Water Change?

[LatexRevolver]

Okay, so I just completed my weekly water change, about 45% this week since it had been nearer 10 days since the last one rather than 7, and things went smoothly but as i was watching my fish settle, I noticed a couple things. One, i can see green algae forming, finally, which means I'm going to get a bottom feeder, but there's also a brown something forming on my fake plants. I did introduce some live plants a couple weeks ago and they seem to be doing well...but does anyone know what the brown is? If It's another form of algae, is it dangerous?

The other thing I noticed was a single, white worm like thing with a black head. It looked just like poop until i noticed it wriggle and cling to one of the fake plants. I used my net and got it out but it was too small to really study.  Does anyone know what it might be and if its dangerous?

 

[fluttermoth]

The brown is probably diatoms; it's like an algae that's common in newish tanks. It's not dangerous.

Don't forget that all so-called 'bottom feeders' will need additional feeding; it's not possible for them to live just on the algae in a tank. They will also, depending on species, make a lot more mess than they ever clean up, and many of them grow very, very large indeed, so you'll need to do your homework before you commit to buying something. You do not 'need' any bottom feeders; only get one if you're sure it will be happy in your tank, and you actually want one

I'm afraid I can't identify your worm thing from that description. Most 'pests' in tanks aren't dangerous, except to very small fish or fry so, as you've caught it and taken it out, I wouldn't worry, if I were you.

 

[NickAu]

 
Don't forget that all so-called 'bottom feeders' will need additional feeding; it's not possible for them to live just on the algae in a tank. They will also, depending on species, make a lot more mess than they ever clean up, and many of them grow very, very large indeed, so you'll need to do your homework before you commit to buying something. You do not 'need' any bottom feeders; only get one if you're sure it will be happy in your tank, and you actually want one

I would strongly agree with this.
 
 
My experience with " Tank Cleaners"
 
This is how I ended up with 2 Bn Plecos, And I quote " They will be great in your tank, They will keep the glass and substrate clean. They need a new home, Do me a favour and take them, We are moving " Yes the people were moving and I took the 2 tiny BN plecos and put then in my 2 foot tank.
 
Last week I had to put 1 in the 6 foot tank I look after as they were starting to fight, So now I have a 3 inch pleco in a 2 foot tank, Because I want it in there, I know how big it will get and eventually I will move it, I have a massive canister filter on this tank so water quality is not an issue, How can I be sure, My Cherry Shrimp are breeding in the same tank, And my Apple Snails are growing big and fat and never want to leave the water, Oh yes Apple Snails also produce a lot of poop.
 
With the Snails Pleco and any number of shrimp, ( the current shrimp count is 15 big ones Cherry and Glass, and 8 baby cherry shrimp, and I notice 3 other cherries have eggs ) you quickly find you must feed all these cool " Tank Cleaners".
 
I now keep all of them in my 2 foot tank ( 70 LT ) because I want them being fully aware of their needs and IMO meeting those needs, and,  NOT because they " Clean the tank ". That's my job.
 

 
so you'll need to do your homework before you commit to buying something. You do not 'need' any bottom feeders; only get one if you're sure it will be happy in your tank, and you actually want one

 
Some of these suckers grow this big.

 
 
I want some zebra plecos ( M & F ), for that I would get a 6 foot tank.

 

[LatexRevolver]

Oh, i  know they get large, and I already plan on either getting a larger tank when the time comes, or giving them to my manager who has a much bigger tank and has already agreed that he would happily rehome any fish that I find i need to do so with. I've also wanted a bottom feeder since I started my tank, and I know they'll need food as well, not just whatevers floating around/settling on the bottom, but I was waiting because I found that most articles say it's best to introduce them into a tank where there's algae growth already.
 
Oh! and speaking of fry. I moved my dalmation molly fry out of the breeder trap and the orange platy fry, who is still really small, followed him and the dalmation protects the little platy. It's cute.

 

[fluttermoth]

What are the dimensions of your tank and what sort of bottom feeder are you thinking about?

 

[LatexRevolver]

I was looking at loaches or cory catfish, which the latter will probably be best since they only get a couple inches long.
 
24 x 13 x 21  in feet.

 

[Byron]

I'd like to comment on a couple points in this thread.  First up is the "cleaning" aspect.  No fish will clean a tank.  There are fish that will eat some algae, but ironically most of the problem algae is left untouched.  And bottom feeders like corys and loaches will not eat any algae, nor any other waste.  These fish are fish in their own right with specific needs and requirements, and can be extremely interesting additions, but should never be acquired for reasons other than you like the fish itself.
 
Algae is not a bad thing, generally.  It is going to be present in any and all fish tanks because of the nutrients and light.  Algae, like higher plant forms, consumes some nutrients and produces oxygen.  It is only when we have live plants that we have to be vigilant about algae, because it can then overtake the plants.  Any surface under water develops a biofilm, and along with various microscopic critters, algae attaches and thrives on the biofilm.  This is usually the "common" green algae, and fish like otocinclus, farlowella, whiptail, bristlenose pleco, and a few others will readily eat this.  Some livebearers, especially mollies, will as well.  And some of the mbuna African rift lake cichlids eat this algae.  But all of these fish have very specific requirements and should not be acquired if the tank is not suited to them.
 
The second issue on which I'd like to offer some advice concners acquiring a fish that you know will one day need to be moved to another home.  Don't.  Now, it is one thing to have several tanks of your own, and move a fish from one to a larger tank.  But beyond this, never acqure any fish for which you do not now have a suitable home in which that fish can live a full normal life.  We sometimes "plan" on larger tanks, but for many reasons they may not happen, or may not happen in time to help the fish.  Other people may offer to take unwanted fish, but when the time comes may not be able to; and regardless of this, the fish is a living creature that deserves better treatment.  This may sound silly, but it makes the point: you wouldn't get a child intending to keep it only until age 9 or something; animals are life-long commitments, life-long meaning the life of the animal, and fish are just the same.
 
Back to your 20g tank, the dimensions of which I suspect are inches not feet as you typed...forget loaches, they all need groups and get too large for a 20g (the kuhlii can work in a small group, but it should have sand substrate and plenty of hiding places, and can be very secretive).  A small group of cory catfish, five absolute minimum but I would say 6-7, of one of the smaller/medium species, would be nice.  This too is a shoaling fish requiring a group.  If you like this fish, it is an interesting substrate fish for an aquarium.
 
Byron.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Byron pretty much said it all. So I will only comment on the zebras in a 6 foot tank comment above.
 
As somebody who keeps and breeds zebra plecos, I will tell you they do not often belong in a 6 foot tank and they belong even less in almost anything but a species tank. My main breeder tank started out with 13 adults and 5 offspring. It is a 30 gal- 36 x18 x13 inches (lwh). I have a 75 gal- 48x18x21 which holds 20 adults (18 F1 + 2 wc ).

 

[LatexRevolver]

Sorry... I guess I didn't explain it well enough. I didn't PLAN on getting a fish I couldn't keep, but he said that he was there as an option IF one got too big. I love my fish and want to keep them for as long as possible, hopefully their whole, full lives.
 
And i know they won't clean the tank in the aspect that i wont have to do anything, I just have really wanted them for a while but was told to wait till there was algae growth and such.

 

[BiggTexx]

24 x 13 x 21  in feet.

 
If I only had the room for a 50,000 Gallon tank!  I wonder how may guppies I could fit in there...
 
Byron is right though, of course.  You may want to look at a group of dwarf Cory's (Corydoras hastatus).

 

[Byron]

Sorry... I guess I didn't explain it well enough. I didn't PLAN on getting a fish I couldn't keep, but he said that he was there as an option IF one got too big. I love my fish and want to keep them for as long as possible, hopefully their whole, full lives.
 
And i know they won't clean the tank in the aspect that i wont have to do anything, I just have really wanted them for a while but was told to wait till there was algae growth and such.

 
I'm not sure I understand which fish you intend by your last sentence.  You previously mentioned cories and loaches, but as I said they will not eat algae.  If I'm misunderstanding, and you are actually thinking of "algae" eating fish, such as otos, bristlenose pleco, etc, then yes, it is good advice to wait until some algae develops in the aquarium.  This is what is meant when we say that such and such a fish should never be added to a new tank but only an established aquarium; it applies to several fish beyond algae-eating ones.  "Established" is not the same as cycled, as many sometimes assume; it can take a period of weeks to cycle a new tank, but it takes longer before it can be said to be established biologically.
 
Something occurs to me that I missed previously, when commenting on large fish.  One has to be very careful that the fish is always, from day one (the fry stage), in a sufficiently large enough tank to allow it to develop normally.  For example, a fish that potentially attains say a foot cannot necessarily spend more than a few weeks in a smaller tank than what will adequately house it at full size.  Fish grow continually, both externally in size, and internally in organ development.  And a growing fish can very quickly out-grow the smaller tank.  In severe cases we call this stunting; and it is permanent damage internally that can always be prevented if the fish is housed from the beginning in sufficient space and with good water quality.
 
Byron.

 

[LatexRevolver]

So, i wound up getting this cute little algae eater. I believe it's a siamese, or something very similar in pattern at least. I was told it would only grow to be about 2-3 inches which works well with my tank. And I know they don't feed off of tank algae alone, so I got some high brand, organic algae wafers that sink and my molly is going crazy.
 
She's often the 'protector' of any new fish and now that her baby is in the main tank as well as the platy baby, she protects them too....but she's being very aggressive right now and claiming a little piece of the algae wafer for herself.
 
Is that normal? Do fish have cravings? Should I be adding a little more vegetation to their diet?
 
I have Omega one flakes I give them daily, 1-3 times depending on what time I wake up, come home from work, go to bed, that sorta thing. Then I have frozen bloodworms, shrimp and algae cubes that I give them every few days which replaces 2 feedings because there's a LOT packed into such a tiny cube. I also have to put just the TINIEST bit of fry powder in as well during feeding time so that the babies can eat. 

I'm being careful not to over feed, and I know i have to add the algae wafer bits daily for my newest addition(btw, the platy fry i'm selling so it's only in the tank till it's old enough to leave), but she's literally chasing the others away from all of the wafers and I've never seen her so aggressive.
 
What do I do?

 

[Byron]

So, i wound up getting this cute little algae eater. I believe it's a siamese, or something very similar in pattern at least. I was told it would only grow to be about 2-3 inches which works well with my tank. And I know they don't feed off of tank algae alone, so I got some high brand, organic algae wafers that sink and my molly is going crazy.
 

 
I suggest you research the name of this fish, as I have some fears that part of their advice cannot be correct.  None of the "algae" eating fish in the Siamese type group stay small, they max out at around six inches.  There are several similar-looking fish often incorrectly sold as "Siamese Algae Eater" but rarely do they eat algae.
 

She's often the 'protector' of any new fish and now that her baby is in the main tank as well as the platy baby, she protects them too....but she's being very aggressive right now and claiming a little piece of the algae wafer for herself.
Is that normal? Do fish have cravings? Should I be adding a little more vegetation to their diet?
 

 
Two things here.  First, on the diet of mollies.  Mollies naturally feed on worms, crustaceans, insects and plant matter including algae. They require vegetable and green matter in their diet, and should be fed a variety of good prepared foods, with some being algae, kelp or spirulina-based. Algae should be encouraged as an important food source. Blanched spinach can be offered, but remove any that is uneaten as it can foul the water.  
 
An excellent prepared flake for the "green" is the Omega One Veggie Flake; their sinking green food, Veggie Rounds, are good for substrate feeding fish too.  I feed these two products in all my tanks, one day in three, as all fish benefit from the green.
 
Second thing is that most fish will eat if food enters the tank, but mollies are well known as real gluttons, so don't overfeed. Adult fish do not need more than one feeding a day, and missing a day now and then will not hurt.  Fry of course require regular and more frequent feedings as they are developing.  You also mention bloodworms further down...these should be a "treat" once a week, no more.  Worms are very high in fat, and protein, and most fish do not need all this.  The frozen algae cubes are fine more frequently, but I would keep the shrimp to once or twice a week as the exoskeleton (if I'm remembering this correctly) is also something that can cause digestive issues.
 
Byron.

 

[LatexRevolver]

Thank you. Even if the algae eater does get to be 6 inches, I have enough room for him.
 
Onto other things, the frozen foods aren't often. It's every few days and I usually do algae, shrimp, algae, blood worms--alternating like that when it's time. The bloodworms I wind up having to crush  and break apart 'cause Mirage, my fancy tail guppy, ALWAYS goes for the biggest one and i've had to coax him to spit it out before because it was bigger than he was.
 
My real question was if Jazz, my molly, is suddenly so aggressive when I put the algae wafer in, does that mean I should be supplementing more veggies than I have been?

 

[LatexRevolver]

Well, i went to the store and i got some veggie pellets/granules so maybe that'll help even out their diet and help my molly out.