New tank mates wanted!!

[Surahb]

Hi! Im new to this forum so it is nice to make my first post

I have a ten gallon tank in my living room that i love watching more than the tv sometimes haha! The only issue is it has a lot of algae that comes back again and again. Thus being the case it is now stocked with:

- 3 Nerite Snails
- 1 Apple Snail
- 1 Sail fin Pleco(3 inches long right now)

they all love the algae and they get veggie treats my only question is what would be a good friend for them?
I don't want to over crowd the tank of course but its has a nice little internal filter and the temperature stays between 24 C and 27 C.... its been cycled and i dont want any nippers please!

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[SherLar]

10g doesn't give you a lot of room, but you could probably be ok with a small school (6-7 fish) of small tetras like neons, or a few guppies.
Your 3" pleco, however, will grow to possibly be 24" fairly quickly. He won't be happy in your tank for long. A good algae eater for your tank mat be oto catfish, which only grow to about 2". The snails should do a fair job also.

 

[Surahb]

I have bigger tanks for him to go to as he grows..there's just a ton of food for him at the moment... is there any shrimp or other snails I can put in?

 

[flchamp89]

Apples and plecos need big tanks. First you need to identify the algae. By doing so you can attempt to correct the inbalance causing the algae. Your the best algae control. No one inhabitant eats all forms of algae. All your doing is driving up your bioload causing more water quality issues.

Some fts would help us help you.

 

[Surahb]

Yeah they are both really young still growing. And I don't need advice on water levels or diet just wanted to know who would be a peaceful addition.

 

[kashif314]

Neon tetras. A school of six or any other small fish u can add. Just don't add any aggressive fish like cichlids. Ur snails will be fine with almost all peaceful fish. My suggestion is neon tetras small school.

 

[flchamp89]

Water levels or diet...no one mentioned that. I was offering to try and help you with the algae as opposed to continue and over stock a nano tank. Sorry to upset you. Was trying to help good luck.

 

[coralbandit]

IMO plecos aren't really algae eaters?
They require wood to aid in their digestion and I think many mistake that for rasping away at algae.
Where ever you keep the plec he needs wood.
You will do much better and enjoy much more if you stock small peaceful fish such as many of the micro/nano fish.
Celestial pearl danios ,pencil fish and endlers come to mind.
Keep the thought of moving that plec in the front of your mind,even if it fits, it is a leaking garbage truck in a tank that size IMO.
Here is a decent list of small fish;
11 Freshwater Nano Fish for Your Aquarium

 

[Surahb]

I appreciate the advice don't get me wrong I just know how to take care of the guys that are in there already lol he has wood and all my big tanks also have wood for when the plecos get larger. Like I said he's still really little and loves To munch on the algae right now.
I just want to make sure I don't put any nippers in with the apple snail more specifically....

 

[flchamp89]

So why all the algae issues? Have you figured out the causes

 

[Surahb]

IMO plecos aren't really algae eaters?
They require wood to aid in their digestion and I think many mistake that for rasping away at algae.
Where ever you keep the plec he needs wood.
You will do much better and enjoy much more if you stock small peaceful fish such as many of the micro/nano fish.
Celestial pearl danios ,pencil fish and endlers come to mind.
Keep the thought of moving that plec in the front of your mind,even if it fits, it is a leaking garbage truck in a tank that size IMO.
Here is a decent list of small fish;
11 Freshwater Nano Fish for Your Aquarium

This is a great list thank you

 

[Surahb]

So why all the algae issues? Have you figured out the causes

Natural light coming in , this is my only tank with an algae issue and the only one around natural light.

 

[flchamp89]

Good luck. If its gha/gsa and you wanted to keep them a pair of j.floridae are some of my favorite fish that rarely appear on stocking lists.

 

[Surahb]

Good luck. If its gha/gsa and you wanted to keep them a pair of j.floridae are some of my favorite fish that rarely appear on stocking lists.

Thanks I'll look into those for sure!

 

[coralbandit]

Good luck. If its gha/gsa and you wanted to keep them a pair of j.floridae are some of my favorite fish that rarely appear on stocking lists.

Flags are a great algae eating fish.

 

[flchamp89]

Flags are a great algae eating fish.

The best imo. Also hardy, good personalities, cheap, and easy to breed. Cons.....temperaments vary by fish.

 

[Surahb]

Thanks for the advice, went to the store today and they had flags so I got the 3 they had left and they are now contently eating away at the algae.... not sure if the pleco likes them but he can deal with it until he gets a little bigger and goes into his upgrade haha. Thanks again for the suggestion.

 

[flchamp89]

Welcome