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New Cichlid Tank - Add a Pleco? [message #10023]

Tue, 05 August 2008 13:21

Hyper-W

Messages: 4
Registered: August 2008
Location: Catonsville, MD

Junior Member

Greetings -
I'm in the process of starting my first African Cichlid tank. I've currently got the tank running and I'll be adding fish in a few weeks or more.

I have always loved how plecos and some catfish keep my tank so clean. I know Plecos are hearty fish and can survive the chemistry required for African Cichlids but is it a good idea?

My experience from South American Cichlids tells me to add my Pleco first and get him comfortable before adding Cichlids so that they do not get aggressive.

What fish do you recommend with my cichlids? Are there any scavengers and/or bottom feeders that would do well?

This noob needs help!

--
Hyper-W

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Re: New Cichlid Tank - Add a Pleco? [message #10027]

Wed, 06 August 2008 11:18

Malawi Mother

Messages: 1439
Registered: February 2007
Location: Phoenix AZ

Senior Member

It sounds like you know what you are doing. Just remember to make sure the tank is COMPLETELY cycled before adding any fish.

A good bottom dweller (scavenger) that does well with african cichlids is the cory catfish. I have seen this work many times in this paticular tank.

The best pleckos to go with is the bristle or bushy nose pleckos. If you go with a regular common pleckos, get one bigger then the cichlids and yes put it in the tank before adding any new fish. 50 percent of the time, a common pleckos doesn't do well in an african cichlid tank.

If you go to the picture book tab and click on Malawi Mothers "current pictures" (I think that is what it is), there is a nice list of fish that do very well together for a beginner tank. I will go get the link and past it here on a reply to this message.

http://members.cox.net/rpagan2/cichlid%20signiture.JPG

Please come visit me at www.facebook.com RohndaPag@yahoo.com

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Re: New Cichlid Tank - Add a Pleco? [message #10028]

Wed, 06 August 2008 11:21

Malawi Mother

Messages: 1439
Registered: February 2007
Location: Phoenix AZ

Senior Member

Here is the link

http://www.africancichlids.net/forums/index.php/t/1920/858/c 0471aae8c7d633cea3a207357ff0411/

Please come visit me at www.facebook.com RohndaPag@yahoo.com

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Re: New Cichlid Tank - Add a Pleco? [message #10030]

Wed, 06 August 2008 11:34

Hyper-W

Messages: 4
Registered: August 2008
Location: Catonsville, MD

Junior Member

Thanks for the input.

Is there a reason the common pleco doesn't do well? I thought with its size that it would be left alone.

Will the Bristle Nose be able to handle the pH? I just pulled some profiles on these guys and it seems their range tops out in the mid 7s. My goal is 8.2 pH on my tank.

--
Hyper-W

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Re: New Cichlid Tank - Add a Pleco? [message #10031]

Wed, 06 August 2008 11:43

Malawi Mother

Messages: 1439
Registered: February 2007
Location: Phoenix AZ

Senior Member

I don't know why the common pleckos doesn't do well sometimes. I have heard so many people say it does well in their tank and the half the time I hear just the opposite. Could be that some african cichlids are just too aggressive for this fish and size has nothing to do with anything when it comes to african cichlids! Laughing

The best advise about pH is to check with the place you intend on puchasing your fish from and see what their pH is. In most cases certain fish that you buy in your area will be in the same pH that comes out of your tap in your house. If this is the case, then your fish will do fine.

It's some what hard to raise pH the natural way with crushed coral or bits of coral from the ocean. I myself have been struggeling with this as my tap water is only 7.2 on the pH and I have put coral bits into the tank and have gotten it to 7.6 which is safe for cichlids. Yes it's true that cichlids thrive in higher pH but because they are adapters by nature, they have adapted to the lower pH values like 7.6.

I do not recommend raising your pH by the use of chemicals. There are natural ways by means of filtering and corals that you can use and a little tid bit, drift wood lowers pH so you may want to rethink that. I have beautiful drift wood that is sitting out in my back yard for this reason. I had it in my tank for a long time til my pH started dropping by the local city water. Now I have resin drift wood that looks real and so forth. One really great way to raise pH is to put Limestone in your tank but good luck on finding it unless you live next door to a cory or something like that. Malawi Lake is filled with Limestone which is what makes their water pH just right for the cichlids.

Please come visit me at www.facebook.com RohndaPag@yahoo.com

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Re: New Cichlid Tank - Add a Pleco? [message #10044]

Fri, 15 August 2008 14:16

dandrews

Messages: 1
Registered: August 2008

Junior Member

Of all the different types of plecos I have put into my african tanks, I have to say the Bristle Nose faired the worst, My africans just tore up his whiskers/Bristles, not to say it does not do its job, it just has a harder time doing it. My ordinary plecos have faired well and seem to do a better cleaning job then some of the more ornate ones. I have had a blue eyed clown pleco that seemed not to do much work at all. I have an orange/gold tipped pleco (not sure of the exact name/type) that seems to do really well on the tank and the fish leave it alone. My wife has a couple of zebra pleco in with her tanganyika fish. Needless to say I like the ornate ones but all have seemed to fair well.

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Re: New Cichlid Tank - Add a Pleco? [message #10045]

Fri, 15 August 2008 19:53

Malawi Mother

Messages: 1439
Registered: February 2007
Location: Phoenix AZ

Senior Member

OMG, I am so sorry. You are the first person that has ever said that on this forum. I personally have never had experience with the Bristle nose or Bushy nose but wanted one myself because of all the good input I had gotten from countless numbers of people.

I am very very sorry. I don't even know what to say or advise you on.

My deepest apologies,

Rohnda

Please come visit me at www.facebook.com RohndaPag@yahoo.com

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Re: New Cichlid Tank - Add a Pleco? [message #10563]

Thu, 30 July 2009 15:04

brokenspoke

Messages: 1
Registered: July 2009
Location: il

Junior Member

I know how cichlids don't get along with plecos, mine is an ordinary one (I think) and it is missing an eyeball now.

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