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Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V3 #251



Jeff asked about:
>Also does anyone know of a web site with info and preferably photos of
>Farlwella (sp) or whip tail cats?  I was hoping to find out more about them.
>I have seen them suggested as algae eaters. Maybe I can find them in my
>area.

I've been lurking for a few weeks trying to learn enough to make the leap
and setup the planted tank my husband and son gave me for my birthday. My
son's tank (15 gal) was set up for fish only, but I got so interested in
plants that we made a deal--the fish are his and the plants are mine. Well,
we're learning, anyway.

We bought a Farlowella (aka Twig Catfish) because we got green algae on the
glass when the winter sun hit the tank. "Herb" did a marvelous job of
cleaning the glass. Alas, when we got an infestation of this long black
hairy stuff, he wouldn't touch it. We bought what we were told was an SAE,
but he (Harry) won't touch the new algae either. In the mean time, Herb
died (starved? somehting else that took a few Danios too?) and the hairy
algae grows on. We are now in search of Flagfish.

BTW, Whiptail Catfish (Rineloricaria) are totally different than
Farlowella. Tails are a bit different, and the Farlowella has a long snout
that sticks out beyond the sucker. (I wanted to name ours after Jimmy
Durante, but my son would have none of it.) I know nothing about Whiptails
other than what I read in my book, don't know if they'll eat algae as well
as our Farlowella did.

Sorry, I don't have a URL to share with you. My "Aquarium Fish" by Dick
Mill, Dorling Kindersley pub. has great pics and info though.


Mary Westland
westland at ma_ultranet.com