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Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #840
Subject: Farowellas vs. Peckoltias
>Farowellas are unique and supposedly good algae eaters, but I've read
>they get big and are delicate. Anyone kept these before? Also, do they
>prefer the glass or leaves to chew off algae (I've kept ottos that stuck
>to the plants and plecos that liked the glass better)? Finally, (and
>most important) how effective are they compared to Peckoltias?
>
>Peckoltias are cool and stay small. However, they can't compare with
>the unique appearance of a "Twig Cat" (the wonderful jargon of the
>employees at Petsmart).
Peckoltia sp. eat little if any algae. They are neat fish... I have a
number of differnt specis spread among my tanks. But don't count on them
for algae control. IMO, Farlowellas are too big for a 26G tank. If your
algae is under control, they will most likely starve to death. Get a bunch
of Otos instead.
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Subject: Re: cheap substrate heating
>Good idea! The what you have described is a basic heat exchanger. Think
>of the radiator in your car. Silicone tubing would be good to run the
>lines, but to "pickup" and release the heat energy from the ballast you
>would need to use something more conductive to heat. Food grade copper
>tubing, if it suitable for use in the aquarium, comes to mind.
Copper is a really bad idea in an aquarium. It is toxic to plants, fish,
and other organisms as well.
Karen Randall
Aquatic Gardeners Association