What are the best replacement options?
- Thread starter ryanstef
- Start date
Never kept one but remember reading here they are good at eating algae.
Flagtail Prochilodus would graze from the glass if there is no other source of food for it, but it would not be able to actually remove much algal film from the glass. Spot (green) and brown diatomaceous film growth on the glass would not be controlled by the flagtail. From the substratum, flagtail would graze constantly searching for every morsel of just about anything, and continuously suck and spit sand and small gravel if available. One of the best cleaners, but not of algae per se, and should not be left to eat only that. From plants and substratum, it will eat filamentous algae, but not cyanobacteria nor black beard algae.
Here it is eating nori from a hanging clip. Cheers!
Here it is eating nori from a hanging clip. Cheers!
I've got a Flagtail that's about an eleven incher. He'll occasionally put standard feed of one kind or another in his mouth but will spit it out almost immediately. I've never seen him eat anything but algae and I leave the back glass of the tank untouched such that there's at least something for him to eat. I think they do a great job and there's no appreciable growth even on that back glass.
There are a couple aspects that take a little getting used to and one of them is that at feeding time that fish gets as excited as all the others but not for the same reasons. He winds up chasing other fish around (usually cichla in my tank) and they seem to be a little bit afraid of him. Looking at the Flagtail's mouth I don't see that he has teeth or much ability to harm other fish but they def get out of that dude's way.
They're a little odd in a couple other ways as well. One is that every once in a while he'll go to the surface as if he's taking in air but there's no reason for it as the water is agitated and well oxygenated. He's also freakishly fast. Amongst a tank full of quick fish he's the track star.
There are a couple aspects that take a little getting used to and one of them is that at feeding time that fish gets as excited as all the others but not for the same reasons. He winds up chasing other fish around (usually cichla in my tank) and they seem to be a little bit afraid of him. Looking at the Flagtail's mouth I don't see that he has teeth or much ability to harm other fish but they def get out of that dude's way.
They're a little odd in a couple other ways as well. One is that every once in a while he'll go to the surface as if he's taking in air but there's no reason for it as the water is agitated and well oxygenated. He's also freakishly fast. Amongst a tank full of quick fish he's the track star.
Mine (close to 10”) browses from all surfaces, but also eats flake, thawed frozen inverts, crushed meal worms, nori, algae, garbanzos, etc etc, basically anything available! Thus, very different than described above. Individual fish differences? Possibly but this is the third I have had over the years and my experience has been similar every time.
Mine is as fast as described above, even among super fast Hemiodus.
Mine is as fast as described above, even among super fast Hemiodus.
I throw in 50 x golden Chinese Algae Eaters into a 3000 L tank every few years. On bigger tanks, I add 100. These are great cleaners including uneaten food, undigested food in fish poo, biofilm and sheet algae, quite fast - agile and can reach 25cm. Soft suckermouth which won't scratch glass or acrylic. I prefer the golden morph to make it slightly easier to see - catch. They will slowly get eaten by crafty predatory fish over time but readily replaced.
For hair - black beard algae outdoors, many of the distochodus species work well. They hold their own against RTC, TSN, rays etc.
For hair - black beard algae outdoors, many of the distochodus species work well. They hold their own against RTC, TSN, rays etc.
What kind of geographic biotope?
If you are going for a New world/Central American biotope, some of the Goby's are interesting, and are the new. world equivalent to loaches.
The genus Awaous has some interesting characters.
They are called Chupapiedras here in Panana, which translates to stone suckers.
There are also more traditional looking Goby types like the Eliotris goby' below, called Guavina, in Central America
The Eliotris are not algae eaters though, and get even bigger than some Plecos.
If you are going for a New world/Central American biotope, some of the Goby's are interesting, and are the new. world equivalent to loaches.
The genus Awaous has some interesting characters.
They are called Chupapiedras here in Panana, which translates to stone suckers.
There are also more traditional looking Goby types like the Eliotris goby' below, called Guavina, in Central America
The Eliotris are not algae eaters though, and get even bigger than some Plecos.