Re: Algae eaters and pH

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Re: Algae eaters and pH
From: Liisa Sarakontu <lsarakon at hila_hut.fi>
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 1995 21:16:11 +0200 (EET)
In-Reply-To: <199510190519.BAA08886 at looney_actwin.com>

> All Loricariidae like their pH at about 6.8. Similar with
> the SAE-s and realted fish, I believe.

Ideal pH for SAEs and their relatives is about 7.0, but at least real SAE
can tolerate a very wide pH range, from 6.0 to 8.0 without any problems. 
Its relatives might be little more delicate, but slightly over 7.0 is
ok with all of them.

>  LS> so I can't compare them from my own experiences.  I have three
>  LS> "spotted bristlenoses", Ancistrus sp. cf. temminckii and I'm very happy
> Does it have black body with small white dots like stars?

No.  Dark brown with yellowish brown spots, about 3 times bigger spots than
the "hoplogenys" type you are describing here.  These Finnish Ancistrus
cats look much like A. temminckii or A. dolichopterus.  The black with 
white tiny spots is called "pearl bristlenose" here.

There are at least 50 Ancistrus species, so there probably are slightly
different behaviour patterns in this group: some eat plants, some don't.
Some are more effecient with algae, and some are more aggressive.  The
genus is right now under a revision, so perhaps we'll learn more about
different bristlenose species after Swiss Sonia Muller has been able to
complete her work.
 
> Agreed. Very effective, however, they cannot be kept with
> delicate, large-bodied fish.

Why?  Have your fish attacked their tankmates?  Mine has never done
so, although there is one big pearl gourami in the same tank.  (Well,
he isn't actually a delicate fish, but a big, mean fighter.)

Liisa Sarakontu                     INTERNET:    lsarakon at hila_hut.fi
Helsinki University of Technology   WWW homepage http://www.hut.fi/~lsarakon/