Catfish Care

bolivian_d · Oct 30, 2008

Hey,

I think my bristlenose is on strike. Either it isn't hungry or the amount of algae is just overwhelming. I feed my cichlids sinking pellets and I've seen it clean up the excess (rather beat the bolvians to the punch). It's stopped eating the algae waifers. I was feeding him one every two days, I've cut it back to once a week and it still doesn't get eaten for two days. The fish exhibits normal behaviour other than that. Water paramaters are good, with plenty of driftwood and plantation. Why do you think the algae is building up? I'm not leaving my light on any longer than what I had been when the bristlenose was doing a good clean up.

I have 2 bolivians and 3 cherry barbs as tank mates. I've never seen either of any bother the catfish but I did notice evidence of fin nipping. Who do you think the culprit is?

minxfishy · Oct 30, 2008

If there is some fin nipping, my guess is the barbs!

If hes getting enough from the pellets, then he probably isnt interested in the algae.

Jallen · Oct 30, 2008

Have you got any bog wood in the tank?

bolivian_d · Oct 30, 2008

I thought bogwood was the same as driftwood. What I have could be bogwood or driftwood. It's real, it releases tannins and intially had to be held down by something for it to sink. Driftwood?

Schmill · Oct 30, 2008

I could be wrong but I 'believe' that driftwood floats, bog wood sinks, and pelcos like bog wood, but please wait for someone else to reply as well before taking my word on this!

Ficious · Oct 30, 2008

i dont think it matters. i hear many people say lots of species of catfish prefer many types of wood. wood is wood IMO. bogwood does sink but so can driftwood if soaked for long enough. youll be ok with the wood you have.

idk about his feeding habits though. hes got to be eating something, maybe he just got too behind? anyway a good magnet scrubber will work for ridding you of algae

Schmill · Oct 30, 2008

Ficious said:
anyway a good magnet scrubber will work for ridding you of algae

Gotta love those things, bought one as a 'gadget' under the recommendation of the guy in the LFS when I got back into fish keeping this time around, (could face doing it all with a scraper on a stick again!).
Anyway I've found it cleans the algae off the inside really well, and at the same time the soft pad on the outside takes away any fingerprints the kids have put on the glass at the same time :good: