Pleco with Malawi's (or other cleaner fish)

[BadAndy]

Has anyone had any difficulty with introducing a pleco to a tank of Malawi's? Not adding them all together but adding the pleco months after adding the malawi's?

The reason I ask is that I have a pleco in one of my 55's (non-cichlid) and I moved him into my 29 (non-cichlid) and man did he do a number on the algae growing on the back of the tank. He has my 29 gallon spic and span in a week. I am thinking that I should get a pleco for my 29 (which will be exchanged for another 55 when I find the cash). And since my 55 cichlid tank is covered in algae - I was thinking that I could add a pleco to it and have the pleco clean up the tank. i have read accounts of pleco's living with oscars and other cichlids and I have also read of a pleco being housed with rift-lake cichlids but the rift lake cichlids killed the pleco. So, I am wondering if anyone has any experience with this? Or if everyone thinks it is a bad idea then what would a good cleaner fish be for a malawi tank besides my arm?

Thanks for the help.

BadAndy

[Woot]

I have a 5" pleco, I'm not sure what he is. I'm pretty sure hes the "common" pleco that you find at most LFS. He was only 1.99 or so and I got him around 3 years ago for my 30 gallon when I kept Tiger barbs, Neon Tetras, and some cory cats. He is the only fish from those setups that I still have. I've kept him in my 30 gallon with Yellow Labs, Hongi Red Tops, Red Zebra, and some young Lombardoi Kenyi with no problems. When he was in my 55 gallon with the larger Lombardoi males/females, Acei, Blue Cobalts, and Johanni, he did get picked on a bit for some reason so he was moved back to the 30 gallon where he has healed all up. So its probably gonna vary from cichlid to cichlid. I hear bristlenose plecos work pretty well with african cichlids as well, but I myself haven't kept those yet.

[BadAndy]

That sounds like a similiar set-up that I have. I've got labidochromis pearlmutt, red top hongi, kenyi, labidochromis sp. mbamba, placidochromis phenochilus, bumblebee, and a rusty cichlid. and I was thinking of getting a bristlenose pleco for my 29 gallon. So, i could get one for my cichlid tank and if it doesn't work out then I can put it in my 29 gallon. Must be fate . . . one of the fish stores I go to just got some bristlenose plecos. If I do it, i'll let everyone know how it goes.

BadAndy

[jnorris]

plecos are pretty durable. I have a 3" common Pleco in a 90 gallon Malawi tank (with 22 Cichlids in it) and he gets picked on pretty well. He has been in there for 4 months and he is doing fine (minus some fins).

[SGypsyMermaid]

:lol: you guys are neatniks! i love the look of algae-covered rocks in my tanks. i prefer synodontis cats--they don't scrape algae, but they don't take any guff from the cichlids--they give as good as they get! :wink:

[BadAndy]

I don't mind algae covered rocks but I don't like the algae covering the back wall of my tank. I'm just lazy. I could scrape the algae off the glass but why scrape when i could have something eat it. It seems like a much simpler solution. Plus while I try to do water changes every week sometimes it doesn't happen like that. And if i go longer than a week the algae builds up on the sides, back and front of the tank.

[jonah]

I consider the algae a vacation feeder. The fish pick at it constantly off the rocks and I've got so much rock I can only see part of the back glass. I'm watching some mbuna pick at the glass right now.

I'll trade algae any day for the 2' poop strands from a pleco.

[SGypsyMermaid]

I'll trade algae any day for the 2' poop strands from a pleco.
:rofl:

[Quig]

I'll trade algae any day for the 2' poop strands from a pleco.

2" :rofl: Hell, my pleco is at least 14" long and theres times she will leave strings of stuff all over the tank. Makes a HUGE mess. It only happens once in a while, so unless she's got a bowel problem I'm guessing she's laying eggs??? :?

[SGypsyMermaid]

uhhhh...quig--i think you mis-read jonah's post :P :shock:

[Mbuniac]

Just exactly how are you getting an accurate measurement on that sort of thing :?:

[jonah]

Mbuniac- It was in a 6' tank and was at least a third of the tank in length. It seemed like it would do it after every waterchange/gravel vac. :x

[M_sfan87]

I currently have a 7 inch plus, common pleco in a 30 gallon tank with ten 2 inch Cichlids. I have had the tank set up for about 2-3 months. I transported the pleco into the tank when I bought the fish. They have worked out fine, not hurting the pleco at all. I just bought a smaller pleco (2 inches) and put it in another tank of mine, that holds three 5 inch Cichlids. They have been bitting at it a little. Anyways I think the key is to add the fish at the same time. Or if thats not possible try cleaning the fish tank and move everything around so the pleco will have a chance to gain some territory. I have done this before, and it seems to work.

[Mbuniac]

It's those dang 6' tanks! They'll do it everytime.

[SGypsyMermaid]

It's those dang 6' tanks! They'll do it everytime. :rofl:

[Mbuniac]

HEY! :o Wait a minute, now that I think about it the 125 I'm getting is 6'!!! Gonna have to find a Pleco substitute.

[love my fish!]

I'm trying tilapia in my 30 gal (2) i have a zebra pair 2 rams a bumblebee a peacock and a firemouth they fill up on flake so i light feed once a week and the tilapia do a pretty good job so far

[Mbuniac]

I'll check 'em out, thanks for the suggestion.
Sam

[SGypsyMermaid]

[quote:b6651e96eb="love my fish!"]I'm trying tilapia in my 30 gal (2) i have a zebra pair 2 rams a bumblebee a peacock and a firemouth they fill up on flake so i light feed once a week and the tilapia do a pretty good job so far[/quote:b6651e96eb]

that's quite an interesting concept--tilapia as algae-eater. what kind of tilapia is it? you may run into some problems with that collection of fish: ramirezi and a firemouth with lake cichlids. :?

[jonah]

My money's on the bumblebee (if it's crabro). :wink:

[M_sfan87]

BumbleBee

[jnorris]

I have had 3-5 platys in my 90 gal 3 months, since the start. My PH is at 3.4 and the salt is rather high...

Any bets?

:twisted:

[M_sfan87]

Bet's me... :shock:

[jnorris]

The mbuna are as tolerent as can be.

I have some real issues coming up.....

[jnorris]

Test...This is only a test....
just checking my new insightful quote

[jnorris]

correction 8.4

[love my fish!]

I am new to cichlids but the guy at the lfs said they would all be ok together I am not sure of the type of tilapia they are mostly silver w/some black stripes and a red tip on the tail

[SGypsyMermaid]

can you ask your lfs the next time that you go, what the fish is called?

[nefenbaker]

SGypsyMermaid:
I like the synos better too. But I have found they are not always so good at fighting back. I have an upside down catfish (s. negriventralis) that has most of its finnage eaten off by mbuna. Mbuna seem to be good at sneaking up behind fish and nipping. What specific synos/cichlid combos do you have, and how is their size comparison?
-Nefen

[jnorris]

I have to transfer my Pleco back to another tank after his job has been done. This gives him a chance to grow his fins back.

[SGypsyMermaid]

[quote:b649dd6b59="nefenbaker"]SGypsyMermaid:
I like the synos better too. But I have found they are not always so good at fighting back. I have an upside down catfish (s. negriventralis) that has most of its finnage eaten off by mbuna. Mbuna seem to be good at sneaking up behind fish and nipping. What specific synos/cichlid combos do you have, and how is their size comparison?
-Nefen[/quote:b649dd6b59]

hey, welcome back! i have nigriventris in with my mbuna as well as ocellifer, eupterus and petricola--the only syno that couldn't cut it with them so far was a decorus. i listed all of my cats here:

http://www.cichlidforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=317

[kameronesdiablo]

I have to go with the bristlenose...

I actually have one pretty darn aggressive :twisted: red zebra who shares a home with a Bumblebee, female kenyii, an acei, and yellow lab all of which range from 2 inch to 4 inch. The bistle I have is about 3 1/2 inch and I have yet to see any of the cichlids bother him. Actually I use to joke that he must scare them with his bristle on his nose! :twisted: I have actually seen my Red Zebra chase everyone out of the side of the tank she is on yet lets the brisle hang out inside the entrance to the hallow log like thing I have in the tank which she claims as "her spot"!
:shock:
I also have a chinese catfish and he is crazy....always running around, kind of looks like he is on speed :lol: ...always busy and always on the go...The RZ messed with him ONCE! He wapped his tail end and smacked her and since then she has left him completly alone!!! :lol:

[SGypsyMermaid]

[quote:cee8a78893="kameronesdiablo"]
I also have a chinese catfish and he is crazy....always running around, kind of looks like he is on speed :lol: ...always busy and always on the go...The RZ messed with him ONCE! He wapped his tail end and smacked her and since then she has left him completly alone!!! :lol:[/quote:cee8a78893]


:mrgreen: