'sucker fish'

[lily]

As a kid, we had tropical fish in a tank and had fish I knew as 'sucker fish'.
Obviously this wasnt their real name and I dont know what they were but they used to go round the tank sucking up dirt and I think even pooh!

Is there an equivalent for our pond?

The water seems pretty okay but it is only over a couple of weeks since we made that pond.
The pond liner is however already covered in a muddy green coloured 'fur'... as are the stems on the water lilies and on the reeds.

Our other wildlife pond which has only plants and some introduced taddies and some frogs who found their own way there is slimy on the planmts and rocks etc under the water but not to the furry extent of the fish pond which is only a couple of days younger.

Advice appreciated... Im hoping there isnt a limit to the patience and advice here as I have lots to ask at the moment.

 

[koikeepr]

I think you are thinking of plecos. You an keep these in a pond, but they do get very large. There are some breeds of pleco that are smaller and won't get larger than 8", however.

You do have to get a breed that can tolerate cooler temps (depending on where you live), and many folks will bring them inside in winter.

 

[shanezam203]

Yes to Koikeepr's point I tried a 4" Pleco in my 100gallon pond and after sitting in the bag still from the fish store for 20 minutes, once in the water instantly he died of shock... So I must not have bought the right kind.

There is a very large one nearly 12 inches at Petsmart that would be nice, but my pond is too small currently for that big of anything.

Goodluck,
Shane

 

[27goldfish]

I had one in mine. I forgot to take him out in the winter and he died.. The guy grew 4 inches in one season though!!!

 

[lily]

thank you all.
I think that they would probably grow too big for our little fish pond.
I have bought some plants to try and resolve things but will start different thread.
ps. I want to thank each person for taking the time to reply but dont want to clog up posts saying thankyou each time.
Could someone please tell me the etiquette for showing appreciation to replies?

 

[koikeepr]

Lucky for you, we just added a THANKS button. You can see this green button below the thread that someone has just posted. If someone has helped you or you just plain ol' liked what they had to say, you can just click thanks button.

 

[Squidhead]

Plecos are great at first when they are small. As they grow into there adult size they start to produce more crud then they help prevent. A bristlenose Pleco is a smaller variety 5-8" adult size. It would depend on species how big they get. Maybe consider Japaneese trapdoor snails? I never had experience with these particular snails but I have read they do a great job cleaning plants leaves of algae without harming the plant. Then again I've read a ton of stuff that later proved to be just "fish stories". Maybe there are people here with experience with them. Your number one defence of unwanted algae is weekly water changes and maintainance.

 

[koikeepr]

I agree Squidhead. I always thought these sucker type fish ended up producing more waste and were more of a pain than the actual algae. Same with snails, except they can did on you and you don't even realize it and then they end up polluting the water column.

You are 100% right that regular maintenance is the only way to do it.

 

[Squidhead]

Too bad there isn't a cold water version of Oto cats (Otoinclus catfish) they are the best for algae cleaning on plant leaves. They only grow 2" max, I never had one ever go much over an inch. For a pond you would need about 300 of them per 1000 gallons and you could never catch them before winter. But I always had them in every planted tank I set up. I also had a team of 5-7 clown loaches for snail control. I would transfer them from tank to tank as needed. I never really would have a snail infestation once I figured everything out, but once in a while if I got lax on my maintenance I would get a population explosion. The little snails where actually great at cleaning the leaves also.
Well that tid-bit wont do squat for a Koi Pond, but if you have problems with a planted tank, Oto's and clown loaches are a great "clean up crew".

 

[koiguy1969]

hey dont be bad mouthing my piecos now...myh only complaint is you never really see them in the outdoor pond, even at 17" like mine they are always stuck somewhere out of sight

 

[Squidhead]

hey dont be bad mouthing my piecos now...myh only complaint is you never really see them in the outdoor pond, even at 17" like mine they are always stuck somewhere out of sight

Don't get me wrong, they are some cool looking fish. They are almost pre-historic looking. You are right about them hiding. I had one that would hang upside down on a piece of driftwood so it wouldn't be bothered. I think it thought that no one could see it. When the lights went out, he would creep arround. When the LED "moonlight" lights came out, I installed some, and all you could see was his silhouette lurking. It was creepy cool. I had to get rid of him once he got too big, but I did benefit from the trade. While searching my "lost" pictures I came across him ( or her ). I hope I can find the rest of that file on the disc.

I guess with a pond to enjoy them you have to stroll out at night with a flashlight, or install some sort of "moonlight" under water lights.

 

[koiguy1969]

mine had koi eggs on him a few days ago!!

 

[Squidhead]

mine had koi eggs on him a few days ago!!

A picture would have made it as a cover photo on a Pleco website for sure!