Thanks! I do have carbon and will be replacing that, as well as cleaning all the gunk on the flow bars and intakes. Would it be OK to put a plecco in the tank to help clean the glass?
A little late to this discussion, nonetheless here goes. I'll start by saying I have 2 ancistrus, 3 golden algae eaters and 7 cory julii sharing a tank with my three juvenile turtles (one about a year and a half, the other two about a year old). Everyone is healthy, active and seems to get along well with everyone else. The fish and turtles have been in the same tank for 8 or 9 months and no fish have been eaten yet. For security I have a couple of stainless wire shelf units in the bottom of the tank so the fish have about an inch and half of relatively safe space. I also have a number of items in the tank that provide hiding spaces for the fish. That said, I'll add that the turtles mostly ignore the fish even when the corys are swimming around them. The goldens are much more cautious and don't swim near the turtles.
If you are seriously considering adding fish (or a few) to your tank to help with the housekeeping, be advised that many plecos can grow to 2 FEET or more in length! That's a heck of a lot of fish. For most tanks, the preferred algae eaters are ancistrus, sometimes called "bushy nose" or "bristle nose" plecos. They are NOT the same as plecostomus (Hypostomus plecostomus), the cute "little plecos" you will find in your LFS, even though they look similar when young. Ancistrus typically grow to 5-6 inches max. You'll find them only in some fish/pet stores and you'll probably have to ask around to locate a store with a knowledgeable fishman who knows what you're talking about. Your average salesperson will try to sell you a plecostomus and may even try to convince you it won't get "too big". Ancistrus are nocturnal so they'll do most of the housecleaning while everyone else is sleeping and hide out during the day in whatever safe holes you provide for them. That means you won't see them very often. But if you've got algae you will see it disappear.
I don't recommend Chinese algae eaters (Gyrinocheilus) for two reasons. First, they can grow to 11-12 inches and get pretty unfriendly as they get bigger. I don't think they would be much of a threat to your adult turtles, but they will harass any smaller fish in the tank unless you keep them very well fed. Second, they tend to stop eating algae as they get bigger and older. So you end up with a big, ornery fish that will only add to the waste in your tank. On the other hand, the albino Chinese (aka "Golden algae eater") will max out at about 5-6 inches and continue to eat algae. As long as it has plenty to eat it also will not harass other fish in the tank. Although, if you have more than one golden in the tank, one of them will become dominant and grow larger and more territorial than the other(s) and will harass any other goldens a bit. Again, best thing to do is make sure the goldens get plenty to eat, algae or otherwise.
I got the corys to clean up the bottom debris, which they do really well. They also like to eat the layer of slime that forms on everything in the water. The goldens like that stuff, too. All my goldens grew up with the corys, and get along well with them. The corys are very fun fish to have as they are quite entertaining. You need to have a min of 3 (I'd even suggest a min of 5), however, since they are a schoaling species and do better the more of them you have.
Finally, if you keep fish to eat algae and turtle food leftovers, be sure to feed them real fish food as well. Otherwise, they'll probably starve to death eventually. Unless you've got a really dirty tank, there won't be enough algae and turtle scraps to keep your fish alive very long. I give my fish some food and an algae wafer in the evening when I feed the turtles. Unless I over feed them, they will pretty much eat everything by the next afternoon.
Fish are fun, too!
Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 6:25 pm When to Clean Filters
