Plants Debris. ...which Fish Eats The Small Dead Pieces Of Plants Whic

[crunch7]

thankfully new leaves are growing on most of my plants and the old ones are withering off. Can u suggest some fish for 20 g tank which can eat all those dead leaves and stems. I have seven tiger barbs in the 20 g so please suggest accordingly. Will a common plec help, anything apart from cories. .. some bottom dwellers u know which could help me get rid of this debris, which is making my tank looking untidy and decreasing my water quality too.

 

[minnnt]

A common Plec will certainly not help what so ever. Not only do they get too big for your tank, but the waste they produce is immense.

Shrimp may be able to help, but probably wouldn't last long with your Tiger Barbs in the tank also.

I suggest better cleaning with a vac and maybe better filtration? Maybe an external to suck up any loose pieces?

 

[Livewire88]

How about just removing any dead leaves with a net? I do this almost daily so that it does not build up and effect water quality.

Should only take 5 mins a day at the most

 

[crunch7]

I find it hard vaccuming everyday. Plus I loose a lot of mature water that way too because the debris mixes with the water making it murky. Netting is tough to because of my tank is densely planted. Which catfish is herbivorous and size is ok for my tank?

 

[Livewire88]

If you have a good enough flow the dead unattached leaves should be floating round near the surface so just running the net around to catch all the bits should not effect your "densely planted" tank.

If you do find any leaves stuck anywhere just use something to free them into the water current then catch them in the net, and I honestly dont think you will find a catfish that eats dead leaves and is suitable for your size of tank.

 

[minnnt]

There would be no need to vac every day. Once a week should be enough. If you are getting enough debris that requires daily removal then something must be wrong with your setup. Happy plants won't shed leaves for no reason. I run 2 external filters on my tank and they're strong enough to suck up any debris that may be knocking about around the tank. Then all i do is clear the strainer once a week. Is this an option for you?

Herbivorous fish won't distinguish between the stuff you want to get rid of and the stuff you want to keep.

What kind of plants are you having trouble with?

 

[Fishy friend2]

Maybe some amano shrimp or ghost shrimp, mine work like a charm, if it is densely planted then I can't imagine the fish killing them. You should probably start of with about 5 or so and see how it goes, of it goes well then you can get some more if you want to

 

[crunch7]

I don`t have much of a flow. and somehow my filter suction has decreased (don`t know how) as for plants I have
8 vallisnerias
6 crypts
6 amazon Oval shaped leaves at the end of long stems(not swords)
3 Flowering Plants I don`t know the name but white flowers and Big Oval Leaves
2 hydrila (i am not sure if thats the name)
4 white lilies plant (white lilies blooming on the top of the tank)

Now since its densely planted I enjoy the seven tigers taking care of plants all the time (they are always nipping on anything brown and worth a bite). I saw new growth today so ..i guess its just the change in season. thats why some people still like undergravel filters because they suck all this up so easily. I did a lot of precision vaccumning and it has helped. I wish things get better.

ghost shrimps aren`t available here...i have searched for them. but i won`t prefer them since my tigers are fierce hunters and i don`t want to cause anyone harm even though its a shrimp. I guess its just a phase .. will keep you guys updated.

 

[minnnt]

So what's the debris coming from? What temp is your tank at?

 

[crunch7]

24 degree celcius.

 

[minnnt]

The only thing i can think of is the Tigers are nipping them like you say... No healthy plant should just shed its leaves.

 

[Dagon]

If your plants are shedding so many leaves that you have actually noticed your filter not coping, then you may have an issue with plant nutrients. What are you feeding them and how much/often?

If the leaves go yellow faster than usual, then there could be a deficiency of nitrogen or sulfur. If the leaves yellow starting at the tips or the leafs seem brittle, then there may be an iron deficiency. If you are feeding them too much these would possibly show as yellow spots on the leaves.

 

[crunch7]

I am not feeding anything to the plants apart from light and normal sand substrate. No external C02, apart which is exhaled from the fish.

 

[minnnt]

Maybe you should consider dosing with some fertiliser then. If you have a fair few plants then the fish waste is probably not enough.

 

[Dagon]

For a tank that size and with the plants I can see inthe picture, I would not bother with actual C02. If you have a bubbler oxigenating the water or a similar device, just set it to low during the daytime hours (lights on), also make sure that the filter outlet doesn't disturb the water too much. This will allow the levels of natural CO2 created by your fish to rise, the plants in turn will feed on this and produce Oxigen through photosynthesis. Just remember to turn the bubbler back to full blast when the lights are off!!
Also, if you do this you need to monitor the fish and if you notice them getting stressed discard this idea altoghether. If it works fine thou, then you can just get some basic, inexpensive feed mix (tablets ot liquid) for your plants.

Another option, if you really want to see the plants give their best and don't mind expending a bit of money, you can buy Flourish Excel. This contains CO2 and so far there are nothing but good reviews about it.