Which is a better clean up crew?

[FishLover888]

Yep, I have 6 Sterbai Cories and 2 Albino BN. They are nice additions to my tank for sure.

[traco]

I have 4 corydoras trilineatus with my pandas, they mingle quite well but if they're napping they do tend to look for their own kind. ahem, $4.99 ea @ NA Pets if you're thinking of picking some up on your road trip through the lower mainland. They're sold as julii's.

A friend of mine picked up some Albino bn from Patrick, prettiest & cutest bn cats I've ever seen, plan to pick some up real soon!

Thanks Ed. I have a silver tip BN pleco from Patrick, love how that tip shows up so nicely on the dark body.

[traco]

I can just see I'll come home with a carful of cories, so many varieties, so little tank space!

[White Worm]

Again, I apologize. I did not intend to start a big debate either. Just something I deal with frequently, folks thinking that "clean up fish" are a necessity and adding them to a tank already too heavily stocked thinking they provide a benefit that they do not.

So whenever I see the phrase "clean up fish" I get a little whacko.

No big deal, I can see your point where adding new fish is not going to improve water quality. Even with cory and plecos, I still do a large water change and wipe everything down the best I can. No debate here. I think the cory is just a good eater of whatever left overs fall to the tank floor and fun to have in the tank. The plecos mainly keep the algae and slime build up down.

[Ryan]

More than anything, I love my BN plecos for controlling slime build-up. I haven't had to wipe down anything in my tank since I added them. I also put them in fry tanks to clean up the tiny BBS and golden pearl bits left on the tank bottom that the fry don't eat.

In a fry tank situation, BN plecos can keep up your water quality, IMO. I work all day and spend about 10 hours away from home. I only have time for one or two water changes a day. I feed the fry BBS before I leave but I am not home for 9+ hours to do a water change. In most cases, the leftover BBS would die and start to decay very rapidly because of their small size, causing your water quality to decline. With the BN plecos, I don't have that problem anymore. They eat every bit of it that hits the bottom. Now I don't worry about my fry swimming through a bunch of rotting BBS on the bottom of the tank.

[sophie68]

I have 2 Plecos in my 65g grow out tank + 2 mystery snails. I also use a uv sterilizer just in case. The Plecos do a realy good job for me.

Troy

HI Troy,

What kind of plecos do you have? I need to get rid of the algae I have in my tank. Thanks!!!!

Sophie

[sophie68]

More than anything, I love my BN plecos for controlling slime build-up. I haven't had to wipe down anything in my tank since I added them. I also put them in fry tanks to clean up the tiny BBS and golden pearl bits left on the tank bottom that the fry don't eat.

In a fry tank situation, BN plecos can keep up your water quality, IMO. I work all day and spend about 10 hours away from home. I only have time for one or two water changes a day. I feed the fry BBS before I leave but I am not home for 9+ hours to do a water change. In most cases, the leftover BBS would die and start to decay very rapidly because of their small size, causing your water quality to decline. With the BN plecos, I don't have that problem anymore. They eat every bit of it that hits the bottom. Now I don't worry about my fry swimming through a bunch of rotting BBS on the bottom of the tank.

Hi Ryan,

How many BN plecos should I get for an 80 gal tank? I already have 5 sterbai cories and 1 golden nugget but he does not touch the algae. I know nothing about BN plecos. I just bought 2 albino bristlenose plecs. Is that what you have ???? Thanks.

[Ed13]

Hi Ryan,

How many BN plecos should I get for an 80 gal tank? I already have 5 sterbai cories and 1 golden nugget but he does not touch the algae. I know nothing about BN plecos. I just bought 2 albino bristlenose plecs. Is that what you have ???? Thanks.

Sophie two should be more than enough, they will have that tank clean in no time, unless its hair algae!
Hopefully you Q them right!?

[sophie68]

Sophie two should be more than enough, they will have that tank clean in no time, unless its hair algae!
Hopefully you Q them right!?

Hello,

Actually, believe it or not, I never really quarantined a pleco. I am bad!!! How do you proceed? I mean, how long should they be in there for? Any advice would be helpful.
Thanks again

Sophie

[Ed13]

Hello,

Actually, believe it or not, I never really quarantined a pleco. I am bad!!! How do you proceed? I mean, how long should they be in there for? Any advice would be helpful.
Thanks again

Sophie

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=21044
Some reading on the subject

You really should quarantine any living organism going in the tank!
For most sensitive fish I just quarantine for 6-8 weeks(plenty of fresh water and good food), depending on the species I use Quick cure as a preventive and/or Prazi. Potasium permanganete can be used too but read through the site first! After that is a waiting game!