My sand bed is 1" thick. By maintenance I mean taking my shirt off to reach to the bottom of the aquarium to remove fish waste twice a week.
Angelfish and Firemouths
- Thread starter Angelphish
- Start date
If I get the Geophagus, those will basically be my only sand sifters. Right now all of the waste sits on top in large piles.
Ah, a pleco. What type? IME plecos vary considerably in this respect. Some, like common plecos, or big wood eating species like royal plecos, live up to their rep as 'poo factories'. Others I've had, for example L001, L200, L444, are reasonably to very good at algae with a lot less mess.
Group of juvie geos or couple of adults will sift a lot of sand, some species more than others. Filter setup, tank decor, and water currents can also make a difference where or if waste collects in some spots. So there are several variables that can make things either low maintenance or a pain in the neck.
Group of juvie geos or couple of adults will sift a lot of sand, some species more than others. Filter setup, tank decor, and water currents can also make a difference where or if waste collects in some spots. So there are several variables that can make things either low maintenance or a pain in the neck.
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I have a common pleco. It was a mistake I made at the very beginning of my hobby. It was one of my first fish, but I'm not the type of person who could easily let go of a fish, especially when I've had them for that long.
That's usually the size they max out at, but they can get to 8". Speaking from personally experience
With a group of Geos you ain't never have to vacuum fish waste again. But do change water often.
Been there. It can be a bit of a dilemma. Had an albino pleco years ago, didn't realize back when I bought it that it was basically a common pleco in a different colored suit (technically, a "common pleco" can be one of a few similar looking fish). Nice fish in its own way, ate lots of algae (and anything else it could find) and made a big mess... which fed more algae, which it ate, etc. etc.... and, they live quite a while.
Can't tell you whether or not a group of geos will totally solve your sand cleaning problem, then. By the time I had geos I had other, less messy plecos. The geos definitely will want sand to sift... what some people have done is get a power head they can turn on at certain intervals to blow waste into their filter intakes...
Can't tell you whether or not a group of geos will totally solve your sand cleaning problem, then. By the time I had geos I had other, less messy plecos. The geos definitely will want sand to sift... what some people have done is get a power head they can turn on at certain intervals to blow waste into their filter intakes...
I bought septobac about an hour ago and it is supposed to eat the fish waste, but in return it leaves more nitrates.
+1... again. With mine, average for full grown males has been between 6 and 7 inches and what I found was, like a lot of cichlids, you'll get at least a few in each spawn that grow fast, big, and beautiful and they end up larger than average, between 7 and 8 inches.That's usually the size they max out at, but they can get to 8". Speaking from personally experience
With a group of Geos you ain't never have to vacuum fish waste again. But do change water often.
Comes down to 'the luck of the draw' (plus nutrition, tank size, water) what you'd actually get in a particular small group, whether yours will be average sized or if you'd get any larger or smaller. But at least ime I'd expect 6" to be a minimum for males.
Theoretically, that would mean less sand cleaning, just change out more water (assuming your water source is low in nitrates).
Not familiar with that exact product, but there's been an interesting thread here-- two, three years ago? --about probiotics helping keep tanks/filters cleaner. Might be an interesting read for you if you can find it.
