Good Back Glass Cleaner

[stackem evs]

Got a well planted new cycled tank, over couple of weeks got fist shoal of platies in.

The back pane is already getting algae on it. I assume this is a lack of flow of cycling water through the plants.

What is a good small fish which would happy go behind the plants and clean this? Would something like a bristlenose (cant afford a zebra..) get into areas like that?

Thanks

 

[kniesh]

I wpuld add 3-4 of these little guys. They're great for smaller tanks.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=35094

 

[Torrean]

or rubbernose plecs. what size is the tank. A bristlenose might work too.

 

[stackem evs]

Its a 45gal tank, so size is not the issue. But it is heavily planted across the back and back two corners. I like the idea of a bristlenose, but don't think they would get in behind the plants. Down the lfs seen similar black with yellow dots, think called a snowball cat.

kniesh; I like the otoc's you point to. Read about Dwarf, Golden Otocs (also known as Dwarf Suckermouth [I think]), on the fishforum listing, but it had no pics. I really like the idea of a small shoal of cory's, would you see these as a better option.

 

[gangeox]

I'm pretty sure the cory's wont bother with the algea, there more of a substrate cleaning crew, i would go with the oto's but i've read that they need a mature tank.

 

[Dave Spencer]

If they are brown diatoms, a small group of Otos will be great. Mine went in to a one week old heavily planted tank.

 

[vinylman]

A lot of people (me included) don't clean the back glass. That way, there's always something for the Otos if they don't get any of the wafers I put in on a night.

 

[stackem evs]

I wpuld add 3-4 of these little guys. They're great for smaller tanks.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=35094

Down my lfs at the weekend he said, due to the small size of the otos, I would need about 15 to be of any use for my 45gal tank.

Does this sound right?

Would 4-6 be a good small shoal (assume they are not actually a shoaling fish).

 

[alexdallimore]

i just use a raror blade to clean my glass. Go to a decorators and get scraper blades. I use them as a window cleaner and they do not scratch your glass and they will get the algea off in 5 mins

 

[Dave Spencer]

Down my lfs at the weekend he said, due to the small size of the otos, I would need about 15 to be of any use for my 45gal tank.

Does this sound right?

Would 4-6 be a good small shoal (assume they are not actually a shoaling fish).

Sounds like somebody wants your money, to me.

4 - 6 would be a nice number because they like eachother`s company.

 

[vinylman]

I wpuld add 3-4 of these little guys. They're great for smaller tanks.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=35094

Down my lfs at the weekend he said, due to the small size of the otos, I would need about 15 to be of any use for my 45gal tank.

Does this sound right?

Would 4-6 be a good small shoal (assume they are not actually a shoaling fish).

Actually, just re-reading your first post, it may be wise to hold off for a couple of weeks, as I'm sure Otos prefer mature water. They also have a tendency to die for no apparent reason after being introduced to the tank. But don't be put off - they really are fabulous fish, I wouldn't be without mine. I have five in a 4ft tank, and rarely have any algae to scrape off, even on the back wall. Always remember - a fat Oto is a happy Oto!.

 

[richchappy]

may get 3 myself lol look fun

 

[vinylman]

I'd say three as a minimum.

 

[Torrean]

with ottos the more the better. Not sure how true this is but I learned it from an lfs employee in a conversation about ottos. I think we were talking with another customer and I said something about the bacteria ottos use to digest the algae they eat dieing off during transport. He said yeah that's true. That's why it's a good idea to get as many as you can. If any of them still have the bacteria then it will be present in there poop. This will allow the other otto's to reestablish there bacterial colonies