Dissapearing PLECOS

[JaygoExotics]

hello fish keepers I bought to bristlenose plecos about 2inch in length to clean up my angel fish tank and they keep going missing I searched the elite stingray filter I use to keep the tank clean and as I moved it they came out I done my filter clean then put it back in and 10minutes later that are back in the filter or I’m assuming so as I can’t see them once again I’m just wondering if this is going to be a problem or if it’s not safe for them and would it be more suitable to move them to another tank e,g my guppies tank and replace them with the Chinese alagae eater I have I’m there ....

 

[fluttermoth]

They probably need more hiding places; do you have enough wood and caves for them? You need at least one more cave than you have fish; so for two bristlenoses, you need at least three.

I would suggest that you also need a new filter. The Stingrays look good, but they hold a very, very small amount of media; no where near enough to support angels or bristlenoses. How big is the tank?

DO NOT add the Chinese algae eater to the angel tank. CAE get increasingly aggressive as they mature, and can get the habit of sucking the slime coat off other fish, and slow moving, flat sided fish like angels are a prime target.

Also bear in mind that no fish will solve an algae problem; you either have to remove it yourself, or find out why it's being an issue and sort that out.

 

[JaygoExotics]

Yes I know about Chinese algae eater as I wouldn’t have bought one it is only a juvi 3inches max at the moment hence why I said about mobing him and I feel the stingray does a good job but I will definitely look into getting a new filter in the future as everything is always getting upgraded and also get some new spots for my little pleco friends to hide, also I believe the alage is coming from the little bit of sunlight my tank get ps during the rising sun in the morning so I thought it would just be a good habitat for the plecos to thrive in it ain’t that much alage just a bit but thanks for the advice, and any tips on the algae eater in the future because I want to keep him I find him interested so shall I just house him on his own when he’s matured a bit or could he have some tank mates

 

[JaygoExotics]

Also it’s a 20 gallon but got a 55 gallon waiting when everyone grows a little

 

[fluttermoth]

I would advice getting the fish into the larger tank as soon as possible; fish can easily become stunted and stop growing if they're in a tank that's too small.

The CAE can have tankmates, but you need to make sure they're small and fast moving. something like zebra danios would do well.

 

[trash.binh91]

I suggest you start cycling your 55-gallon in the coming days, so your tank will be ready in about a few weeks (4-8 weeks).

 

[JaygoExotics]

No need to cycle as I will be using the same filter bacteria and filling it with almost all the old water along with fresh so it will act as a 50% water change

 

[trash.binh91]

No need to cycle as I will be using the same filter bacteria and filling it with almost all the old water along with fresh so it will act as a 50% water change

Well, will it be strong enough for the bigger tank?

 

[fluttermoth]

Well, will it be strong enough for the bigger tank?

I think what the OP is doing is adding all his old filter media to the larger filter in the new tank. Always think of your media (that's all the stuff inside the filter that the bacteria live on) as being paired with the fish, not the filter or the tank.

So, if you want to move all your fish into a larger tank, then you move all the filter media. If you only want to move half the fish, you take half the media