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Hi, I've always had Pleco's in my tank to keep it relatively clean, I'm just wondering what some other people would suggest, generally catfish from my old experience (didn't have tanks for the first two years of living away from family for college) tend to produce more waste than they eat. What would people reccomend to keep my gravel a little cleaner?

(this is pertaining to at least two weeks from now when my tank has been fully treated)

Hi,
Placing catfish in a tank to solely to keep the tank clean
is actually a mistake. They will nibble on any existing
algae, and eat whatever food has fallen to the bottom that
they can get a hold of, but this means that they generally
starve and live a short life and their waste products help
further polute the tank.
If you overfeed deliberately so excess food reaches
the bottom much of it will remain uneaten and pollute
the tank.
You have to "deliberately" feed these fish with foods
held to the bottom, and, you must remove it before
it starts to decay and also pollute the tank.
Depending upon what foods you use, the juices can
pollute the water as well as the solids.

Small catfish, such as the ottos will take care of some
types of algae and leave others alone. They can be kept
in small groups of 3+ in that specific tank. A small group
of the pygmy cories would be ideal.
Some Plecos can out grow that tank and would also
require driftwood for them to gnaw on.

I know you have lost some fish due to Ich from other posts
and that the tank is currently being treated. Many catfish
cannot tolerate even the slightest trace amount of copper
which is the main ingredient of the medication you are
using. Without proper preparation, you could kill off any
catfish you place in that tank.

You should, if you have not already, review the information
on this site's FAQs concerning the Nitrogen Cyle.
What it is, what the bacteria feeds off of and how it works
is absolutely vital to a successful tank. With the death
of some of the fish in the tank you have reduced the fish
population drastically. This, in turn, reduces the amount
of urea and fish waste that the bacteria colonies feed on.
That reduction in food gives way to smaller colonies and if
you suddenly introduce several fish or even one or two
larger fish, the fish waste will exceed the capabilities
of the existing colonies and you will have ammonia and
nitrite which is toxic to the fish present in the tank.
This condition will exist until the bacterial colonies
grow to consume the additional waste products. In other
words, the Nitrogen Cycle has taken a "hit" and will
need to regrow. So don't just dump the new fish in all
at once. Quarantine them, and add them a few at a time
over a few weeks all the while keeping an eye on the
Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate readings of the tank.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I do intend to once it had cleared up etc add just a few (one or two) fish each week. Luckily with my pet store if the pleco outgrows the tank (typically 6+ inches) they will take it back and trade for a smaller one. And I know my nitrogen cycle has probably suffered a fair bit, I also use a waste clean up and cycle boost (to help break down waste and add beneficial bacteria to the tank) on a weekly basis.

Also on a side note, I was hoping for more of a fish that would eat not just the food on the bottom of the tank or the algea, but also the waste products on the gravel etc.
Is there such a fish out there or is my mind screwing with me?

Hi,
If I'm reading your last post correctly, No, there is no
such fish that will eat the other fish's waste products.
Any fish you add to the tank will simply add their waste
products to the tank.

Generally speaking, the larger the fish, the larger the
poop.

I'm not really sure why you want these pleco's. If the
dealer really will take the fish back and trade you smaller
ones in its place, then it's a pretty good deal for him
and possibly for you, as all you are doing is rearing them
up to a certain size, returning them, and then he will sell
them for even higher prices. Be sure and have driftwood
in the tank for them to gnaw on.

Just don't expect any fish to make up for the owner's
shortcomings or mistakes in house keeping.
Having something because you really like it and caring for
it, is vastly different from having a tank full of algae
due to poor maintenance, lighting, or lighting, and
and expecting a fish or fishes, to resolve the problem.

Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I understand the difference between those, and it isn't that I want something so that I can neglect my 'fish-keeper' duties, rather that I want something that I'll enjoy seeing in my tank, and that will help keep parts of the tank cleaner (such as the spots where it is more difficult to clean manually without disturbing the fish to the point of stressing them out).

I also know that most catfish cannot stand the copper so, however it seems to be the most successful treatment (in my personal experience) for ich. I would want a fish that could survive the treatment should I have to do so again. So it comes to, do I just not get anything or do I try to find one that can live in my required situations comfortably, and that I will enjoy having?

Well thats a question for another day, had a few trips to the clinic recently (was in minor accident while visiting friend, someone cut us off and yeah, sore etc...) well thanks for your help, I may bring this back once I have done more research...