where I saw them. They need well established tanks though with lots of algae and biofilm; so I would put them on a back burner for a few months.
I hope you mean nitrate because If you have nitrites you still have a cycle problem. When was your last parameters check and what were the numbers?
SAE are not picky; in fact while they do love algae when young as they get older they learn to dominate the fish food supply.
I hope you mean nitrate because If you have nitrites you still have a cycle problem. When was your last parameters check and what were the numbers?
SAE are not picky; in fact while they do love algae when young as they get older they learn to dominate the fish food supply.
OP
OP
Lukester
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Ok. I just did a water change and checked my water parameters and the results were good, I think.
Ammonia-.5 ppm
nitrite-0
nitrate-13
Is there an algae eater thats bigger than an Otto but smaller than a SAE and is hardy.
Ammonia-.5 ppm
nitrite-0
nitrate-13
Is there an algae eater thats bigger than an Otto but smaller than a SAE and is hardy.
earhtmother
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2010
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The only algae eaters not a snail, hardier than Otos and smaller than a Siamese Algae Eater are Amano shrimp. Depensinv on your Angel's peraonality it might leave them alone, especially if there are places for thw shrimp to hide.
libertybelle
Aquarium Advice Addict
.5 ammonia is not good. It’s a mini cycle which is dangerous for your current inhabitants and means you definitely shouldn’t be adding any new inhabitants until that is dealt with.
Edit: Was that before or after the water change? Depending on your tap water the answer could mean the ammonia was even higher before or if there is ammonia in your tap it could be that it came from your tap and has not been dealt with by your BB yet. I get a trace of ammonia in my tanks after water changes because of trace ammonia in my tap but prime detoxifies it and my bacteria get rid of it within an hour. Does your tap water measure any ammonia?
Edit: Was that before or after the water change? Depending on your tap water the answer could mean the ammonia was even higher before or if there is ammonia in your tap it could be that it came from your tap and has not been dealt with by your BB yet. I get a trace of ammonia in my tanks after water changes because of trace ammonia in my tap but prime detoxifies it and my bacteria get rid of it within an hour. Does your tap water measure any ammonia?
OP
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Lukester
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
i have a little ammonia in my water(not tap). I will do a couple water changes to get rid of it. Also I was gone for a week and the water turned green. What does that mean.
OP
OP
Lukester
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Idk about ammanos. Do they clean glass. if not im just going to get 3 nerites and 3 SAE to see how it goes. Ill keep you guys up to date bc Im getting them tomorrow
libertybelle
Aquarium Advice Addict
Nerites will clean glass. Amanos and SAE will not. Neither will help with green water. You need to deal with your light and nutrient issues to fix that. (Adding more stock will likely make that worse.)
Regardless, It is not a good idea to add new fish while you are in a mini cycle.
Fish keeping is about 10% knowing what to do and 90% knowing when to do it! Patience is key! Waiting isn’t fun, I know, but adding fish to a tank which is in a mini cycle is only going to lead to more severe water quality issues, illness and lost fish. That’s not fun either. Give it time and do it right!
Regardless, It is not a good idea to add new fish while you are in a mini cycle.
Fish keeping is about 10% knowing what to do and 90% knowing when to do it! Patience is key! Waiting isn’t fun, I know, but adding fish to a tank which is in a mini cycle is only going to lead to more severe water quality issues, illness and lost fish. That’s not fun either. Give it time and do it right!
OP
OP
Lukester
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
ok. Ill wait on the fish but I'm going to veer way from SAE bc like you said, they dont clean glass. I think ill do oto's and nerites 3 of each. Does that sound good? I got a timer now so the lighting will be consistent(6am-6pm) and what do I do about nutrient issues?
libertybelle
Aquarium Advice Addict
Sounds like a better choice. Otos are a little sensitive at first and can be difficult to feed, they exclusively eat algae / biofilms at first. Some can learn to eat wafers etc. but it takes them a while so you really want a tank that has been running for a while before you add them.
12 hours is a long time for lighting if you’re trying to reduce algae. I keep mine on that long but I have a large number of otos in a relatively small space (8 in a 30) and want to promote some algae growth for them. (That’s way too many otos, btw, unless you’re going to focus on feeding them. I let algae go nuts on the back wall and my group has learned to eat supplemental foods. Otos are a schooling fish but you need to balance their need to school with food availability so three is probably a good place to start. You might consider getting to 6 eventually if they learn to eat supplemental food so you can ensure they have enough to eat.)
Nutrients comes down to bioload and how much you are feeding. Any live plants in your tank? What do your nitrate levels run at? How much and how often do you feed your fish and what is your water change schedule?
12 hours is a long time for lighting if you’re trying to reduce algae. I keep mine on that long but I have a large number of otos in a relatively small space (8 in a 30) and want to promote some algae growth for them. (That’s way too many otos, btw, unless you’re going to focus on feeding them. I let algae go nuts on the back wall and my group has learned to eat supplemental foods. Otos are a schooling fish but you need to balance their need to school with food availability so three is probably a good place to start. You might consider getting to 6 eventually if they learn to eat supplemental food so you can ensure they have enough to eat.)
Nutrients comes down to bioload and how much you are feeding. Any live plants in your tank? What do your nitrate levels run at? How much and how often do you feed your fish and what is your water change schedule?
OP
OP
Lukester
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
is there a way I can get them to eat it? or do I just put one in and hope for the best? Yes, I have water wisteria(almost ready to propagate), Amazon sword, and Anubis nana which hasn't seemed to work out too well bc the bulb thing has rotted and I Didn't know about it till like 2 weeks later.(could that have caused the green water?)
Nitrate levels are at 10 right now.
I feed them once a day to every other day. I feed them one pinch full.
Once a week is my schedule since my parents are divorced it gets scattered sometimes.
Im almost too afraid to ask....CAE?
I've heard bad things about them but are they really that bad?
Nitrate levels are at 10 right now.
I feed them once a day to every other day. I feed them one pinch full.
Once a week is my schedule since my parents are divorced it gets scattered sometimes.
Im almost too afraid to ask....CAE?
I've heard bad things about them but are they really that bad?
libertybelle
Aquarium Advice Addict
Haven’t had one myself because I’ve probably heard all the same bad things you have!
Anubius will rot if the rhizome is buried. Rotting plants could have caused parameter issues that would contribute to algae. Healthy plants compete with algae for nutrients. Your nitrates aren’t too high so you’re probably not overfeeding. Might just be having your light on too long. Is your tank near a window that might contribute?
I just kept putting in a variety of foods until they got the idea. But I’ve had otos before who never figured it out. Often if one realizes that it’s food the rest will figure it out by following the others lead.
Anubius will rot if the rhizome is buried. Rotting plants could have caused parameter issues that would contribute to algae. Healthy plants compete with algae for nutrients. Your nitrates aren’t too high so you’re probably not overfeeding. Might just be having your light on too long. Is your tank near a window that might contribute?
I just kept putting in a variety of foods until they got the idea. But I’ve had otos before who never figured it out. Often if one realizes that it’s food the rest will figure it out by following the others lead.
OP
OP
Lukester
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
yeah... I probably buried the rhizome.
yes it's near a window but i have those curtains that keep all the light out.
I got oto's and snails(3 of each) yesterday, snails went to works straight away. The oto's sat there for a bit but then started eating, but mostly i see them sitting in a basking-like position. Is this normal?
yes it's near a window but i have those curtains that keep all the light out. I got oto's and snails(3 of each) yesterday, snails went to works straight away. The oto's sat there for a bit but then started eating, but mostly i see them sitting in a basking-like position. Is this normal?
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