Brackish Pleco ??

Fish Soup · Post by **Fish Soup** » 08 Mar 2005, 21:42

Someone asked me if an Albino Bristlenose Plec could adjust to a SG of 1.005. I know they can thrive in a wide range of pH and hardness, but not sure of the long term effect of salt. Is this possible?

Don

jkj454 · Post by **jkj454** » 09 Mar 2005, 01:17

Hello all...

Don, thanks for posting on my behalf - I'm new to http://www.planetcatfish.com, but have spent lots o' time on http://www.wetwebmedia.com, which is how I "met" FishSoup!

Anyway, I am curious to know about this. I've currently got a 29 gal. BW tank w/ mollies and two knight gobies, but would *love* to have a couple of these cute ancistrus' to watch (and clean up!), if it is possible. If y'all have any ideas about this, please chime in.

Thanks in advance,

jkj454 (Jorie)

Post by **Barbie** » 09 Mar 2005, 04:46

Nope, there isn't. 1.003 for a limited amount of time to treat parasites can be done, but they'll start retaining fluids and have trouble maintaining an osmotic balance if left there more than a few days. Sorry. You might look into some of the nerita snails that have been acclimated to fresh from estuarian conditions. I think Arizona Gardens carries them.

Barbie

Fish Soup · Post by **Fish Soup** » 09 Mar 2005, 04:50

Thanks Barbie. Didn't think it would work but promised to check with the experts.

Don

Mike_Noren · Post by **Mike_Noren** » 09 Mar 2005, 10:19

I'm not sure exactly which species you're referring to, but the vast majority of Nerita snails ARE brackish (or marine) snails, although some species are freshwater tolerant.

They're useless for cleaning, but great for eating algae. They're the only aquarium-suitable animal I've found which will really go to town on Cladophora algae (a nuisance in brackish and other hard-water tanks).
This shows a Nerita (Neritina) natalensis grazing a path through 1/2" thick mat of Cladophora:
http://mikes-machine.mine.nu/temp/Nerit ... C_1109.jpg

(The little white grains are Neritina eggs, but the larvae are planktonic, and it's very hard to get them to survive)

As may be obvious from that image

malaysian tower snails do well in brackish water too, up to about 20 ppt salinity, and are efficient cleaners.
Unfortunately the best cleaners, apple snails (Pomacea bridgesii), do not survive in brackish water.

jkj454 · Post by **jkj454** » 09 Mar 2005, 14:06

Thanks for the info., guys. Are there *any* plecs that can survive in BW, or is the explanation above the same for all, then?

-jkj454

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 09 Mar 2005, 14:10

Seeing as the Ancistrus's are considered among the most adaptable of the Loricariid's ("plecos"), I'd say that the answer is NO.

--
Mats

Post by **Shane** » 09 Mar 2005, 17:45

jkj454,
I am unaware of any brackish water loricariids nor have I ever caught any in brackish waters.
-Shane