algae eater

[Mariaqua]

Hi everyone!

I finally got my M. palembangensis!!! He (or she, I don't know) is at home since monday!!

I just want to know what kind of algae eater can I put with him? He's in a 35g. I'm wondering if I can add a pleco? I read a few posts on the subject but I'm not really sure what to think... Maybe some of you have experience with palembangensis?

Thank you!

[pinkfloydpuffer]

I don't know about the puffer... but if they are compatible with plecos, you'll have to get a small species of pleco, as the common pleco will get much to large for a 35g. They need at least 55. But smaller ones like the bristlenose would work great (IF the puffer will get along with them)

[Myaj]

That species is a lurker/hunter, and no tankmate will be guaranteed safe from it.

You will have to be the algae cleaner, I'm afraid I'd suggest feeding the fish BEFORE sticking your hand in the tank to clean, especially once its full grown.

[Mariaqua]

He can bite me?! I already heard about this kind of story but not with the palembangensis!!!

I need to be careful... Myaj, did you make the experience of the attack from a palembangensis?

I suppose that any puffer can bite...

[Pufferpunk]

My lil Congo used to bite me & Hubby all the time.

[Myaj]

I've never owned a Palem, but my turgidus has a facination with my fingernails and will try to grab them any chance he gets. He's only about half the size of a full grown palem, so I'd imagine it would hurt a bit worse from one of those! My little guy can give me a blood blister if he gets me good.

[Homer]

I happen to own a palembang (Homer), although he /she is still reasonably young right now at about 10cm in length... but to answer your question, chances are no Algae eater will survive the night, at least from my past experience with them... since as i found out the hard way, any slow moving fish is potentially going to end up as a meal for a Palembang, especially one that likes sticking to a surface and not move such as pleco's...

just my 0.2 cents...

[Mariaqua]

Thanks to all of you!

Finally, like you said Myaj, I'll be the algae eater (or cleaner!!).

And Homer, what kind of food do you give to your palembang?

[Troender]

Having tried to keep an algae eater with a puffer, I can tell you that it is a risky business. Even a pretty big, well armored catfish was an easy target for a clever puffer. The puffer went for the catfish's only vulnerable area: the belly. My catfish got a really nasty wound on its belly. I was prepared for it though, so I removed the catfish as soon as I saw the wound, and the fish healed cleanly (and is still with me, in a less dangerous environment, though). So it's a wise choice you've done now.

Any puffer can bite, but some are more aggressive than others. I have the same experience as Myaj - that the turgidus likes nails (if Hufflepuff was a turgidus - I will never know for sure what he was). It's the only puffer that's ever bitten me, and he took a chunk out of my nail.

My experience with the palembang is that it is a social puffer, all though it pretends not to be. I would call it remotely social. So I would not consider the palembang as the biggest threat when it comes to biting its owner. But as I said: any puffer is capable of biting, so I wouldn't count on it. Every specimen has its own personality. Myself, I am always watching my hands when I have them in a tank with a puffer of a size that could give me a painful bite. Well, I am more careful with some puffers than others. My palembang is one of the puffers I don't worry so much about. She doesn't like any part of me inside the tank, and stays as far away from my hands as possible. She definitely likes me much better when I am outside - probably because it often means food!

[Homer]

Thanks to all of you!

Finally, like you said Myaj, I'll be the algae eater (or cleaner!!).

And Homer, what kind of food do you give to your palembang?

Personally i feed my puffer med - large live cray fish, since i can get a bag of them at my LFS for next to nothing, but i also try and mix up their diet from time to time by feeding him frozen / live shrimps chopped in half if they are too big, and Krill once in a while as a treat...

[Mariaqua]

Thank you guys for sharing experiences!

I'm concerned about feeding him. First, I'm not sure yet how much food I have to give him (each time I feed him)... Secondly, since I have him, he ate only snails and ghost shrimp... I'm starting a snail culture, a cherry shrimp culture and a daphnia culture too. There's some kind of live worms in my lfs that I'm going to try and see what he likes!
I also read '' feeding and diet article'' in the library. It's helpful!

I'm suppose that I have to try different things with him to know!

[Myaj]

Nightcrawlers are always happily accepted around here

[Christemo]

But it's not really biting.. they're just puffy kisses!

[Homer]

Wow, yours eats snails!? mine doesn't even look twice at snails... i've tried to get him to eat them but with to no avail...

[Mariaqua]

Yeah! He likes snails! But I'm always trying different frozen food to find one that he want eat... Because now, he doesn't care about what's not "living"...

In few weeks, I will start some worm culture so I hope that he'll enjoy it!