So my Little girl has a 5 gallon filtered tank. In it we have a betta. We are in need of a algae eater to help keep it clean since I am not able to be here to clean it that often. So what is the best algae eater to put in the tank? Thanks in advance.
Betta & Algae Eater?
- Thread starter ReknYard
- Start date
Honeythorn
Sugar coating and nicely nicely? I don't think so
Most alage eaters do not survive solely on surface alage and require extra food in the form of algae tabs and some fresh vegetables ( zucchini/courgette is often used, as is cucumber )
However, your tank is not big enough for any sort of algae eater apart from an otocinclus, and they are often hard to keep alive, and prefer to be in groups ( which you do not have space for in a 5 gallon ) .Most only last a few months before expiring even with good feeding.
Your 5 gallon is really only big enough for your betta.
The main problem I'm seeing here is the " I can't clean it very often" attitude. Firstly, there is no fish on earth that will magically clean a tank for you, that's your job, and a 5 gallon should not take more than 10 mins to scrape off a bit of algae.
Secondly, if you are getting algae then you are either overfeeding ( the bits left over are what the algae feeds on as the food rots ) or have a light that is too high.
Most commercially available 5 gallon tanks come with pretty low lighting so I would have a strong guess that your are overfeeding the fish . 2-3 pellets or a small pinch of food once a day ( or better yet, every other day) is all he needs. A couple of live or frozen bloodworm at the weekend is also a nice treat for a betta.
If the tank is sitting near a window where sunlight can hit it, then this will also cause an alage problem.
Also, you should be doing a 50% water change once a week every week.
That takes less than 15 mins out of your week, and no offence but if you can't manage that then you should re-home the fish if you haven't time to take care of it.
They are not hard to care for but at the same time require more care than you might imagine.
However, your tank is not big enough for any sort of algae eater apart from an otocinclus, and they are often hard to keep alive, and prefer to be in groups ( which you do not have space for in a 5 gallon ) .Most only last a few months before expiring even with good feeding.
Your 5 gallon is really only big enough for your betta.
The main problem I'm seeing here is the " I can't clean it very often" attitude. Firstly, there is no fish on earth that will magically clean a tank for you, that's your job, and a 5 gallon should not take more than 10 mins to scrape off a bit of algae.
Secondly, if you are getting algae then you are either overfeeding ( the bits left over are what the algae feeds on as the food rots ) or have a light that is too high.
Most commercially available 5 gallon tanks come with pretty low lighting so I would have a strong guess that your are overfeeding the fish . 2-3 pellets or a small pinch of food once a day ( or better yet, every other day) is all he needs. A couple of live or frozen bloodworm at the weekend is also a nice treat for a betta.
If the tank is sitting near a window where sunlight can hit it, then this will also cause an alage problem.
Also, you should be doing a 50% water change once a week every week.
That takes less than 15 mins out of your week, and no offence but if you can't manage that then you should re-home the fish if you haven't time to take care of it.
They are not hard to care for but at the same time require more care than you might imagine.
woodstock
Fishaholic
Honeythorn's right, read all that's said. (And I don't think scraping off algae takes even 10 minutes... for me, probably 2 minutes during a water change).
With a 5 gallon it's not too possible. In a 5 gallon, stray away from fish algae-eaters. They usually need to be schooled (otherwise they die off earlier). Usually go with snails or shrimp. Both have their big disadvantages.
Snails: If you have two, they're notorious for over-breeding. Some do escape. Not all snails are great at algae. Nerite snails are supposedly the best ones - don't breed in freshwater - however, they are escape artists. Block off all entrances and exits. Snails in general poop more than you think. Mystery / Apple snails are the more common. I think they poop more than nerites. But they do breed like crazy if not careful. I hear they're not perfect with algae, either. Also, snails DO need to be fed. They don't survive only on algae. (Read Honeythorn's above post)
When you acclimate them, do it SLOWLY. I've heard they're the easiest ones to die from poor or no acclimation.
Shrimp: Much better for the bioload. Not sure how good they are on algae. Bettas do tend to eat them as a snack. When they molt, you MUST have PLENTY of hiding spaces (That means more money for more plants) as they are vunerable here, especially from a betta.
With a 5 gallon it's not too possible. In a 5 gallon, stray away from fish algae-eaters. They usually need to be schooled (otherwise they die off earlier). Usually go with snails or shrimp. Both have their big disadvantages.
Snails: If you have two, they're notorious for over-breeding. Some do escape. Not all snails are great at algae. Nerite snails are supposedly the best ones - don't breed in freshwater - however, they are escape artists. Block off all entrances and exits. Snails in general poop more than you think. Mystery / Apple snails are the more common. I think they poop more than nerites. But they do breed like crazy if not careful. I hear they're not perfect with algae, either. Also, snails DO need to be fed. They don't survive only on algae. (Read Honeythorn's above post)
When you acclimate them, do it SLOWLY. I've heard they're the easiest ones to die from poor or no acclimation.
Shrimp: Much better for the bioload. Not sure how good they are on algae. Bettas do tend to eat them as a snack. When they molt, you MUST have PLENTY of hiding spaces (That means more money for more plants) as they are vunerable here, especially from a betta.
Honeythorn
Sugar coating and nicely nicely? I don't think so
Shrimp aren't a great use on algae to be honest, and snails add more bioload on the filter than shrimp. Amanos do eat certan types of algae, but they won't keep a tank clear of it by any means. Shrimp tend to prefer to pick bits of biofilm off the surface of algae .
It's best to find the cause of the problem which will help kep algal growth or buildup to a minimum. Which boils down to not overfeeding to cut down on waste ( nitrates espescially) which algae LOVES to feed on in order to grow, and hand cleaning which as we both know, takes very little time and effort.
Another thing I'd reccomend is that if there are a lot of ornaments in this tank uopn which algae is building up ( which I am guessing there may be since the tank is for a child? ) , get rid of most of them and replace with silk plants. LOTS of them. Just as easy to remove and much easier to clean as there are far less awkward nooks and crannies to try and remove algae from . You can just scrub silk plants in plain warm water with a scrubbing brush ( one designated only for this purpose and has no detergents on it whatsoever )
Bettas really do need a lot of plants to hide in and rest on, so replacing excess rocks and ornaments with these will serve a dual purpose
It's best to find the cause of the problem which will help kep algal growth or buildup to a minimum. Which boils down to not overfeeding to cut down on waste ( nitrates espescially) which algae LOVES to feed on in order to grow, and hand cleaning which as we both know, takes very little time and effort.
Another thing I'd reccomend is that if there are a lot of ornaments in this tank uopn which algae is building up ( which I am guessing there may be since the tank is for a child? ) , get rid of most of them and replace with silk plants. LOTS of them. Just as easy to remove and much easier to clean as there are far less awkward nooks and crannies to try and remove algae from . You can just scrub silk plants in plain warm water with a scrubbing brush ( one designated only for this purpose and has no detergents on it whatsoever )
Bettas really do need a lot of plants to hide in and rest on, so replacing excess rocks and ornaments with these will serve a dual purpose
woodstock
Fishaholic
Well all I know for shrimp is that they do something with algae (amano being better ones) and that they're so interesting. Never really considered them, though. However if the OP really does want an algae eater, I'd go along the lines of a nerite snail. Again, they're escape artists. Nerite snails have a smaller bioload than mystery/apples, so I think you could put a couple in, but ONLY a couple. No need to actually waste space if you don't really need to.
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