AboutDavid St Experience I have been in the hobby for over three years. I am currently setting up an online business to sell aquatic plants. I have raised and bred guppies, cichlids and goldfish. I currently keep over 200 differnt kinds of fish and over 100 different kinds of aquatic plants. I also have been part of a fish rescue group that take in fish people no longer want. I currently have 16 tanks at home plus two hosptital tanks, 1 snail tank, and a nursery for plants. I work in an aquarium so I have some experience in other areas that I do not feel I am an expert in. The most important piece of information that I would like to convey here is the fact that I love fish and have for many years been rewarded by keeping fish. I would like to be able to help people share the same kind of satisfaction that I have had from keeping fish.
Education/Credentials BS Business with emphasis in science.
Expert: David St Date: 7/6/2008 Subject: Bottom Feeder
Question I have a 50 gallon aquarium with 2 African Cichlids and a bottom feeder. The Cichlids are about 4 inches and the bottom feeder about 9 inches. In the last 4 weeks it seems as though my bottom feeder is not doing his job. I have quite alot of algae on the sides and the the bottom. Any ideas to why this is happening.
Answer Hi Johnny: Bottom feeders were never meant to clean your entire tank... you are going to have to clean up some of that yourself. Right now everyone is experiencing an algae bloom. It has a lot to do with the time of year and the amount of light that is around. I would just get a sponge and wipe the insides of the tank down about once per week... you can get a water clarifier which will make the algae that you scrub off of the tank coagulate and get trapped by the filter... You can stir up the gravel too for the same outcome. dave
