Good Algae Eater For Community Planted Tank?

[kelvinrankin767]

Hey everyone i was just wanting to know a good fish to get rid of a little bit of algea that build's up on the tank glass, Tank is fully cycled running very nicly and clean apart from the glass lol, I have 7 Glowlight Tetra's, 9 Guppies, 2 Swordtails, 5 Albino cory's and a dwarf gourami in a modertly planted 80L but all is getting moved into a 120L in 2-3 days. So any recomdations would be great

 

[Verminator89]

Japonica/Amano shrimp are probably the most robust solution. Although if the tank is clean and your on top of your water changes then otos can be a good choice as they eat pretty much only algae.

No matter how clean a tank you have algae on the glass is almost inevitable and will always be present in a tank, not much particularly likes to eat this algae, although the two mentioned options are probably the best choices.

 

[Wills]

I know it gets said a lot but it is true - dont buy a fish because it does a job because with all "algae eaters" there are catches and 7/10 times they dont eat the algae in your tank. But if you like a fish that is known to sometimes eat algae go for it. The obvious ones for a 120 liter are smaller plecs like pitbulls but there are tons of small plecs but are sometimes expensive and poop a LOT! An alternative would be whiptail catfish but you have to be careful as some of these reach 20 inches so make sure you research which you can handle in your tank a good small one is the Red Lizard Whiptail aka LDA010. Or an other alternative is Zebra Nerite Snails.

Wills

 

[Carlovel1]

For your tank , good algae eaters include:
Ottos
Siamese Algae Eater
Bulldog/Bristlenose Pleco
Whiptail Catfish
And Armano Shrimp as mentioned!
But IMO I think you should wait till you get a bigger tank

 

[kelvinrankin767]

I know it gets said a lot but it is true - dont buy a fish because it does a job because with all "algae eaters" there are catches and 7/10 times they dont eat the algae in your tank. But if you like a fish that is known to sometimes eat algae go for it. The obvious ones for a 120 liter are smaller plecs like pitbulls but there are tons of small plecs but are sometimes expensive and poop a LOT! An alternative would be whiptail catfish but you have to be careful as some of these reach 20 inches so make sure you research which you can handle in your tank a good small one is the Red Lizard Whiptail aka LDA010. Or an other alternative is Zebra Nerite Snails.

Wills

The fish wont just be bought for a job i am am the lookout for more fish atm and i would like a bristlenose pleco, i want some new fish i might as well get some that clean the tank lol.

 

[Wills]

I know it gets said a lot but it is true - dont buy a fish because it does a job because with all "algae eaters" there are catches and 7/10 times they dont eat the algae in your tank. But if you like a fish that is known to sometimes eat algae go for it. The obvious ones for a 120 liter are smaller plecs like pitbulls but there are tons of small plecs but are sometimes expensive and poop a LOT! An alternative would be whiptail catfish but you have to be careful as some of these reach 20 inches so make sure you research which you can handle in your tank a good small one is the Red Lizard Whiptail aka LDA010. Or an other alternative is Zebra Nerite Snails.

Wills

The fish wont just be bought for a job i am am the lookout for more fish atm and i would like a bristlenose pleco, i want some new fish i might as well get some that clean the tank lol.

Cool thats exactly what I was on about If you like them go get some, they will help out with the algae and will do really well in a 125 liter and if you like them then they will work as a clean up crew as well but perhaps add some nerite snails to help out as well

Wills

 

[OldMan47]

I find the best bet for a bit of algae on the glass is an algae scraper followed by a good gravel vac.

 

[waterdrop]

Agree, and often when you wipe down the inner glass and pay attention to the edges where the substrate meets the glass and do this prior to each weekly substrate-clean-water-change you will never see much algae in the first place. Otos can die going in to a tank with not enough algae.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[BethK]

For algae, get yourself a sponge to scrub it off or an algae magnet. If you genuinely want an extra addition, with a tank that size, I would say a bristle nose pleco is you best bet.

For amanos to make an impact, in a 120ltr, you'd need around 10 tbh, small on the bio-load but they poop sooooooooooo much

 

[OldMan47]

A BNP will indeed try to help,you with your algae problem but it is seldom going to be a complete solution. The BNP will require supplemental feeding very soon after introduction and will do little to cure the real problem of alge growing on the glass. I love my BNPs but they get algae wafers while I continue to deal with the algae growing on my glass.

 

[elisew]

Unfortunately my bnp died a while ago (before finding this forum) and I bought a Siamese algae eater, I'm sure I read somewhere that the sae aren't meant to clean diatoms? but between regular water changes and since I put the sae in my tank the diatoms have gone. It may have been the water changes that diluted a slight ammonia spike but the sae is usually zipping around the glass and the leaves of all the plants.
Although my little fella seems to be doing a good job I put algae wafers in for him and clean the glass with a long handled sponge when I do water changes.

 

[BethK]

Folks, can I make a request that we say BN plec and not BNP..........only cause BNP is the British Nationalist Party (racist).

Bristlenose will like munching but the only real algae remover is yourself

 

[karin]

Hey Beth thanks for the heads up. Using too many short cuts leaves us open to making all types of cultural mistakes.
In my community tank, my bristlenose plec and mystery and nerite snails and amano shrimp are doing a great job. But amano do not get up on the glass. For glass my bristlenose and snails are the way to go and they are great members of a community tank, fun to watch etc. Remember though that plecs need wood and lots of hiding spaces in the tank.

 

[elisew]

Folks, can I make a request that we say BN plec and not BNP..........only cause BNP is the British Nationalist Party (racist).

Bristlenose will like munching but the only real algae remover is yourself

Sorry Beth, never thought it would cause any sort of offence on a fish forum.

 

[BethK]

Folks, can I make a request that we say BN plec and not BNP..........only cause BNP is the British Nationalist Party (racist).

Bristlenose will like munching but the only real algae remover is yourself

Sorry Beth, never thought it would cause any sort of offence on a fish forum.

No, it's ok, I just had to re-read posts was starting to get side tracked