My baby moba's are too messy
- Thread starter Poekin
- Start date
Plecos and Loaches are not a great choice based on their native environments. Synodontis cats would be a much better choice. I can't speak to the health of the plecostomus species, but loaches develop deposits on the skin in hard water and high pH. and I'm sure the increased organ functioning to rid the fish of excess salts would shorten the life span. I've never seen a clown loach in a high pH and hardness situation that looked healthy. Other than that, most African keepers that I know strive to produce a sort of biotope that mimics the natural environment. As loaches are from Asia, it kind of ruins the entire experience.
that's a good point. If i end up going with the syno's what can i do about keeping my glass clean? I suppose i could just clean it with a mag-float if a pleco isn't suitable for the tank.
Well there isn't a huge mess in the tank right now. But the moba's arent great at eating every little bit of food and there are also very faint algae spots on the glass. I want something that is going to look pretty and keep the algae in control, as well as some type of bottom scavenger that can look pretty and keep the uneaten food in control.
Algea on the glass... Its just going to happen. I don't have an algea eater in either of my tanks. I just have a scrub pad and use that. If you do freakwent enough water changes that'll help with algea. Fresh water will slow it from growing so fast. Same with the lights. If you don't have them on all of the time that too helps slow it.
I wrote out a reply, but navigated away before replying. Long story short.
If you have light, and water, you have algae. Reduce the lighted period and shorten the time between waterchanges- this will help witht he growth of your frontosa fry.
Only feed as much as the fish will eat at one time. Fish should be well fed, but always with an appetite. Feed a smaller amount, but more frequently. ie. feed 3 feedings of 10 grams of food wrather than two feedings of 20 grams.
If this is a tank for raising fry, best to leave it as is. If this is a showtank where the fry are growing out into, then do the above, in addition to any new fish you put in.
If you have light, and water, you have algae. Reduce the lighted period and shorten the time between waterchanges- this will help witht he growth of your frontosa fry.
Only feed as much as the fish will eat at one time. Fish should be well fed, but always with an appetite. Feed a smaller amount, but more frequently. ie. feed 3 feedings of 10 grams of food wrather than two feedings of 20 grams.
If this is a tank for raising fry, best to leave it as is. If this is a showtank where the fry are growing out into, then do the above, in addition to any new fish you put in.
Its a show tank that the fish are growing out in. Neither the algae on the glass or the uneaten food is a huge problem. I just wanted another type of fish in the tank. I thought it would be nice to get something that looked good and also did a bit of maintenance for me 
I feed the little guys a pinch of NLS twice a day. They always seem hungry and don't leave much behind, but when i do my 50% change every weekend, there are still a few particles of food left over that they must have missed. I guess i can try to feed even less and go up to 3 times a day.
As for the lights, i have moon lights as well as my regular main light. They are on one of those coralife timers, so maybe the added LED moon lights make for too much light?
Either way, i want to add something to the tank.
I feed the little guys a pinch of NLS twice a day. They always seem hungry and don't leave much behind, but when i do my 50% change every weekend, there are still a few particles of food left over that they must have missed. I guess i can try to feed even less and go up to 3 times a day.
As for the lights, i have moon lights as well as my regular main light. They are on one of those coralife timers, so maybe the added LED moon lights make for too much light?
Either way, i want to add something to the tank.
A few LEDs are so low wattage, they wont likely add much for algae to use.
Personally I like to keep my tanks biotopically correct, so i have chosen five 2-3" synos to get into the nooks in the rockwork that my adult frontosa cannot. If they are the species I identified them as they wont grow much larger than 3". need to spend some more time looking at them.
You cannot add Synodontis if your babies are small, they will be eaten. How big are they?
Personally I like to keep my tanks biotopically correct, so i have chosen five 2-3" synos to get into the nooks in the rockwork that my adult frontosa cannot. If they are the species I identified them as they wont grow much larger than 3". need to spend some more time looking at them.
You cannot add Synodontis if your babies are small, they will be eaten. How big are they?
