Problem with my african tank

[BuggyNutt]

I just realized that my africans ate my pleco. Is there any other algea eating fish that can stand up to the africans because thats the second one they ate. I have had him in there for a year and then added the second one about a month ago. the newer one in the tank got eatin a week ago and I just figured they didnt like him in there area, but when I got up today they had takin out the one I started the tank with. Im kinda mad/upset, he was bigger than the other fish in the tank. Is ther anything I can do or is it goin to happen again now that the have the taste for plecos. I wish I knew which fish ate him.


Thanks
Jason

 

[HarpoGarza]

IMO plecos are useless as far as tank maintnence goes. They eventually get to the point where they make more mess than they clean. The best algea cleaner is a little bit of good old fashion elbow grease!

 

[bro]

Buy a BIGGER Pleco!

 

[Fry]

Forget about plecos with cichlids.

 

[mjime714]

I have always read that chinese algae eaters are good for african cichlid tanks.... bleh!

I put like 4 of them in my tank and within a week they were all dead. My africans would almost team up to attack. As an algae eater swims by a den, one african would chase it right into another african waiting there and they both attack.. kinda strange.

Africans eat algae.. well.. most mbuna do, so some growth is not bad and actually looks nice when the rocks start to get some on them. Feed them less and just scrape off the stuff from the glass and if you can, vacuum the gravel.

 

[repair]

I have plecos in a lot of my african tanks but you have got to make sure that the tank is big enough and they have enought places to call their own home

 

[revkkoolaid]

IMO plecos are useless as far as tank maintnence goes. They eventually get to the point where they make more mess than they clean. The best algea cleaner is a little bit of good old fashion elbow grease!

I agree! elbow grease is the best algae cleaner available.

 

[revkkoolaid]

Anyone know how well to larger species of Pictus cats do with Africans . . . in general?
I don't have much experience with African cichlids. . .
I was thinking about putting my white line pim in my African tank, along with my syno once I can afford the proper rocks for the tank, for hiding places and dens and what not. My african tankhas been a rushed project. I was given every african I own and 2 of my cent. americans over the span of a few days at my job at a lfs by customers who were moving. The only furnishings I have besides plants are a few spare rocks I already had so I was planning on buying some honeycomb rock and building a reef before trying to add any more fish. Good Idea?

 

[silvciv888]

IMO plecos are useless as far as tank maintnence goes. They eventually get to the point where they make more mess than they clean. The best algea cleaner is a little bit of good old fashion elbow grease!

word

 

[Ash]

Anyone know how well to larger species of Pictus cats do with Africans . . . in general?
I don't have much experience with African cichlids. . .
I was thinking about putting my white line pim in my African tank, along with my syno once I can afford the proper rocks for the tank, for hiding places and dens and what not. My african tankhas been a rushed project. I was given every african I own and 2 of my cent. americans over the span of a few days at my job at a lfs by customers who were moving. The only furnishings I have besides plants are a few spare rocks I already had so I was planning on buying some honeycomb rock and building a reef before trying to add any more fish. Good Idea?

Africans are not much of community fish they are mean and beat things up if not eat them. What kind do you have? Generally keep cichlids with cichlids if you can. Pictius Cats will prob. be beat up if they are small enough and if the pictius is big enough and they are alot smaller then he might eat them... cat fish eat anything... my blue channel ate cichlids before w/o a problem but I dont know how big pictius cats get. I tried keeping catfish with mine before and it didnt work b/c first they beat him, he got bigger and ate them. The only one that has worked was my bumbble bee cat that is with my frontosa and parrots. He hides under a rock 24/7 pretty much he eats under there and what not he is a nocturnal guy so he usually isnt bothered, and he has a place to hide that they cant get into. Personally if you wanna mix your cichlids or something hey but I wouldnt start trying to make it a community tank, b/c alot of fish will go missing.