Newby Needs Help!

[mrjingles]

hey all
ive bin down and had a talk to the guy who runs the shop and i told him the problem i had, he understood and took the two little guys back no problem. he said he usually doesnt have any problem with selling them due to the fact they usualy die of old age before they grow big enough to be a problem. anyways thanks for the help guys

soooo.. now i only have three happy mollys at the mo (not plateys, sorry i had a mix up ) and was wanting something with a little more character.
my next question to you guys is this :
instead of me going out and buying some huuuge fish or cannabals agen i was hoping i could get a lil advice from the pros .

i have three mollys and a handlfull of baby from one what was pregnant when bought. i was looking a getting one or more algea eater catfish next to help clean my tank and just for the fact i like the look and characteristics of them.what you guys think? my tank is 2ft by 1ft by 16inch deep if you forgot

thanks alot!!!

 

[SmileyMan]

due to the fact they usualy die of old age before they grow big enough to be a problem. anyways thanks for the help guys

I would say they die because the growth has been stunted and they been stressed out in two small a tank.

Has for the algae eater avoid the common plec (upto 18" range) there are lots of smaller ones, The bristle nose plec for one

 

[Coomon10]

Maybe an otto? I love cories, though they don't eat the algae they will add character and clean up any food that drops to the floor

 

[dwarfgourami]

hey all
ive bin down and had a talk to the guy who runs the shop and i told him the problem i had, he understood and took the two little guys back no problem. he said he usually doesnt have any problem with selling them due to the fact they usualy die of old age before they grow big enough to be a problem. anyways thanks for the help guys

soooo.. now i only have three happy mollys at the mo (not plateys, sorry i had a mix up ) and was wanting something with a little more character.
my next question to you guys is this :
instead of me going out and buying some huuuge fish or cannabals agen i was hoping i could get a lil advice from the pros .

i have three mollys and a handlfull of baby from one what was pregnant when bought. i was looking a getting one or more algea eater catfish next to help clean my tank and just for the fact i like the look and characteristics of them.what you guys think? my tank is 2ft by 1ft by 16inch deep if you forgot

thanks alot!!!

Well done for taking them back

"usually die of old age before they grow big enough to be a problem"- well, if he'd said "usually die of maltreatment" he'd have been nearer the truth! In fact, this is what probably does happen to most of the giants in the fish trade- they die as juveniles because their needs cannot be satisfied, and the hobbyist does not realise that these fish were meant to live rather longer than your average guppy. Thinking this is good enough is like getting an elephant and being satisfied if it has the lifespan of a hamster.

Anyway, you've done your bit for the pangasius- the more the shop keeper has to take these fish back, the less keen he will be to stock them!

As for the algae eater, I would not go for a Chinese algae eater (aka Golden algae eater or Sucking loach). They grow too big for your tank, and have an unfortunate habit of giving up algae eating as they mature and sucking the slime coats off their mates instead. They also get generally territorial and aggressive. Another fish we would like to see less of in the hobby.

A much better option is a bristlenose pleco, though you will only be able to keep the one in your tank and will need to keep up with water changes- they do poo a lot! It will also want to be fed on catfish tablets/pellets and veggies (cucumber, courgettes etc), and appreciate a little bogwood in the tank (for digestion). They are very endearing and not aggressive. A clown plec might be another possibility, though you won't see a lot of it as they are shy and mainly nocturnal.

Or you could get 3 otos or so. Though they are a little more delicate, best for a mature tank, and make sure they are not underfed.

 

[Coomon10]

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make sure they are not underfed.
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Hi! I have some new ottos (about 2 weeks or so) and i have not seen them even attempt some of the algae wafers etc they are however sucking at the plants and sides... Is this ok?

 

[ImperfectFaerie]

Good work for taking them back- dwarfgourami is right on, yeah they die of 'old age' because they are horribly mistreated. Given the right environments they can thrive, kept in a 20gal they'll pass far earlier than they should. Welcome to the adventurous world of misinformation by the LFS- my suggestion would be to go look, get some names, and then come back and do some research before purchasing anything/taking thier advice. Good luck!