Alge Eaters For Fancy Goldfish Tank

[johnnycomposure]

What options for alge eaters are there for fancy goldfish setups?

 

[betta989]

Well, there are only a couple "i think" and they Are only gold Fish comunuity i dont remember the names im really srry if you go to some petsmarts they have a goldfish comunity section...

 

[Hunterprey]

Lookup Hillstream Loach, they're very nice fish. I wanted one but they need cooler water. They need very high oxygen requirements though. maybe some airstones might help.

 

[Assaye]

Many people wouldn't advise keeping anything other than goldfish with goldfish, as they are large, high activity, high waste producing fish that need their space.

Hillstream loaches are a possibility but if you want something to keep your tank clean for you, think again. Algae isn't just algae - there are loads of different types and not all "algae eaters" eat it all. Buy fish because you like them and buy a algae pad for tank cleaning.

A hillstream loach would probably get lost in a 20-30 gallon tank anyway and wouldn't make much of a dent on the algae, assuming there is enough algae to be a problem.

 

[Hunterprey]

Agree with above, buy fish coz u like them. I would get a Hillstream Loach just coz I like them, I don't even care if they do a good job with algae cleaning. Just Im not running any coldwater tank

 

[kelly528]

Agree with above, buy fish coz u like them. I would get a Hillstream Loach just coz I like them, I don't even care if they do a good job with algae cleaning. Just Im not running any coldwater tank

Hillstreams prefer colder water and faster currents than most fancies. Plus, they do tend to get 'lost' and lord help you if you run out of algae and have to start sneaking algae wafers past the goldies for them.

I have done a lot of research and one of the best tankmates (besides goldfish) I have found is a bristlemose (or bushynose) pleco. Unlike commons or other pleco species they reach about 5" long and are relatively docile and therefore unlikely to latch onto goldfish and suck their slimecoat off. The only drawback is that considering the waste plecos pump out you pretty much have to treat them like another goldfish stocking-wise. You will need to have your goldies stocked 20g for the first fish and 10g for each additional one, then if you have 5-10g after the goldies you might have room for a BN pleco.

You can also do apple snails... not a fish but they will do the job.

 

[Assaye]

20 gallons is an absolute minimum and I've seen plenty of full grown fancies that would be far too big for a 20 gallon.

This is aimed at the OP, not a disagreement with Kelly. 20 gallons (90 litres) is fine as a starter tank for a single fancy goldfish but you might still need to upgrade.

 

[kelly528]

20 gallons is an absolute minimum and I've seen plenty of full grown fancies that would be far too big for a 20 gallon.

This is aimed at the OP, not a disagreement with Kelly. 20 gallons (90 litres) is fine as a starter tank for a single fancy goldfish but you might still need to upgrade.

Sorry I wasn't very clear but as assaye said, 20g is suitable for QT, a temporary living situation and that's about it.

Even if you did have a 'smaller' goldie like a Pearlscale, goldfish are social fish and need at least 2 other goldie tankmates which sets your absolute mimimum for any goldfish setup at 40g (1 goldfish plus 2 friends).

 

[NinjaSmurf]

I wouldn't say you need three goldfish, yes they may like it more but I've found they do very well with just two.

 

[kelly528]

I wouldn't say you need three goldfish, yes they may like it more but I've found they do very well with just two.

Some may be fine with two but its not something you can count on.

 

[jennybugs]

I'd stick with a magnetic glass cleaner and some apple snails for algae control
I had a bristlenose plec in one of my coldwater tanks but as mentioned they do need to be counted as another goldie for poop purposes.

 

[kelly528]

I'd stick with a magnetic glass cleaner and some apple snails for algae control
I had a bristlenose plec in one of my coldwater tanks but as mentioned they do need to be counted as another goldie for poop purposes.

Oh yeah and nerite snails asr AWESOME for eating algae too... depending on tank size-- well I guess you'd want about 1 per 5g. But they are definitely the best algae eater.