Rlon36dr
03-26-2011, 02:21 PM
Just a little pro and con discussion, based on my early experiences, in terms of the algae cleanup crew that is best for planted discus tanks. Please note that I will not include other useful cleanup species, such as MTSs and Cory species, as my focus is primarily on algae. Here are the top species to pair with discus, in a planted tank.
1. Ancistrus - I have yet to see ANY problems keeping them with discus. I keep albino bristlenose plecos, and, once you successfully acclimate them to a densely planted tank, they are easy to keep (I use emerald entree a couple days of week for my discus, and I feed peas once a week). These fish eat soft algae, brown and green. Meaty foods get them to spawn, but, unlike some other algae eaters, I find that they keep eating algae through adulthood. The only negative I have observed is that they can sometimes uproot vertical growing stem plants.
2. Otocinclus - I love these fish. They eat mostly brown algae, but I find that what discus keepers caution you about is actually their strength. That is, they develop a taste for discus slime. Well, I have yet to see one attched to the side of my discus. I have observed, after water changes in which I make a goof in terms of the added water temperature, causing the discus to shed their slime coat, you will see slime and waste (that which was stirred up during the change) combining together, hanging off plants. Otos will clean that right up. Doing weekly tank wipedowns and cleaning your filter does not extinguish the problem of such 'stuff' on the end of your plant leaves. I feed my discus twice a day, with 40-50 percent water changes every 4-6 days. Otos are a must have IMO, along with the ancistrus (you can make a number of arguments after these top two). Otos must be acclimated very carefully, and the tank conditions to which they are initially exposed must be very good. I would recommend that they are the last of the algae eating crew added, in a new tank.
3. Nerite Snails - These would be number one on the list if not for a reason I will discus down below. You do have to add calcium to the water and keep your temperature at the lower end of the discus temperature spectrum (Olives can handle the higher temperatures, however). Olives are the hardiest, followed by zebras, followed by the tiger/ruby. If you use solely RO water, you are going to have problems keeping the shells from eroding. They do, contrary to some opinion, do well with loaches in the tank. I have seen clowns eat them, but it is usually after they are dead (note that I have never kept them with max-sized clown loaches). They eat green spot algae like no other. The real reason that nerites are not rated higher, however, is because of the egg spreading. Forget keeping anubias with them, a great plant to keep with discus, which is a mind blowing dissappointment after you see how well they clean those plants. They subsequently turn around and speckle them (and everything else!), leaving noticeable blemishes if you can even get the eggs off. If you can find a species of fish that is compatible with discus, that will eat ALL of these eggs IMMEDIATELY, you have yourself a solution. MTSs remain the best choice of snail for planted discus tanks, IMO and generally speaking, as they work well under the substrate (alot of people use sand for discus) and can tolerate an eroding shell situation better than other snails. They will not eat green spot algae, though they do often eat brown algae. Purely speaking, however, the nerite snail is the best algae eater I have kept.
4. Siamese Algae Eater - This is perhaps the best algae eating fish because it eats many different types, including thread and brush algae. The problem? Well, in a discus tank, with the type of food that is fed, they become more of a carnivore, get fat and lazy, then neglect their 'keeper-designed' algae eating chores. So, I may not be using them in the future, until I have a brush algae problem that develops. What complicates this matter with discus is that I would prefer to start with all of my complimentary fish before adding discus, so I would be scared to add them even with a brush algae outbreak. They start at the top of this list as juveniles, but they quickly outgrow their usefulness. I have a fat, lazy SAE that reminds me of Puss n Boots in the last Shrek movie.
5. Amano Shrimp - I have never derived the full benefit of these shrimp, which, in my opinion, would be seen when you keep mosses and smaller foreground plants. I have been unable to keep moss at discus temperatures, and dwarf sag has been the most effective foreground plant for me. I love amanos, but in a planted discus tank, you will seldom see them, and they will live off decaying matter in and under driftwood rather than venturing out where the big fish can see them. You will see them when you do water changes, but that's about it. With adult discus, I am sure they become an occasional snack, but I really think you can keep them, to limited benefit, in planted discus tanks long-term. They eat nearly everything, and though they are not as attractive as cherry shrimp, they are much more likely to survive the discus tank.
1. Ancistrus - I have yet to see ANY problems keeping them with discus. I keep albino bristlenose plecos, and, once you successfully acclimate them to a densely planted tank, they are easy to keep (I use emerald entree a couple days of week for my discus, and I feed peas once a week). These fish eat soft algae, brown and green. Meaty foods get them to spawn, but, unlike some other algae eaters, I find that they keep eating algae through adulthood. The only negative I have observed is that they can sometimes uproot vertical growing stem plants.
2. Otocinclus - I love these fish. They eat mostly brown algae, but I find that what discus keepers caution you about is actually their strength. That is, they develop a taste for discus slime. Well, I have yet to see one attched to the side of my discus. I have observed, after water changes in which I make a goof in terms of the added water temperature, causing the discus to shed their slime coat, you will see slime and waste (that which was stirred up during the change) combining together, hanging off plants. Otos will clean that right up. Doing weekly tank wipedowns and cleaning your filter does not extinguish the problem of such 'stuff' on the end of your plant leaves. I feed my discus twice a day, with 40-50 percent water changes every 4-6 days. Otos are a must have IMO, along with the ancistrus (you can make a number of arguments after these top two). Otos must be acclimated very carefully, and the tank conditions to which they are initially exposed must be very good. I would recommend that they are the last of the algae eating crew added, in a new tank.
3. Nerite Snails - These would be number one on the list if not for a reason I will discus down below. You do have to add calcium to the water and keep your temperature at the lower end of the discus temperature spectrum (Olives can handle the higher temperatures, however). Olives are the hardiest, followed by zebras, followed by the tiger/ruby. If you use solely RO water, you are going to have problems keeping the shells from eroding. They do, contrary to some opinion, do well with loaches in the tank. I have seen clowns eat them, but it is usually after they are dead (note that I have never kept them with max-sized clown loaches). They eat green spot algae like no other. The real reason that nerites are not rated higher, however, is because of the egg spreading. Forget keeping anubias with them, a great plant to keep with discus, which is a mind blowing dissappointment after you see how well they clean those plants. They subsequently turn around and speckle them (and everything else!), leaving noticeable blemishes if you can even get the eggs off. If you can find a species of fish that is compatible with discus, that will eat ALL of these eggs IMMEDIATELY, you have yourself a solution. MTSs remain the best choice of snail for planted discus tanks, IMO and generally speaking, as they work well under the substrate (alot of people use sand for discus) and can tolerate an eroding shell situation better than other snails. They will not eat green spot algae, though they do often eat brown algae. Purely speaking, however, the nerite snail is the best algae eater I have kept.
4. Siamese Algae Eater - This is perhaps the best algae eating fish because it eats many different types, including thread and brush algae. The problem? Well, in a discus tank, with the type of food that is fed, they become more of a carnivore, get fat and lazy, then neglect their 'keeper-designed' algae eating chores. So, I may not be using them in the future, until I have a brush algae problem that develops. What complicates this matter with discus is that I would prefer to start with all of my complimentary fish before adding discus, so I would be scared to add them even with a brush algae outbreak. They start at the top of this list as juveniles, but they quickly outgrow their usefulness. I have a fat, lazy SAE that reminds me of Puss n Boots in the last Shrek movie.
5. Amano Shrimp - I have never derived the full benefit of these shrimp, which, in my opinion, would be seen when you keep mosses and smaller foreground plants. I have been unable to keep moss at discus temperatures, and dwarf sag has been the most effective foreground plant for me. I love amanos, but in a planted discus tank, you will seldom see them, and they will live off decaying matter in and under driftwood rather than venturing out where the big fish can see them. You will see them when you do water changes, but that's about it. With adult discus, I am sure they become an occasional snack, but I really think you can keep them, to limited benefit, in planted discus tanks long-term. They eat nearly everything, and though they are not as attractive as cherry shrimp, they are much more likely to survive the discus tank.