Its been quite a while since my last post, you know how it is, life gets in the way of our hobby sometimes, so I thought I would try to ease myself back into the swing of writing again by looking at some of my non-rainbowfish. If you have read any of my previous posts on rainbowfish, you will be aware that they are my passion, but there are a number of unsung heroes in my fish tanks that deserve at least a moment in the limelight. This short article is a dedicated tribute to them.
The True Siamese Algae Eater (Crossocheilus oblongus) pictured above brings with it an unrivalled reputation as the number one eater of black beard algae (BBA) in the hobby. Point of fact, it may be the only fish I have heard of that eats that nasty stuff. Hailing from the Mekong basin and the Malay peninsula, this bottom dwelling Asian Cyprindae may not be the prettiest, but it's a must have for the planted tank. I wouldn't be without one.
It was a few years back when I wasn't regularly dosing my Easy Carbo like I should have been. Cutting a long story short, the fluctuations in CO2 concentration caused a BBA explosion in my planted tank, and it looked hideous. Whilst I hated it, it also appealed to my analytical side, and I slowly set about finding out how the BBA took hold. The beauty of a planted tank is that everything in it exists because of balance. The explosion in BBA was caused when that balance became upset. My research began by ascertaining how the BBA came to take such a hold (CO2 fluctuations) so that I could focus on putting the issue right. Yet, in the case of BBA, you can fix the underlying issue, but this stuff if stubborn, and so I also had to come up with a practical alternative strategy for getting rid of it. Management techniques include dramatic increase in CO2 (can be stressful to fish, epecially fish like rainbowfish that like a high oxygen content), mechanical removal (i.e. manual removal of all BBA from every plant, rock and piece of wood by hand - I don't think so!) or buy a few Siamese Algae Eaters. The beauty is that sometimes the path of least resistance is the best path to go on. I bought six of these guys and inside a few weeks, the BBA was gone. Bargain at only £3 - £4 each.
By word of warning though, these guys are easily confused with a number of other species that will not touch your BBA. They include the Flying Fox and the Chinese Algae Eater. To avoid disappointment, assume the shops have mislabelled the fish you are looking for, and make sure you positively ID the True Algae Eater before you buy.
It was a few years back when I wasn't regularly dosing my Easy Carbo like I should have been. Cutting a long story short, the fluctuations in CO2 concentration caused a BBA explosion in my planted tank, and it looked hideous. Whilst I hated it, it also appealed to my analytical side, and I slowly set about finding out how the BBA took hold. The beauty of a planted tank is that everything in it exists because of balance. The explosion in BBA was caused when that balance became upset. My research began by ascertaining how the BBA came to take such a hold (CO2 fluctuations) so that I could focus on putting the issue right. Yet, in the case of BBA, you can fix the underlying issue, but this stuff if stubborn, and so I also had to come up with a practical alternative strategy for getting rid of it. Management techniques include dramatic increase in CO2 (can be stressful to fish, epecially fish like rainbowfish that like a high oxygen content), mechanical removal (i.e. manual removal of all BBA from every plant, rock and piece of wood by hand - I don't think so!) or buy a few Siamese Algae Eaters. The beauty is that sometimes the path of least resistance is the best path to go on. I bought six of these guys and inside a few weeks, the BBA was gone. Bargain at only £3 - £4 each.
By word of warning though, these guys are easily confused with a number of other species that will not touch your BBA. They include the Flying Fox and the Chinese Algae Eater. To avoid disappointment, assume the shops have mislabelled the fish you are looking for, and make sure you positively ID the True Algae Eater before you buy.
The Emerald Catfish (Brochis Splenden) is one of my favourites. This chubby fellow hails from the Amazon Basin, the Rio Tocantins of Brazil to be precise and grows to around 8cm or so. I've been a fan of Cory Doras for the last decade or more, and whilst these guys arn't Corys, the sure look and act pretty similar; they're just a pumped up version. This is perfect for my tank, as they don't seem to get intimidated by the bigger Rainbowfish. Peaceful and shy, it took quite a while before I would say they felt confident foraging about my tank. Even then, any sudden movements as i'm walking by will in all likelihood causes a frenzy into the dense undergrowth where their emerald green scales camouflage them beautifully. Keep them in groups, and provide plenty of places for them to hide and this will help improve their sense of security and confidence. The more comfortable they feel, the more likely you are to see them. If all else fails, drop some pellets into the tank, and just like clockwork, they'll be out an about in no time looking for some leftovers. That just what they do. These guys are my garbage disposal technicians. They turn the substrate and eat up any food that falls their length - pellets, flake, bloodworm, and of recent, some CE Fish Essentials Naturecare which they eat with gusto.
The Dwarf Chain Loach (Ambastia Sidthimunki), affectionately known as the ‘Munki’ are an absolute hive of activity and a pleasure to watch. These inquisitive little fellows are constantly on the move and they love investigating their surroundings. Give them plenty of cover, keep them in a group of at least six and you’ll be surprised with how much of their time they spend in mid water shoaling with the rest of your fish. The rest of their time is spent rummaging through the substrate or settling the latest squabble - and they squabble pretty frequently. These little guys come from the streams of Northern and Western Thailand, and only grow to around 6cm, making them the perfect inhabitant for most community tanks. Unfortunately, their situation in the wild remains precarious and this is currently a protected species in Thailand. The fish we get in the hobby are captive bred as a result of hormone treatment, though a few fortunate private breeders have managed to get these guys to breed without hormones, though not on a large scale from what I can gather.
Like the Brochis Splenden, these guys do a good job of rooting around in the substrate and mopping up any food that falls to them. In addition they also do a great job at controlling any pest snail explosions, and that's something the Splendens don't do. I occasionally order in live plants, typically discounted plants from various sites. Every so often, they come with snails. As many of you will know, once snails get in your tank, it doesn't take long for the population to explode. There are various methods of control, which involve either a lot of work, or else the use of chemicals. I have tried manual removal which is fine, but you're never done, and to be honest, I prefer not to use chemicals, I just have a complex about putting them in my tank. I avoid this if I can. But getting the opportunity to control a pest snail explosion with these guys...yes please!
Like the Brochis Splenden, these guys do a good job of rooting around in the substrate and mopping up any food that falls to them. In addition they also do a great job at controlling any pest snail explosions, and that's something the Splendens don't do. I occasionally order in live plants, typically discounted plants from various sites. Every so often, they come with snails. As many of you will know, once snails get in your tank, it doesn't take long for the population to explode. There are various methods of control, which involve either a lot of work, or else the use of chemicals. I have tried manual removal which is fine, but you're never done, and to be honest, I prefer not to use chemicals, I just have a complex about putting them in my tank. I avoid this if I can. But getting the opportunity to control a pest snail explosion with these guys...yes please!
The final fish that I seem to not be able to do without is the common bristlenose Ancistrus. It's almost traditional to have some sort of sucker fish in your tank these days, but as i'm sure most of you already know, theses guys play a very practical role and it's no good having a fish tank to look at if you can't see through the glass. Part of the issue here is that I believe sunlight is the best light for viewing rainbowfish in, and I purposely position my tank to catch some of its rays. This I believe shows rainbowfish off the best. The drawback of course is that the increased light causes the green algae to grow much quicker than it otherwise would. These guys help keep things under control. Unlike some of the very similar looking pleco species that can grow to a foot long, these guys only grow to about 12cm making them perfect for the home community tank. They don't uproot plants, they don't eat live plants, and most of the time they keep to themselves.
Well, these seem to be the only fish I currently keep with my Rainbowfish. Are there any others that any of you keep with your Rainbowfish?
Well, these seem to be the only fish I currently keep with my Rainbowfish. Are there any others that any of you keep with your Rainbowfish?