ALGae eaterS

[arj]

Hey, I was thinking of getting an algae eater to help kepp my tank a little bit cleaner, can anyone give any advice or points to think about before getting one? thanks.

 

[enchanted]

With the fish/tank in your signature I would recommend either Otos or Bristlenose Plecs. I haven't had personal experience with the bristlenose, but I have with the Otos. They are an excellent algae eater and very mellow.

 

[Dwarfs]

I'd say go for otos, they need to be in groups of at least 3 however Watch out for "chinese algae eaters", they eventually give up eating algae and harm other fish

 

[modernhamlet]

What kind of algae does your tank have growing in it?

 

[yhbae]

My personal experience is that bristlenose eats algae better than ottos do, but they are far dirtier (produces more waste). In your tank, one bristlenose will clean up most of algae. I have one in my 30g tank, and she keeps algae level in check.

 

[jmelnek]

I have always felt like a tank is incomplete without a pleco... just my 2 cents.

 

[lizard]

I would recommend a few Otos or a variety of Pleco that doesn't get more than four or six inches long. I've never owned a Bristlenose, but everyone on here who owns one seems to be quite fond of it! I have a few Otos and really like them.

I'd also suggest getting at least two more Corys, as they're very social little fishies and like to be in groups of at least three or four. They're much more active when they're in bigger groups And they're so cute...

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[arj]

Everyone's been saying get more Cory's! I will be next week. I don't know if what I've got is algae, it sort of translucent brown, quite pale and round, and seems to be growin along the bottom of the tank on the glass...

 

[Def]

Sounds like, um, brown algae I have the same stuff incidentally, but my snails take care of it. Mostly.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

You could always try a farlowella catfish. I have one of these and all mine eats is algae, he must be fine with that as he is 7" long (but very thin).

With you having brown algae, almost any algae eating fish/snail will feast on it. Choose what kind of fish you like best and you'll be grand.

Here's a link to farlowellas. Just rememeber that most algae eaters like some wood and plants in their tanks.

Otos, SFF (Siamese flying foxes), snails, bristlenoses and some L number plecs are also good algae eaters but as I said go with what you like and what suits your tank most.

 

[jhd]

Check my signature, I have lots of otos in tanks. They are effective algae eaters, but have no scrubbing power. Then I added a true SAE, and got my tank cleaned from harder algae that otos could not touch. It is important to get true SAE, they are not territorial and will not kill your fish when they grow adult size.
Do a search on Google how to differentiate them from false SAE and CAE, if not sure what it looks like.
I have one par tank but they need company to chase each other. It is a very fast swimming fish.

 

[Never2Bknown]

I have always felt like a tank is incomplete without a pleco... just my 2 cents.

No tank except for a very, very large one should ever have a pleco. Most plecos (bristlenose not included) get huge and can eventually get aggressive as well. Just because petshops sell teeny tiny 2 inch plecos doesn't mean that they cannot get very big. Sort of like the pacu; though petshops sell it, they should be kept in zoos rather than personal fish aquariums because of how large they get--two feet long.

 

[Def]

Never2BKnown, I disagree with your advice. Plenty of plecs remain small - L018 Gold nuggets grow to 6", L046 Zebras grow to 3" for example. Just make sure you know the max size of the plec you want before you get it, and make sure your shop is responsible enough to identify them correctly in the tanks.

 

[enchanted]

Sort of like the pacu; though petshops sell it, they should be kept in zoos rather than personal fish aquariums because of how large they get--two feet long.

I'm not a fan of big fish, but how are people keeping a Pacu in a 6' or bigger tank any different than someone keeping a beta in a 2.5 Gallong tank?

I also agree their are many Plecs that don't get over 6" and would make a nice addition.

 

[Never2Bknown]

Yes, there are a lot of plecos that do not get very large. But you'll notice that at most chain pet stores or just pet stores in general, the most common type of pleco is the one that gets very large in size.

Enchanted: the difference is that the natural environment of the betta is small, stagnant swamps/ponds in which they do not need much space to survive. Thus, a 2.5 gal. tank suits its needs perfectly. A pacu, on the other hand, is used to a lot of space and needs a lot of space. I've been doing a little bit of research on it just to answer your question, and it turns out that these fish can grow to sizes excess of 30 inches long, and need a 450gal. minimum in order to be happy. To read more, click here.