Best Algae Eater For Angel Tank

[LaurieLou]

Hi everybody, just a quick question. We have a 55 gallon planted tank with 4 angelfish and 5 swordtails. We only want to put in one more species of fish and are thinking 5-6 corys. However, I want the new fish to do double duty and not only be interesting to watch but also help with any algae that forms. I am starting to think corys may not be the answer after all. Any thoughts on what make good angel tankmates and also clean house?

 

[kev_kb]

A bristlenose pleco may be good, but I'd try to determine why you have the algae in the first place.

 

[Katchan]

in a tank that size your fairly without limits, I'd suggest a sailfin but thats just my preference

but just consider a-the possible size, do you want a large catfish dwarfing your smaller fish?

b - if you get smaller breed you might want multiples or multiple type of small to get the job done

your best bet is to either look whats around your area that you can get then research them or be post in the catfish area (you might ge a few more replies) asking people in your area what they have seen around, prices etc and select a courseof action from there

HTH

Andrew

 

[LaurieLou]

We don't have an algae problem per se right now, I am thinking about the future. There will always be algae growth to some degree in a tank and we want something in there to help with it.

 

[kev_kb]

in a tank that size your fairly without limits, I'd suggest a sailfin but thats just my preference

but just consider a-the possible size, do you want a large catfish dwarfing your smaller fish?

And will it be suitable for your size tank lol. You know Sailfins reach around 18" right? Best left to larger tanks IMO.

We don't have an algae problem per se right now, I am thinking about the future. There will always be algae growth to some degree in a tank and we want something in there to help with it.

Just consider that if you add messy fish such as Plecos you may well end up making the situation worse. You may want to investigate adding more plants instead.

 

[Katchan]

in a tank that size your fairly without limits, I'd suggest a sailfin but thats just my preference

but just consider a-the possible size, do you want a large catfish dwarfing your smaller fish?

And will it be suitable for your size tank lol. You know Sailfins reach around 18" right? Best left to larger tanks IMO.

Sheesh lighten up mate

55G, usually equals 4', toward the bottom end of fine for a pleco/sailfin but still in there

 

[LaurieLou]

We wanted to go for some kind of small schooling fish to add interest, yet still clean house. A plec would do the job, but I am not overly fond of them! I do appreciate all the input however!

 

[Katchan]

if you wanted good house cleaners that arnt really alge cleaners you could try cories, they are very social fish 3+ is miniumum but the more the merrier as far as they are concerned then get a cleaner magnet for the alge

 

[DiscusAngel]

i have 2 Bn's in my 30g there about 2" and do a wonderfull job. id get 6 corys and 2 Bn's

btw - Bn = Bristlenose Plecs, they get to 5" and are avaliable in black/brown and Albino.

 

[KathyM]

in a tank that size your fairly without limits, I'd suggest a sailfin but thats just my preference

but just consider a-the possible size, do you want a large catfish dwarfing your smaller fish?

And will it be suitable for your size tank lol. You know Sailfins reach around 18" right? Best left to larger tanks IMO.

Sheesh lighten up mate

55G, usually equals 4', toward the bottom end of fine for a pleco/sailfin but still in there

Please don't listen to this advice. A "sailfin" (ie. a Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps) needs a MUCH larger tank than 55g. a 5ft x 2ft x 2ft is an absolute minimum long term. Gibbies grow very fast too (up to 2ft in the long run, commonly 18") , so unless you plan on providing this quite quickly, they're not the plec for you, as they are very difficult to rehome. They're also notoriously poor algae eaters and need a varied diet.

There are lots of other smaller plecs that may do a better job at cleaning algae, but all plecs need more than algae to survive, and with a varied diet may not be the tank cleaner you're looking for. Bristlenoses have the best reputation for algae eating, and the plus side is they don't grow huge.

Sorry, reread and saw your reply. The advice is good for others reading this topic though.

 

[cheesy feet]

No.Some sailfins will grow only around 12' i have and adult and it's 14' and another one which is 10'.People on here over exaggerate stocking .My ones seems to clean the algae the same or better(for the larger one) than my normal plec aswell so?! But i wouldn't reccomend a big adult (say 17') in that tank..

 

[LaurieLou]

Well, thanks to everyone for replying. I think we will probably go with the 5-6 cory's and 2 small (well, as small as I can get anyway!) plecs. Thanks so much! We are going to increase the plants as well to help with any algae development.
Thanks again!

 

[DazedNCoNfUsEd]

You could maybe look into Otos too. I have 3 of those in my 29 Gal Angelfish tank and they do an awesome job of keeping the algae clean, plus they stay very small. I would probably get about 5-6 for your tank, they do like to be in groups also.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=35094

 

[KathyM]

No.Some sailfins will grow only around 12' i have and adult and it's 14' and another one which is 10'.People on here over exaggerate stocking .My ones seems to clean the algae the same or better(for the larger one) than my normal plec aswell so?! But i wouldn't reccomend a big adult (say 17') in that tank..

Sorry but that's just not true. Some gibbies slow down at about 12-15" but they continue to grow given the proper care and space. Of course, if the OP had wanted a plec, he could've got a gibby, but he'd have had to have found a new home for it when it reached 8-10", which is very difficult with common larger growing species.

 

[LisaLQ]

A gibby would be far too big for a 55g, it would be ok as a juvie but as soon as it hit around 7" it'd be far too big. And then nigh on impossible to rehome.

Gibbies can and do get to 2ft, bigger than a common plec - but as the OP stated he didn't want a plec, I dont even know why they were recommended.

Absolute bare min of 4 x 2 x 2ft for a gibby, but 5ft+ would be better.

Incidentally, I'm speaking from experience - my 15" gibby had to be rehomed last summer as he was too big for my 6 x 2 x 18" tank and couldn't move around in it. BTW that's 135g, much bigger than 55g.