Pothos and Algea eaters...

[Racersk]

Long time hobbyist and lurcker...but I am stumped.

I have done my due diligence, Googling, and real life experience. But I am finding these are contradictory. The net says Pothos is non toxic to fish. But I have had zero success with algae eaters in my Pothos laden tank

I have pothos that I have grown exclusively in my takes for years. Roots down in the water, usually no leaves under the water line. I can not keep algae eaters in this nitrate remover tank for the life of me. I have a shoal of like 15 Exodons in this tank with zero casualties so I know the water is at least acceptable, these fish are very unforgiving in bad water.

This is a 60g tank above(& fed by) my 180g. I have had no issues with any other inhabitants, just algae eaters (Siamese and Plecos) and snails die too...but could be due to my very soft mountain fed water. My numbers are always 0's, nitrates at about 40ish ppm tap too.

This is over several months. Adding new stuff and find the bodies 2-3weeks after introduction. The only difference from top to bottom tanks is the Pothos roots in the top tank only.

See pics, top tank is the tank in question with the Pothos roots dangling (there is a SIGNIFICANT amount of root structure there...)

Thoughts?

 

[duanes]

I used Pothos for decades and never had Pleco types die.
I now use other plants like Deiffenbaci (similarly as toxic) also, without problems.

You don't specify which algae eater species, so I just assume Pleco.
I don't see any sunken wood in the tank.
Many Pleco species need to eat wood to aid in digestion, I wonder if there isn't wood in the tank, they are substituting Potho's roots, and eating enough to toxically overwhelm
My tanks with Pleco's always use plenty of wood, to satisfy that part of their dietary needs.

 

[fishdance]

Porthos is poisonous if eaten. Most fish realise this and stop eating it before they die.

You can get nitrate removing advantages by passing the tank water through a pleco free chamber containing porthos or switch to a different plant.

 

[Deadeye]

Are the bodies torn up at all? I wouldn’t put anything past exodons.

 

[Backfromthedead]

Well there's not a lot of details involving the deaths of the algae eaters...any chance they are being methodically slaughtered by the exodons(which they are famous for)?

 

[fishguy1978]

Hmm, I see convicts and Oscar’s both killing machines when they want to be. I have pothos growing in a couple tanks with no issues.