Can/What should I add?

[pmoyniha]

Hi, I have a 20 gal. with 5 Head and Tail Light Tetras (one died), 3 Harelquin Rasboras, 2 Clown loaches and 2 hilside loaches. And lots of plants. The problem is that nothing seems to want to clean up so to speak after my plants. I get a fair amount of debris, but the clown loaches just eat the roots as they form and dont touch the leaves and what not that falls off every now and again. The stuff builds up as it catches in the plants and then i have to shake the plants a bit in order to clean it out, which causes a lot of distress to the plants and fish.

Is there a type of fish (or snail) I can add that will clean up the plant debris, and if so do I have room given the tank size. The Hillside loaches dont seem to need to much space, but I dont want to crowd anyone.

Thanks
pat

 

[pmoyniha]

anyone have some advise??

 

[suemack]

hiya pmoyniha I put ottos into my tanks to help to deal to the algae but although they are awesome little fish they are not terribly efficient at getting rid of it. However have heard that bristlenoses are very good but do apparently need some wood in the tank to suppliment their diet.
sue
p.s. I did have a problem with the ottos in my fry tank where there is only gentle filtration and the nitrate levels got too high - one died and had to move the other to a tank where there was a bigger filter, more water movement and lower nitrates (he's fine now)

 

[Morrgan]

Right now I can't think of any aquarium fish that would be happy eating rotting plant material. It might be best if you'd try to remove the dead plant leaves before they fall off. What kind of plants do you have?

 

[pmoyniha]

I kind of figured that was the answer I was going to get. Laziness never seems to pay off over hard work .

I have some Red Ludwigia, an Amazon Sword but the real problem is this other stuff I bought. The pet store name was Ambula. It has really fine almost needle like leaves that seem to shed constantly. It is growing fast, but losing leaves almost as fast. Then those leaves get caught on other plants and build up in masses that the filter cant suck hard enough to move. I wonder if it is how the plant is spread in the wild, but I dont want it to spread .

Anyways Thats the problem if you have any ideas other than manual clean up id love to hear it.
Thanks
Pat

 

[Inchworm]

Hi pmoyniha

The bottom line here is that you have to clean your tank on a regular basis or you will wind up with dead fish.

That's the worst of it. Now, this is why. When you have fish, they eat and their waste products fall to the bottom of the tank. You might not always see it, but it's there. If you don't siphon it out and clean the gravel (while you are doing the once weekly partial water change) it will just continue to moulder and polute the water. When you do this, you can suck the plant debris up and out of the tank at the same time. It's really not a big deal.

That's all there is to it. Fish are little live creatures that depend on you to keep their world in a livable condition.

Now, do you know how to use a siphon?

 

[Morrgan]

Hmm, I can't seem to find any information about Ambula on the internet and I don't have any books on plants, so I can't guarantee that this is true, but I seem to remember reading somewhere that this can happen if the plant has some kind of nutrient or mineral deficiency. Perhaps try giving it some fertilizer?

 

[Inchworm]

.... Perhaps try giving it some fertilizer?

It might not be the best idea to add more chemicals to a dirty tank with a clogged up filter, IMHO.

I think it would be better to get rid of the plants and replace them with more of the ones that have already shown that they will do well under the existing lighting conditions.

But, the tank will still need weekly cleanings.

 

[Morrgan]

Hmm, good point, Inchworm. Guess I wasn't thinking about the whole picture. That plant sounds like more trouble than it's worth, really, so your advice about replacing it with something else could be better.

 

[pmoyniha]

Hi,

I do siphon my tank every couple of weeks. The trouble is that this stuff collects not only at the base of the other plants but all the way up them. So when I try to siphon it off, the plant gets pulled out of the soil. I think I will have to remove the entire plant like it was suggested by a couple of you. I just hate to waste money that way. I have been using "Kent Freshwater Plant Supplement" (liquid) in my tank and a DIY CO2 system. So I'm guessing I need more light which is hard to fit into my 20gal canopy (but thats a question for another thread).

Thanks Again,
Pat

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Pmoyniha,

While there is usually a certain amount of work required to keep fish, the hobby should be relaxing. It should bring you pleasure---not aggravation.

It sounds to me like, whatever you may have paid for this plant, it is more trouble to you than it is worth.

Why don't you just get rid of it and chalk it up to experience? That way you can get back to enjoying and taking pride in your tank. IMHO, it's a small price to pay in exchange for the enjoyment you will again have.