Algae control in mbuna tanks

[chris_todd]

In my 65g mbuna tank I had been keeping a 12"+ common pleco, but the mbuna weren't very nice to him, so I moved him to our 90g planted discus tank, which he loves.

Surprise, surprise, I've since had an outbreack of powdery brown algae all over the glass and rocks. It is easily scraped off the glass with a razor blade, credit card, or algae scraper, but it's ugly and annoying.

I've had problems keeping snails alive in this tank; I'm not sure whether the mbuna are killing and eating them, or the pH/hardness is not to their liking, but it's the only tank in our house that isn't inundated with common pond snails, LOL. Then again, it's also the only tank in the house that doesn't have lots of plants.

So, any suggestions for an algae cleanup crew that:
1) Won't be appetizing to the mbuna
2) Won't mind pH 7.8-8.0 and moderate hardness
3) The mbuna won't pick on like they picked on my pleco

I looked at some of the rift lake catfish, but not many of them appear to be algae eaters like plecos or ancistrus. Oh, and while I've seen the mbuna grazing at the algae on the rocks, they don't seem to touch the stuff on the glass.

 

[SubMariner]

Personally, my only suggestion would be get two 6" plecos instead of one big one. They''re still the best cleaners by far.

However, with two plecos in place the mbuna's will be to busy picking on the one, while the other pleco would be preoccupied cleaning up.

Just a thought...


RM

 

[DiscusnAfricans]

I started using the bristlenose plecos in my african tanks. They don't get bigger than 6", tolerate the water conditions fine, and don't get bothered by the Africans too much.

Chris - its possible the Africans picked on the pleco because he was so big and was seemed as a territorial threat. My bristlenose is smaller than most of my Africans and they ignore them. I've heard royal plecos can do well also, but they get a little bigger and aren't as common.

 

[chris_todd]

Personally, my only suggestion would be get two 6" plecos instead of one big one. They''re still the best cleaners by far.

Richard, interesting idea. The only problem I see is that two 6" plecos will become two 12" plecos in time, and they live a looooong time.

I started using the bristlenose plecos in my african tanks. They don't get bigger than 6", tolerate the water conditions fine, and don't get bothered by the Africans too much.

Chris - its possible the Africans picked on the pleco because he was so big and was seemed as a territorial threat. My bristlenose is smaller than most of my Africans and they ignore them. I've heard royal plecos can do well also, but they get a little bigger and aren't as common.

It had not occurred to me that Plucky's size caused the aggression from the mbuna, that's an interesting idea. I just assumed something smaller would suffer a similar fate. I love BNs, so I might try that.

Thanks for the feedback, guys!

 

[Tony]

It had not occurred to me that Plucky's size caused the aggression from the mbuna, that's an interesting idea. I just assumed something smaller would suffer a similar fate. I love BNs, so I might try that.

What an original name for a pleco.

Nah, just busting chops. You said nerites didn't work... how big were they? I have some I got from Rach that are large marble-sized. No one messes with them.

 

[chris_todd]

What an original name for a pleco.

LOL, my daughters named him. I take no responsibility whatsoever. :lol: Funny how a fish can become a pet, though, isn't it? I thought my life was in danger when I suggested we get rid of him. All the pretty fish we have (mbuna, discus, rainbows, rams, apistos, killies, cardinal tetras, pearl gouramis), and which one becomes the "pet"? The 12" common pleco.

Nah, just busting chops. You said nerites didn't work... how big were they? I have some I got from Rach that are large marble-sized. No one messes with them.

I have nerites from Rachel, too, and they're awesome algae eaters, particularly for this kind of diatom algae. The snails that disappeared from the mbuna tank were more the common pond snails that seem to enter every tank I have, usually from plants I've purchased. I hesitated adding the (non-free) Nerites because I assumed the same fate would befall them. Maybe it's worth a couple bucks to perform the experiment, though.

 

[DiscusnAfricans]

Whats your stocklist? Some africans are notorious snail eaters, esp. rhoadesii, tretocephalus, and some peacocks. If they're bigger than your African's mouth though, they should be fine.

 

[NYfan78]

Yeah like Tony said my nerites do an amazing job keeping the tank clean!!

 

[chris_todd]

Whats your stocklist? Some africans are notorious snail eaters, esp. rhoadesii, tretocephalus, and some peacocks. If they're bigger than your African's mouth though, they should be fine.

None of those; yellow labs, rusties, socolofi, melanochromis cyaneorhabdus, and two jewels I don't have another place for, LOL. So it's not strictly a pure mbuna tank.

 

[Cartel]

I'm fighting the same thing even with lights only being on when I'm home it still bugs me. I'm scared to spend the money on some snails since some of my haps are snail eaters! So for now it's the good ole scraping ritual.

 

[Tony]

LOL, my daughters named him. I take no responsibility whatsoever. :lol: Funny how a fish can become a pet, though, isn't it? I thought my life was in danger when I suggested we get rid of him. All the pretty fish we have (mbuna, discus, rainbows, rams, apistos, killies, cardinal tetras, pearl gouramis), and which one becomes the "pet"? The 12" common pleco.

I never name fish any more. Giving a fish a name in my house means that it will end up dead within a month, lol. Bad ju-ju I tells ya.