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Thread: What Are The Best Algae Eaters for Discus

  1. #31
    Registered Member wesleydnunder's Avatar
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    Default Re: What Are The Best Algae Eaters for Discus

    I kept siamese algae eaters with my discus for years. IMO they are somewhat over-rated as algae eaters. They seemed more interested in the other fishes' food than the algae. Otos did ok, my ABNs do better.

    The best in the cleanup crew, however, are the spiky nerite snails. They absolutely demolish algae. I'm kind of surprised no one mentioned them yet.
    What are the facts? Again and again and again, what are the facts? ...and to how many decimal places? We navigate always into an unknown future. Facts are our only clue. Robert A. Heinlein

  2. #32
    Registered Member vera's Avatar
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    Default Re: What Are The Best Algae Eaters for Discus

    Nerite snails are fantastic algae eaters , only problem is they lay eggs allover the place..which never hatch in fresh water lol , if one is lucky to get males only-thats the way to go
    Natalia


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  3. #33
    Registered Member Eddie's Avatar
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    Default Re: What Are The Best Algae Eaters for Discus

    Quote Originally Posted by crazycracker View Post
    Clown Pleco - I have 1 - Does GREAT w/ the warm temps - my PH is 6.6 & I have had "him" about a year & half w/ no issues.

    I always hear stories about Pleco's going 4 the slime coat on Discus & other fish. Is this true? or are certain Pleco's more known 4 this or all plecos?
    This is true, if a pleco gets a taste from the discus's side, they will get used to doing it. Apparently its like crack for them. LOL I know Otos have been the worst when it comes to constantly eating on the sides of discus IME. I definitely don't keep otos with discus.


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  4. #34
    Registered Member diamond_discus's Avatar
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    Default Re: What Are The Best Algae Eaters for Discus

    I brought a few Hifin spotted pleco from petsmart before . Like this one :
    http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=3924444
    They were ~2" when I got them, I didn't know they would grow to big size. These type of plecos are very aggressive .. They attach Discus and suck on their body .. and literally killing them .. After losing a few discus, I gave those pleco to a local LFS ..

    Since then, I have been using Albino BN plecos. This type of pleco seems to be less aggressive. They won't bother the discus and discus won't attach them either. Seems to be a perfect match. No algae in my tanks ever since.

  5. #35
    Registered Member nc0gnet0's Avatar
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    Default Re: What Are The Best Algae Eaters for Discus

    Is there any difference between the albino BN pleco's and the longfin albino BN's as far as getting along with discus? I just picked up a mated pair.....

  6. #36
    Registered Member ifixoldhouses's Avatar
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    Default Re: What Are The Best Algae Eaters for Discus

    I've been studying up on ABN and found a good read here:

    http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Catfish%...ristlenose.htm

    I don't think theres much difference in the two except the long finned are worth a lot more
    Brian

  7. #37
    Registered Member darkknight87's Avatar
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    Default Re: What Are The Best Algae Eaters for Discus

    I have a Chinese Hifin banded shark that does very well in my tank. Not sure what kind of algae they like to eat, but I know mine also cleans up left over bh mix after feeding is over. Plus to it its a very nice fish to have, IMO

    150Gl Discus Tank ( 14 discus 4-6 inch, 4 2inch)
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  8. #38
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    Default Re: What Are The Best Algae Eaters for Discus

    Quote Originally Posted by nc0gnet0 View Post
    Is there any difference between the albino BN pleco's and the longfin albino BN's as far as getting along with discus? I just picked up a mated pair.....
    Nope, same behavior whether common BN or albino or intermediate. They are voracious when young and slow down when older. Better for glass than plants, and need cellulose in their diets to digest food, so have to have some wood in the tank to chew on. Another good algae eater are black balloon mollies, by the way, but temps above 82-3 are harder to keep them healthy. Man, do they eat any sort of string algae with gusto! Likewise, as said, adult siamese algae eaters are only goo d for eating algea when young. As soon as they figure out the fish food availability, the work day is done. I have had bristlenose in my discus tanks ALWAYS for 10 years and not once have I ever seen one jump on a discus.

    Best regards,
    Harriett

  9. #39
    Registered Member Apistomaster's Avatar
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    Default Re: What Are The Best Algae Eaters for Discus

    I breed or have bred many species of plecos. I have studied them in greater depth than most Discus keepers or community tank owners. I will share some information which I hope will help guide Discus keepers into making wiser choices of which plecos are best suited for the role of algae eaters and I will discus other species of fish and invertebrates often sold as algae eaters.

    The common Bushy Nose pleco, Ancistrus cf. cirrhosus is hands down the best all around algae eater for discus and other tanks. There are at least 5 or 6 color forms of this fish in wide distribution plus a long finned version of each.
    The Albino form is my favorite. The long finned albinos are a weak strain which accounts for their relatively higher price. Many pleco species were mentioned but since there are almost 1000 known species it is difficult to speak about them in general terms.

    I will address a few that were mentioned.
    Panaque spp. Only the common clown pleco is a suitable Discus tank companion but like all Panaque species their diet consists of mainly wood so they are not of much use as an algae eater but they are commonly sold as such because they are a small species. Their correct name is Panaque maccus also known as L104. Fine for a supplementary fish but virtually useless as algae eaters. Consider all the others as saw dust machine makers which cause more increased upkeep than they are worth. This applies to the attractive L204 Flash. Very attractive as juveniles but become messy saw dust producers by the time they reach 5 inches or so. Defintely avoid the water melon Panaque; a much too large species and very messy and therefore unsuitable for Discus tanks.

    Gold Nuggets(There are several varieties) are omnivores and score poorly as algae eaters, are quite difficult fish to keep and 90% do not last more than 1 year due to inadequate diets. I would avoid these fish unless you don't mind killing a lot of expensive fish. They do reach 8 to 12 inches in the wild. It can take 6 years to grow one to 5 inches in a healthy tank with an adequate diet. Not a wise choice for most.

    L200, Lemon Plecos are also mostly omnivores which eat algae only incidental to their search for aquatic insect larvae. They do fine in water temperatures we keep Discus. I don't know where the idea came from that they need cooler water. Size: You will never grow one over 6 inches within your life time in aquarium conditions. I know a couple of breeders of this species and their adults are in tanks of about 200 gallons and no one expects to see them reach 8 inches let alone 12 inches. I suspect the cases of the large specimens to be misidentified species.

    Otocinclus and Parotocinclus.
    I have seen common Otocinclus attach to Discus briefly but I have never seen any harm come from it and I do not hesitate to use them with Discus.
    Some Parotocinclus species are sometimes available. Do not try to keep the Pit Bull "Otos"/"Pleco" Do not confuse these with the cool water bull Dog plecos of the genus Chaetostoma; another unsuitable genus for Discus companions.
    Parotocinclus jumbo, LDA 025. These are a cool water species which will waste away if kept above 80*F for prolonged periods. There are some other Parotocinclus, often found mixed with P. jumbo which are excellent Discus tank algae eaters. Look for Parotocinclus spilosoma or the similar Hisonotus leucofrenatus. These are very prized finds. Do not try to keep any of the truly tiny Parotocinclus such as P. cf. epplyei. Adult females barely reach 1 inch; males about 2/3 as large. I have had a group of 17 for one year but they only thrive in warm water 82-84*F, pH 3.5 to 4.0 and essentially straight RO water. Mine are kept between 10 and 20 ppm TDS. Obviously a fish for specialists.

    Sturisoma species.
    I breed Sturisoma aureaum, aka Royal Twig Cats. They love warm water and Discus slime. I wish it were not so. They are excellent algae eaters incidental to their search for aquatic insect larvae. They are primarily carnivorous. They will drive a Discus to death. More information about how I raise them is found in my article I wrote for planetcatfish.com at their request. You can find it listed under Shane's World-reproduction articles.

    Non-plecos:
    SAE, Siamese algae eaters are only of much use as juveniles. Once grown they will prefer to compete for the normal fish food and no longer bother with algae. They do best when kept in groups of 5 or so but then the become dominant and will use space where Discus prefer to Display. The end result is your Discus get shoved further down the pecking order although the SAE never actually harm the Discus directly the stress they can cause has its effects on Discus.

    Flying Foxes;
    Close but no cigar when compared with the more peaceful Siamese algae eaters. They often become fish chasing pests and eat precious little algae.

    Chinese Algae eaters
    This fish should be banned from the hobby and certainly should never be kept with Discus. They have absolutely no redeeming qualities. Beware of the commonly available Yellow/Gold form. It is the same bad fish wearing a prettier color scheme.

    Invertebrates:
    Only the Amano Shrimp is worthy of consideration. In a well planted tank it takes about 1 per 2 gallons to make much difference in controlling algae, A fine animal which lives a long time. If you paid $0.29 each then you did not buy Amanao shrimp. About $2.00 each is a good deal.

    The Ghost/Glass Shrimp is a shrimp sold very cheaply, $0.25 is often the going rate, Incredibly adaptable and one of the most overlooked and entertaining of all the invertebrates. They do quite well with Discus but they are omnivores with a preference for meat. They are really great to keep as general purpose tank cleaners but they will not dent your algae problems. I have bred and raised these in the many hundreds and had some in most of my tanks which did not contain small fry. There is a trick to breeding and raising them but it isn't hard to learn. Amano shrimp have much more complicated life cycles which makes captive breeding very difficult, If you know how to raise clown fish I am sure you could breed your own Amano Shrimp.
    Larry Waybright

  10. #40
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    Default Re: What Are The Best Algae Eaters for Discus

    Wow, talk about concise,

    Is there any fish or invertebrate that will also eat the poop?

  11. #41
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    Default Re: What Are The Best Algae Eaters for Discus

    Great info Larry! I've considered parotocinclus not just for discus & have seen what look to be spilosoma mixed with jumbo. Maybe I'll try them next time I see them. Thanks!

  12. #42
    Registered Member babillba's Avatar
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    Default Re: What Are The Best Algae Eaters for Discus

    lol at Birdog, will any eat the poop. Too funny. Hell if there is a fish that will eat the poop I want one!!

    I have had success with Ottos and with BN's and I agree the ghost/glass shrimp are great as bottom cleaners, they have kept my tanks' bottoms, plants clean for a long time.

  13. #43
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    Default Re: What Are The Best Algae Eaters for Discus


  14. #44
    Registered Member Apistomaster's Avatar
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    Default Re: What Are The Best Algae Eaters for Discus

    Quote Originally Posted by fishorama View Post
    Great info Larry! I've considered parotocinclus not just for discus & have seen what look to be spilosoma mixed with jumbo. Maybe I'll try them next time I see them. Thanks!
    I would snap up every one of these you can find. I used to live in Seattle and I prowled the shops looking for these. It took me awhile accumulate a group.
    Then several years later after moving to the fringes of civilization in SE Washington, the local fish shop brought in some LDA 25's and there were 5 Parotocinclus spilosoma mixed in. I could hardly believe my luck. These guys rarely get anything worthwhile. They don't even know what I am talking about when I tell them what fish I'm breeding. They get in 2 Gold Nuggets and 2 L200 a year. That is the sum total of their fancy pleco selection. The shop located 35 miles away in a University town buys my fancy plecos; they sell just fine. I once found a single P. spilosoma fry that survived from an unnoticed spawn. I lost my last one this winter. She lasted 5 years. I really want more but finding them is purely a matter of luck.
    I have my 17 tiny Parotocinclus cf. epplyei which I hope to breed, Learning how to keep them alive was a major step. Very delicate and tiny sucker mouth catfish.
    Larry Waybright

  15. #45
    Registered Member nc0gnet0's Avatar
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    Default Re: What Are The Best Algae Eaters for Discus

    Apistomaster,

    If I wanted to set up a 75 gallon long tank to breed my albino long fin Bn's, what would you suggest as far as temps, PH, TDs Etc. Currently I have it set up with a slate bottom (nearly the same as BB, just more attractive), with 3 slate caves. I was considering some low light plants as I made some slate planters along the back of the tank and filled them with flourite. I have not yet relocated the pair yet and they reside happy in my discus tank. Any suggestions for a first time pleco breeder? Currently the tank has in it only a small school (9) of neon tetras and what I beleive is a Hypostomus sp. L356, which might have to go if I plan on using it to breed the longfins.

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