Will Bristle nose Plec eat this algae? (Pic included)

[cbr6fs]

I have a fairly new setup just gone through it's cycle.

Currently i have:

4 x Corydoras schwartzi
11 x Harlequin Rasbora's

Echinodorus "Jaguar"
Cryptocoryne Wendtii "Mi Oya"
Anubis Nana
Vallisneria Spiralis


The fish are doing fantastic, but my plants are looking a bit down in the dumps, but then they weren't that good when i bought them.

The problem in question though is my Anubis Nana.




It came with it's leaves looking like that, i can't see any way of removing it without damaging the leaves beyond repair.

As i am planning on adding another fish later this week i was wondering if a Bristle nose Plec would eat that type of Algae?



Cheers
Mark

[crazie.eddie]

If that's the only plant with the issue. then why not just dip the leaves in a water/bleach solution, rinse in water, then soak on water with allot of dechlor. Make sure the bleach is not scented. Anubias leaves can withstand a bleach dip.

[cbr6fs]

To be honest Eddie i had no idea i could do that or even that it would a solution.

I'll do some reading up on that thanks.

[spypet]

A Bristle nose Pleco would be useful
on the wood, plastic, or glass, so yes.
on the plants themselves, probably not.

[Homer_Simpson]

Originally Posted by cbr6fs

..I have a fairly new setup just gone through it's cycle.

Currently i have:..


Echinodorus "Jaguar"
...

As i am planning on adding another fish later this week i was wondering if a Bristle nose Plec would eat that type of Algae?



Cheers
Mark

From what some say, Bristlenose Plecos are known to destroy the leaves of such plants such as swords and java ferns due to their rough handling of them. So, if you do get a BN pleco your Echinodorus "Jaguar" could well end up mauled beyond recovery.

[TammieKaye]

I do not have a lot of experience with BN and planted tanks (new to plants) but I can tell you they are terrific algae eaters, especially when young. So far mine is not bothering my plants, but they are also better at eating when young and mine is a few years old.

[susankat]

Before I lost all of mine in the power outage last month.

I have had them at all ages, 3 pairs of breeders to 225 fry and juvies. They never tore up any of my plants and I do have lots of swords in my tank.

[cbr6fs]

I'm really new to this hobby, but i gotta say 1 of my favourite things so far is the diversity of opinions and experiences.

You get a newbie like me asking can i put 6 corys in with 25 red eyed Piranha/Great white Shark/Killer Whale/Pit bull hybrid.

99% will say no way the little Corys will last only seconds.
Then someone comes on and says i've had my corys with the Piranha/Great white Shark/Killer Whale/Pit bull hybrid for 25 years and they've been great together.

I think a lot of it boils down to like any other animal fish have different characters or personality's.


Still it makes this hobby veeryyyyyyyyyyyyyy interesting.



Eddie, i've read up and asked around on bleach treating plants, it seems people are divided, some say it does not affct 99% of hardy plants, others have said it's destroyed most of their tank plants.

To me very limited experience it looks like that algae is just visually irritating and not posing any threat to my fish or other plants.
So i think i'll just leave it till it spouts new leaves.


Also been doing some reading up on BNP's seems they're really only recommended for well established tanks.
As mine is a new setup i think i will leave it for a month or 2, i don't seem to have any other algae anywhere yet either, so it might be best to wait till it's got something eat.


Thanks for the advice, very much appreciated


Cheers
Mark

[Homer_Simpson]

Originally Posted by cbr6fs

I'm really new to this hobby, but i gotta say 1 of my favourite things so far is the diversity of opinions and experiences....


Mark

Agreed! Totally!! And it makes me sick to my stomach and want to vomit(I almost quit the hobby because of this)!! That is one of the reasons that I became a tester and decided to test things on my own. I believe one of the best ways to find a answer to an issue in this hobby is hands on and to get your feet wet and experiment/test. Then, when somebody says to you, no that is not the case you can say: Based on my experience of setting up some tanks and testing this, you are dead wrong!

I also agree the same fish have differing personalities and I have seen this first hand in over 9 years of successfully keeping fish. With the bristlnose pleco, you take your chances. I would say it's destructive potential with respect to java ferns and swords will be 50/50. It may not bother with your sword, but if it does you will have to be prepared for that. Also, if you get a bristlenose pleco and keep it well fed(a piece of zucchini every other day) and as long as your sword leaves do not develop a ton of algae,which would definitely entice the pleco, you may be fine. I don't have swords in my tanks,but just java ferns, and quite honestly the albino bristlenose pleco in my 40 gallon eats algae but leaves the java ferns alone(but then the java ferns are algae free to begin with). The same is true for the regular bristlenose pleco in my 10 gallon. Another thing, the Bristlenose Plecos need to feed off some Driftwood as they need the cellulose to digest food(algae/zucchini) properly.

[crazie.eddie]

Eddie, i've read up and asked around on bleach treating plants, it seems people are divided, some say it does not affct 99% of hardy plants, others have said it's destroyed most of their tank plants.

Most of my plants did well with a bleach dip. I usually bleach dip and PP (Potassium Permanganate) each plant that I receive or transfer between plants. This is to kill any algae, bugs, snails, and snail eggs. The only plant that didn't do well was a Corkscrew val. Of course, I do not measure the amount of bleach I use. I just eye it and just use enough bleach so it's not as clear as it used to be. When using bleach, make sure it is the unscented kind.

If you are unsure if the plant will withstand a bleach dip, why not just soak one leaf only. If it dies, then you still have the other leaves. If it does well, then you can soak the rest of the leaves.

FYI, I always avoid soaking roots.

Make sure you rinse the plant well, then soak it in a water and dechlorinator solution.

[pdc2104]

I think a lot of it boils down to like any other animal fish have different characters or personality's.

Definitely. But since no one can guarantee the actions of any living creature or know the reactions of every individual animal, we can only work with known, general proclivities of any given species. There are always exceptions, up to a point.

No doubt there are some who have had no problem keeping - for example - bettas and guppies together, but the odds are against peaceful cohabitation. The advice to not keep them together no doubt comes from much experience of dead and de-finned guppies.

In 25 years of fishkeeping and having learned many things the hard way, I'd rather err on the side of caution.

Anyway, when I got my BN plecos back in Sept, my tank was infested with algae. I have not had to remove algae from the glass once since then,and my plants (anubias, Java fern, wisteria and cabomba) are still unharmed! In fact, algae was removed from the anubias and the plants left intact.

I do feed zucchini, algae wafers and cucumbers, and there is plenty of driftwood for them to chew on.

[cbr6fs]

That's great lateral thinking Eddie

Next 30% water change (when i also clean my ornaments and trim the plants) i'll try a leaf, great advice thanks.


I am a engineer by trade and tend to spend most of my free time tuning cars and bikes, i'm a member of various car tuning forums and i understand how you guys must feel.

Often i will take a small risk tuning my car, but i cannot in good conscience "Advise" other people to do the same.
Mainly because i feel if you "advise" someone then you have to take at least partial responsibility for their decision, especially if it goes belly side up.

Also you always have to give the safest possible advise, mainly because you have no idea of the persons ability's.
It's only when you get to know a person and see the mistakes they have made that you can start to judge the limit of their ability's.


So i end up giving people the safest possible advice so hopefully they can start off with something safe and easy and use that a datum point to move forward.




Back onto the subject in hand
I have decided to wait till my tank is a little better established, i will then add a BNP.
I have to stop visiting the LFS though, i only went in for some fert and came out with 3 new Corydoras Melini and 4 new plants



Cheers
Mark