The janitor fish is harmless to man and other fishes. Scientiffically called Hypostomus plecostomus, the fish is an imported species of freshwater catfish native to South America. The snails can survive on algae alone, though you might want to introduce an algae wafer if you dont think your snail is getting enough food. Terminal mouths point straight forward and are the most common mouth type. Best of all, they reproduce quite readily, which means youll have platies of all different sizes from 3-inch adults to 0.5-inch babies that can fit into different types of nooks and crannies to look for food. As far as we are aware, there are no freshwater fish that have poop as a necessary part of their diet. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. February 24, 2005. Pterygoplichthys is derived from the Greek - (pteryg-), meaning "wing", (hoplon) - weapon and (ichthys) meaning "fish". What you're calling a "janitor fish" is actually a plecostomus. [8], Pterygoplichthys' habitat is most common in sluggish streams, floodplain lakes, and marshes. Their diet options include worms, frogs, snakes, grubs, insects, crayfish, and other fishes. Scientiffically called Hypostomus plecostomus, the fish is an imported species of freshwater catfish native to South America. Consider adding eartheaters as a fun and docile bottom dweller for any community tank that is 55 gallons or larger. The fish will even gobble up types of algae that other creatures ignore. Loaches are well-known for their love of escargot, especially if theyre a species with a pointed snout thats perfect for sucking snails right of their shells. Make sure to check your spam box! Amano shrimp are the best algae eaters out there, as far as shrimp go. Because they dont get any bigger than an inch in length, Trumpet Snails can get into the tightest spots in search of food. [2] Therefore, obligate cleaners have a higher output of cleaning on a wider range of parasites in comparison to facultative fish. [8], Interactions are begun by the client and ended by the cleaner, implying that the client is seeking out the service where the cleaner has control. 7) Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth Bass fish species are also widespread through Lake Tahoe. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Temperature determines which organisms will thrive and which will diminish in numbers and size. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Not to be confused with the Siamese Algae Eater, this fish is one of the only few algae-eating species that you can keep with semi-aggressive fish. They can also be used as a liquid fertilizer. Superior, or sometimes called supra-terminal, mouths are upturned. [4][5], There are currently 16 recognized species in this genus:[6], Pterygoplichthys can be differentiated from most other loricariids due to their large dorsal fins with 9 or more (usually 10) dorsal fin rays, which gives them their common name "sailfin catfish". More is preferred, as they need some room to swim around. They stay focused and consistently track down algae no matter whats going on. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. We recommend sticking to tanks no smaller than 20 gallons. They can stay healthy in temperatures ranging from 68 to 84 degrees. Some of the foods that are commonly fed to janitor fish in captivity are algae wafers, veggie flakes, romaine lettuce, cucumbers, peas and zucchini. Its easy to differentiate between male and female bristlenose plecos because only males have bristles on their snouts. [10] Cleaner fish are used to eat parasitic sea lice from salmon to reduce outbreaks which cause disease in populations. This species eats primarily aglae, but you want to supplement with vegetables, like . [5] Species of the P. gibbiceps group (species formerly classified in the genus Glyptoperichthys) are easily recognized by a large crest above the back of their skull.[5]. If something disturbs them, theyll wait it out and get right back to work. Siamese Algae Eaters are a great tank-cleaning fish that work hard to keep things looking spotless. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. While they only live for a year, most of that time will be spent chowing down on algae throughout your tank. As for space, a sizable group of 2 to 4 shrimp will only need a 10-gallon tank to stay happy. Moreover, none of the 30 professional water managers, engineers, lake management, and shoreline stabilization company owners contacted in 2004 by a particular study considered erosion caused by the burrowing activity of loricariid catfishes a major problem, except in some man-made lakes in the southeastern part of the state. Spending all of their time cleaning and aerating the sand bed, they might even disappear into the bottom for long periods of time (sometimes for months). Water Temperature Effects on Fish and Aquatic Life <<