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spindaddydad · 03-08-2005, 06:38 PM

I searched and didn't find a problem similar to mine. I'll try to be as thorough as possible because I'm not sure what is causing my problem so please pardon the length of my message.
I have a healthy 55 gallon bowfront tank with an assortment of fish that are alll healthy and thriving. I have had the tank for about 4 years and experienced very low fish loss. I have a plecostamus (sp) which I think is a common pleco but not sure. He is approxiimately 7" long. He no longer cleans the glass, in fact he swims upside down at the surface eating the tropical flakes.

I noticed a small bit of green algae beginning to grow on the surface of the glass, so I put a Chinese Algae Eater in. He immediately begand to clean the algae from the surface and I was back in business with a spotless tank.

The Chinese has now stopped cleaning the glass as well as other surfaces. The algae began to accumulate again. It is not running rampant yet, but small green spots are accumulating on the curved side of the bowfront tank (none grows on the flat surfaces of the glass).

To attempt to remedy I have increased and decreased the amount of algae wafers I feed them thinking that perhaps I was feeding them too much or too little algae wafer. Stopping did not remedy. Neither has increasing wafers.

Seems like if I include a new Chinese, he will clean the glass again, but I'm certain he will become "lazy" or "spoiled" like the other Chinese and the Pleco.

Any thoughts as to what could be causing my problem and/or how to remedy it?

03-08-2005, 06:38 PM	#1
spindaddydad Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 1	Algae Eaters and cleaning tank glass I searched and didn't find a problem similar to mine. I'll try to be as thorough as possible because I'm not sure what is causing my problem so please pardon the length of my message. I have a healthy 55 gallon bowfront tank with an assortment of fish that are alll healthy and thriving. I have had the tank for about 4 years and experienced very low fish loss. I have a plecostamus (sp) which I think is a common pleco but not sure. He is approxiimately 7" long. He no longer cleans the glass, in fact he swims upside down at the surface eating the tropical flakes. I noticed a small bit of green algae beginning to grow on the surface of the glass, so I put a Chinese Algae Eater in. He immediately begand to clean the algae from the surface and I was back in business with a spotless tank. The Chinese has now stopped cleaning the glass as well as other surfaces. The algae began to accumulate again. It is not running rampant yet, but small green spots are accumulating on the curved side of the bowfront tank (none grows on the flat surfaces of the glass). To attempt to remedy I have increased and decreased the amount of algae wafers I feed them thinking that perhaps I was feeding them too much or too little algae wafer. Stopping did not remedy. Neither has increasing wafers. Seems like if I include a new Chinese, he will clean the glass again, but I'm certain he will become "lazy" or "spoiled" like the other Chinese and the Pleco. Any thoughts as to what could be causing my problem and/or how to remedy it?