Re: Public apology to all

[Erik Olson <eriko@wrq.com>]

On Tue, 26 Aug 1997 IDMiamiBob@aol.com wrote:

> I feel this whole tirade may be simply because I stated my views more
> strongly than is consistent with those views.  In my original posting, I
> explained why I did not want to use algae eaters of any kind.  Gomberg
> suggested I try Siamese algae eaters, anyway.  When I restated my reasons,
> perhaps more nastily than necessary, I was attacked visciously, simply
> because I didn't do as "ordered" by his Lord High Counsel.  

Not much of an apology, is it?

Here's the deal, Bob.  Some of us have spent years trying to get the word
out that not all algae eaters are the same.  Not only are they
different in terms of which algae they might eat and how effective
they are, they're also not in the same genus, they're not even in the same
family...

> However, a few of you have confirmed that attacks do occasionally occur, with
> any species of this group.

...they're not even in the same "group", whatever that means.  This is
what many of us object to, simply your lumping all "ALGAE EATERS" as
equivalent in any way, when they have nothing in common with each other,
other than being fish.  At the risk of going over old material once again,
let me describe some of my favorite algae eating fish, if not even for
your benefit, then for the benefit of anyone who might still get the idea 
that they should only put snails in their tank to combat algae:

_Crossocheilus siamensis_, (aka the SAE) a "barb", eats red brush algae. 
Can get pretty big (requiring a 55g or more), so I don't keep them in
apisto species tanks (typically under 20 gallons), but I do have one in my
large community tank with our Dicrossus filamentossus (that produced eggs
for a few days).

_Otocinclus sp._, a catfish that stays under 1.5" total length and is very
shy and retiring.  I usually keep them in a school, and have kept them in
some apisto tanks with no trouble, as long as I'm not tweaking the pH too
far down.

_Peckoltia sp._, _Ancistrus sp._, loricarid catfishes; these ones I'll
keep in fry rearing tanks once they're a month or two old, but I might
worry about them eating eggs off the caves if the parents didn't stop
them.  I may have a confirmation of this soon, as we just moved some of
our parents into Ancistrus tanks. 

_Ameca splendens_ - A livebearing toothed carp, eats stringy algae with
vigor.  The young MIGHT make good dithers, but I wouldn't try them in an
apisto tank.

NOT on my list are _Hypostomus plecostamus_ (aka the common pl*co) because
they destroy plants as well as algae, and _Gyrinocheilus aymonieri_ (aka
the CAE...  although I like the term "Asian Scale Sucker" that someone
here used) because it doesn't even eat algae.  They are also unrelated.

Some background on this can be found at:
http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~aquaria/Krib/Fish/Algae-Eaters/
http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~aquaria/Faq/algae.html
(among many other places).

After hearing from (Lisa?) yesterday that snails can actually go after the
eggs, I think we're going to go on a Ramhorn snail eradication campaign in
these tanks.  I never thought about that before... thanks!!!

And finally, the best algae preventing method we use in our species tanks
is to keep LOTS of floating and fast-growing plants.  It's a pain to have
to take them out to get the juveniles out, but it sure keeps the
nutrients down, and the fish LOVE the cover.

  - Erik

PS: ObApisto: Kathy & I just picked up some new toys: A. norberti, 
A. borelli, and an unidentified stray trio that I'll put up on the Krib...
stay tuned for "What's that Apisto, II". :)

- ---
Erik Olson				
eriko@wrq.com