Bolivian ram?
- Thread starter fishwish34
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MK, I personally don't think a BN would work in a 20gH. A 5" fish with a relatively high bio-load 24" long tank doesn't bear thinking about, IMHO. Mine was bad enough in my 29gal when he was 3"...now that he's bigger, I wouldn't have him in anything less than a 40gal breeder.
That being said, if you can get one that is strong enough, a rubberlip pleco might be a good choice. They only get to be about 3.5-4" and have a significantly lower bio-load, from what I've read. Or nerite snails always work.
Otos aren't recommended for new/young tanks, as they are all wild-collected and sensitive to water parameters. They also don't take readily to prepared foods, like algae wafers, or even veggies (I know some people have gotten theirs to eat zucchini and cucumber, but mine never have), so you have to have a readily-available, constant source of algae for them to eat..
That being said, if you can get one that is strong enough, a rubberlip pleco might be a good choice. They only get to be about 3.5-4" and have a significantly lower bio-load, from what I've read. Or nerite snails always work.
Otos aren't recommended for new/young tanks, as they are all wild-collected and sensitive to water parameters. They also don't take readily to prepared foods, like algae wafers, or even veggies (I know some people have gotten theirs to eat zucchini and cucumber, but mine never have), so you have to have a readily-available, constant source of algae for them to eat..
Snails.
Bolivians will probably pick your substrate clean, so you'll want to make sure there's a wafer in the tank. Not Wardleys since it has copper. Hikari is good. If you go with snails then you'll probably want a calcium source as well. Boiled flat shells, crushed up washed egg shells (In a nylon), or calcium pills all work.
BN, Bulldog (rubberlip) or Clown plecos all grow between 4-6 inches or so, depending on feeding and breeding. The same would go with the ultra-expensive zebra pleco. You'd also need some wood in the tank (except for the zebra). From what I've seen they really don't mess with the glass too often. Snails pretty much live on the glass.
Bolivians will probably pick your substrate clean, so you'll want to make sure there's a wafer in the tank. Not Wardleys since it has copper. Hikari is good. If you go with snails then you'll probably want a calcium source as well. Boiled flat shells, crushed up washed egg shells (In a nylon), or calcium pills all work.
BN, Bulldog (rubberlip) or Clown plecos all grow between 4-6 inches or so, depending on feeding and breeding. The same would go with the ultra-expensive zebra pleco. You'd also need some wood in the tank (except for the zebra). From what I've seen they really don't mess with the glass too often. Snails pretty much live on the glass.
Someone on this forum (I can't remember who, but I think it was Bass) suggested I get a cuddlebone for my snails as a calcium source. Just to clarify what that is incase anyone doesn't know, it's those white things parrots chew on. Would I just put in the the back of my filter or what? They don't need to chew on it, it just needs to be disolving into the water, right?
If you don't want the cuttle bone to show, you can definitely put it in your filter chamber.
aakaakaak, maybe you should clarify your measurements on the plecos. The rubberlips and clowns do not exceed 4". The zebra does not exceed 3". Only the bristlenose gets to be 5-6". Also, my bristlenose does hang out on the glass, but he bolts away as soon as he sees me approach. My clown doesn't go anywhere near the glass. Also, ALL plecos benefit from driftwood. However, the zebra pleco has been found to be mainly a carnivore and not a very good algae eater.
aakaakaak, maybe you should clarify your measurements on the plecos. The rubberlips and clowns do not exceed 4". The zebra does not exceed 3". Only the bristlenose gets to be 5-6". Also, my bristlenose does hang out on the glass, but he bolts away as soon as he sees me approach. My clown doesn't go anywhere near the glass. Also, ALL plecos benefit from driftwood. However, the zebra pleco has been found to be mainly a carnivore and not a very good algae eater.
I agree with others' advice here - otos are great after your tank has been established for some time, and if you have lots of algae. To start with, a couple of snails are a safer bet. Also, not all tanks will necessarily have algae issues that the occasional scrub can't handle - with your conservative stocking plans, you can wait to see what kind of algae-eating critter you might need, and have room for the extra bio-load.
Cheers,
Laura
Cheers,
Laura
Most places I've seen charge $10 for a GBR or Bolivian. I got lucky and only paid $6 for my Bolivian. The guy at the LFS (the one who knows his business) ranges his rams from $6 for a Bolivian to $16 for a full-sized GBR. He even had itty-bitty EBRs, but that's yet another color morph.
Bolivians are supposedly harder to kill (not that we try to kill our fish) than GBRs too.
Bolivians are supposedly harder to kill (not that we try to kill our fish) than GBRs too.