Best Algae Eating Fish

trikidy · Apr 7, 2011

I've recently noticed some algae on my decorations and heater within my tank, think its from the increase in fish. So i want to add a algae eater, just one on its own, to see if it would munch all of it off.
So which one can be on its own and is a good one?
And what happens if the algae builds up too much?

Thanks

sted · Apr 7, 2011

Bristlenose pleco

KittyKat · Apr 7, 2011

Almost all algae eaters would need additional feeding to not starve and won't eat all types of algae anyway. You'd be better off reducing light and trying to keep nitrates as low as possible. Otherwise, better option may be amano shrimp.

trikidy · Apr 7, 2011

I've turned my lighting down from 12 hours per day to 10, hopefully that will help. I'll give it a few days to see results

MBOU · Apr 7, 2011

Mmm i would still cut down your light a bit more, 6-8 hours is better... Also is your tank in a bright room/near a window??

I would also get your phosphates checked because you can get great little Green X pouches to go into your filter to absorb phosphates which will help to starve off your algae

On the fish side... 1 x Bristlenose plec OR 2-3 x Otocinclus. Ottos i think would be a great choice as they stay small but they have nowhere near the personality of a bristlenose.

england · Apr 7, 2011

yeah bristlenoses, shrimps, oto's depending on other fish in the tank, Best thing ever is elbow grease

micko · Apr 7, 2011

Algae shrimp also make short work of it too.

trikidy · Apr 7, 2011

Thanks for the advice, might try and get a bristlenose tomorrow.
Also thinking of cutting down the number of flame and neon tetra's to 7 from 10, might make the bioload a bit easier.

TwoTankAmin · Apr 7, 2011

Best overall algae eater and likely the only one which will eat bba is a Siamese Algae eater. The next best option would be amano shrimp. Bristlenose don't eat the hair algaes nor the bba, they mostly eat the softer green and red algaes which is on the glass, plants and wood. Nothing but a scraper will eat the hard green spot algae on the glass

There are also a few good algae eating snails, but I am not a snail person and can not offer names. Hopefully somebody else out there can answer that.

As noted above, the best solution to algae is finding out the cause and then stopping it that way.