# Tropheus in a Tang Community Tank



## jsimon42085 (Feb 26, 2008)

So I have a 55gal with a couple of Calvus and a Comps (no pairs!) a lone Lelupi, a lone Brevis, and a fancy feather-fin catfish.
I can't even count how many Plecos I have gone through in the past 1 1/2 years. It's a waste of money and effort to keep putting them in the tank.
My question is as follows: 
I know Tropheus and Gobies are strictly herbivores who do a very good job grazing on algae. I have been looking very hard in GA and haven't found any gobies. Tropheus there are plenty of around. Could I put a lone (or 2) Tropheus in this tank to let them clean up the mounting algae problem in the tank. I am worried about aggression, and also diet because everything I have in the tank right now is a carnivore, and I don't want the Tropheus dying of Bloat.
Please let me know if i can do this.
Thanks in advance!!


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

You can try a lone Tropheus in that aquarium if you feed your fish a product like NLS. Also you can try to find Siamese Algae Eaters, they may be difficult to get a hold of but they're resilient and nothing else controls algae like these little beauties. :thumb:


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## Longstocking (Aug 26, 2003)

Have you tried a bushy nose pleco??

I really don't think tropheus is going to help all that much.


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## KATALE (Jul 25, 2008)

imo, i personally wouldnt add just 1 troph.. trophs thrive alot better in larger groups and being that u only have a 55g i would pass cuz u need a larger tank for a troph group.. i cant c why u keep losing plecos.. most plecos do very well in community tanks and are rarely attacked and killed in my experience..given u have alot of rocks or hiding places, the plecos should be fine..

and like u said, the last thing u want is to have to treat a troph for bloat.. if fed and taken care of with proper filtration, trophs do very well..if u feel like u have to add just 1 troph, acclimate it properly and keep an eye out every day to c if everyone is getting along and dont overfeed..

if u run into any issues, u can always bring the troph back to the store and trade for something else


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## SidGuppy (Sep 9, 2002)

a lone tropheus often develops into a real terror

tropheus and featherfins are a bad match as well; once the ventrals are pruned those rarely grow back


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## VT4Me (Mar 23, 2008)

How about some nerite snails?


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## Longstocking (Aug 26, 2003)

VT4Me said:


> How about some nerite snails?


Should work.... didn't want to suggest them since I haven't pulled the trigger yet.


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## VT4Me (Mar 23, 2008)

Got mine the other day. Doing a great job of getting rid of the brown stuff. They are producing a lot of poop at the moment because there is a lot for them to eat. Once the tank is a little cleaner they obviously produce a lot less. I'm pretty impressed so far. And they move fast!

Ya gotta get some!


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## triscuit (May 6, 2005)

Algae can be cleaned up with less food and more water changes, and a monthly scrub of the glass. I have plecos breeding in my cichlid tanks, so it worries me that yours are not making it. I suggest turning the fish you've got into a more interesting group rather than go for the tropheus. The altolamps will hate them, the brevis will likely die of stress, and I can't imagine that you'll have good luck with trophs without figuring out your algae management without them.


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## jsimon42085 (Feb 26, 2008)

I was afraid it wouldn't work. The algae is mainly growing on the sand!?!?!? The glass is actually quite clean. I guess the frustrating thing is that Plecos do fine for several months, then one morning they are upside down on their back!! I don't overfeed, and wtever food is consumed by the cichlids the catfish gets. 
The other frustrating part is that GA is quite lacking in the 'availability' dept. 
If by chance I find a Goby or two, will that perhaps work with the above-mentioned species?


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

Gobies will work in that set up, but I doubt they will bring an end to your algae problems.


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## VT4Me (Mar 23, 2008)

I don't see how a gobie will help keep your sand free of algae. They scrape algea from rocks. If sand algae is the problem I would agree with triscuit that less food, more water changes and less light are your best option. Again, take a look at nerite snails as these will not upset your current tank stock.


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

Reduce either the duration of light or the watts.

Also keep the sand turned up more often.

Sounds like you have to much lighting.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

What color is the algae on the sand? If it is blue-green and slimy that is treated with an antibiotic, erythromycin.

If it is darker grayish green and fuzzy that is hair algae...nothing eats that either. Triscuit gave you good advice, try increasing your water changes (frequency and amount). As an experiment, keep your nitrates right at 10ppm for 3 weeks and I'll bet your hair algae is drastically reduced.


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## jsimon42085 (Feb 26, 2008)

Thanx for all the replies guys. I'm going to start by reducing amount of time the light is on per/day. Water changes I'm pretty good about.


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## xclub (Apr 15, 2008)

I have two Tropheus, a freind of mine lost 28 of them-bloat problem, so he wanted to kill these two and I took them , in one tank with 12 different Altolamprologus, several different Neolamprologus species, Xenotilapia spices... feed them with Tetra and Sera products, even some high protein food...I have no problem with them...they are even "capo di tuti capi" in this tank...

On the other hand I have Tropheus species only tank, feed them with high quality food, frequent water change, I give them all the care that I can give them...and I have bloat problem... :-?

Do not worry just mix them together... :thumb:


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Why should he mix them together? He just wants to get rid of some algae.


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## xclub (Apr 15, 2008)

jsimon42085 said:


> ....Could I put a lone (or 2) Tropheus in this tank to let them clean up the mounting algae problem in the tank....


I know what the Q was...I tryed to explain that Thophs will have no problem with other inhabitants of that thank...

Tropheus will do "it" for him...


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

If you want to keep your sand free of algae, you might want to look into some sandsifters.


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## xclub (Apr 15, 2008)

that is also good idea...


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