Pleco, Snails, something else?

[Brad S]

Hey there, looking for advice on what to get (type and care) for my 60g. It has 6 large fish, 5 (5 to 7 inch) Tin Foils and 1 (6 inch) Comet. All years old and well established. Anyway, I'd like to put something in to help keep it clean and a little cool never hurts. Now Plecos can be really neat but I've never had much luck with them. Though admittedly, I now know I starved them. Ummm, I was a kid. Tank was too small then. Didn't feed them right. What did I know. Snails. Ummm, they're OK. Never had much luck there either. Probably a feeding issue as well. Too many snails, not enough tank and I never fed them either. Although, I had about a zillion Malaysians for years in my old 20g and I never fed them. They did the coolest migration thing. They would run (Ha, snails running) travel in continuous herds across the tank. Very neat. Had them for years. Wouldn't mind that again but my fish just eat them little guys so...

Also, what do you think about the average snail you buy at the LFS? OK or maybe not long lived anyway? Just wondering.

So any hoo, Suggestions? Appreciate your input.

 

[fishboy444]

plecos are good though they get pretty big and some snails are good.

 

[bs6749]

The purpose of the fish/invert will help determine what is best for the tank. What do YOU want done? Algae control on plants/decorations/glass, or sifting through the gravel picking up uneaten food? Some fish and inverts fit better into each type of cleanup so let us know moer specifically what you are looking for. Also, what is the temperature of the tank?

 

[Brad S]

The purpose of the fish/invert will help determine what is best for the tank. What do YOU want done? Algae control on plants/decorations/glass, or sifting through the gravel picking up uneaten food? Some fish and inverts fit better into each type of cleanup so let us know moer specifically what you are looking for. Also, what is the temperature of the tank?

Good points all. Tank temp 78-79 degrees. I'd like to keep the algae off the glass and plants mostly. Sunshine comes through the window in the morning so I get a little more than usual. I keep it pretty clean otherwise so not so much of a need there. Thanks!

 

[bs6749]

I'd go with BN plecos if it were me. They stay small at 4.5-5" and are great at cleaning the glass and plants of algae, not to mention that they fit in perfectly with those temps . You will want 3 of them for your tank. The general rule is one per 20 gallons of water. I'd also put some driftwood in the tank as they like to rasp on that and it aids in their digestion.

Snails would also be helpful in your tank and if you don't like the thought of snails overpopulating the tank you might consider nerite snails. They require some salinity to produce viable eggs so you won't have any snails other than what you put into the tank. They can be large enough so that your fish might not be interested in them, though each fish is different from the rest. What one might not be interested in another might. Look for olive nerite snails as they tend to be relatively cheap compared to other types of nerite snails. Use them in conjunction with the BN plecos, which you should be able to find at your local fish store or on www.aquabid.com

 

[Brad S]

I'd go with BN plecos if it were me.

I'd also put some driftwood in the tank as they like to rasp on that and it aids in their digestion.

Snails would also be helpful in your tank and if you don't like the thought of snails overpopulating the tank you might consider nerite snails.

Look for olive nerite snails as they tend to be relatively cheap compared to other types of nerite snails. Use them in conjunction with the BN plecos, which you should be able to find at your local fish store or on www.aquabid.com

Hey thanks. Could you tell me about feeding both these guys? Anything special or just let them go?

 

[bs6749]

BN plecos will eat algae wafers (I feed 1 per pleco every 1-2 days) and they also love blanched zuchinni, squash, cucumbers, and they eat algae too. They can also eat fish food that you normally put into the tank. The snails will mainly eat algea and would appreciate the same things as the plecos. Feed sparingly if you have lots of algae in and on the tank in both cases.

 

[Brad S]

BN plecos will eat algae wafers (I feed 1 per pleco every 1-2 days) and they also love blanched zuchinni, squash, cucumbers, and they eat algae too. They can also eat fish food that you normally put into the tank. The snails will mainly eat algea and would appreciate the same things as the plecos. Feed sparingly if you have lots of algae in and on the tank in both cases.

Thanks, I appreciate it.

 

[bs6749]

No problem.