Pleco for Goldfish Tank

drpleco · Post by **drpleco** » 07 Jan 2006, 23:17

Hi all,

I'll try to make this short. My goldfish can only tolerate one kind of food but this food causes bloating in my bristlenose. Thus, I need a new algae eater for my goldfish tank (65 US gallons, 36x18x24 in) that can tolerate a daily food with 42% protein.

Is there something omnivorous that would eat algae effectively, not attack the goldfish, and not get bloated on the goldfish pellets?

I do feed zuccini, but can't feed it exclusively. Algae isn't a huge problem, but will become unsightly without an algae eater on patrol. I had a gibby for a while, but it attacked the goldfish at night causing torn fins and missing scales. It doesn't need to be pretty, just have the ability to thrive. Temp is 75, ph 7.6, nitrates get to about 15-20 before a weekly 50% wc. My water is moderately hard, but I can't test it for sure.

Thanks so much!!!!

Andy

WhipTail · Post by **WhipTail** » 08 Jan 2006, 06:52

No any plecos in goldfish tank. Please.

http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/4468/com ... tions.html
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/4468/faq_care.html#Q13

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 08 Jan 2006, 10:38

Are you sure the bristlenose wasn't just gravid?

drpleco · Post by **drpleco** » 08 Jan 2006, 17:03

yeah, her belly is brownish, not orange. She's albino, so I can tell easily. I breed these in a seperate tank, so I see gravid fish every few weeks. She definitely has a belly full of goldfish food.

I haven't fed that tank in two days, so hopefully she'll empty out before I move her.

B-2 · Post by **B-2** » 09 Jan 2006, 03:12

I had a hypostomus living with my two goldfish for a year (the pleco stayed in my 50 gallon and the goldfish got relocated to their own tank for eating my plants). I fed my goldfish flakes (now they get pellets) and my pleco algae wafers. Maybe you can make sure your goldfish eat all the pellets and scoop out any leftovers (easiest with floating food). Then you can feed the pleco something with less protein.

Jon · Post by **Jon** » 09 Jan 2006, 04:08

"http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/4468/faq_care.html#Q13"

I disagree. I keep single tailed goldfish, koi, sucking cyprinids, and several large pterygoplichthyinids (along with two lepomis and a few madtoms which are still, surprisingly enough, still alive) in our pond with no issues that I am aware of. If goldfish were unable to coexist with any other fish, then, logically, wouldn't streams containing wild goldfish populations in Asia support no other fish? Doesn't make ecological sense to me.

EDIT: Should goldfish be feeding on such protein-intensive foods? I was under the impression that they require quite a bit of vegetable matter (I feed "spirulina" wafers, citrus, and peas regularly).

drpleco · Post by **drpleco** » 09 Jan 2006, 05:35

I didn't think that they should be either, but this is the only thing that works. I have a large Ryukin that will float all day if fed anything else. I used to feed spinach, zuccini, peas, and shrimp exclusively, but his swim bladder won't handle it anymore. Weird, I know. I think it may be something about the density of the pellet that creates ballast, maybe.

I'd get rid of him and just focus on the healthy fish, but who else would want the responsibility? And I wouldn't euthanize him because of this. Thus my need for a compatible pleco.

I'm thinking of just trying a large common or sailfin and keeping it well fed. If it gets fiesty, I'll just trade it for some snails or something.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 09 Jan 2006, 12:13

My initial reaction was the same as Jon's.

I wouldn't think that keeping any Liposarcus/Pterygoplichthys specie would work that well. They aren't nice companions for goldfish for the very reason you have stated in your first post.

How about feeding the bristlenose more vegetable matter [or can't you do that because the goldfish will get it also?]

--
Mats

drpleco · Post by **drpleco** » 09 Jan 2006, 14:50

I can clip a raw ziccini slice for the bristlenose that's too tough for the goldies to eat. The problem is the pleco eating goldfish pellets that get missed.

I've heard of people using otos for algae patrol, but I'm really worried that they're too potentially edible. They would be too small to eat the goldfish pellets, however.

WhipTail · Post by **WhipTail** » 09 Jan 2006, 14:58

drgold wrote:I've heard of people using otos for algae patrol, but I'm really worried that they're too potentially edible. They would be too small to eat the goldfish pellets, however.

Not with the goldfish! OMG.

Goldfish are eating otos for sure.
Otos need very clean and soft water.
They dont stand any nitrates and need lots current.