Algae Eating Fish

[Jamie]

I figured that this is a highly referenced subject and deserves a thread of its own. Though there is no better way to control algae through precisely maintaining and monitoring your water quality, algae eaters will help. I for one will be purchasing some algae eaters for my 150 shortly and have scoured the web looking for info regarding these creatures and deciding which one's I should aquire. First off, here is a list of potential algae eaters and the type of algae they eat according to what I have read. I am still a beginner at this whole planted tank thing and an extreme novice when it comes to battling algae...but I'm learning. Please anyone who has any experience with these fish or any others, please add to this thread. This knowledge is invaluable and will answer many newbie (like me) questions.

The Florida Flag Fish, Black Mollies, Gold Barbs and Rosie Barbs will all eat hair/thread algae. They have been referenced as "eating it up like spaghetti."

Siamese Algae Eaters, otherwise known as SAE's, also eat hair algae but have been noted as also eating forms of beard algae. Apparently, if you can get your hands on these guys, they are the best bang for the buck.

Ottocinclus Cats are also talked about frequently. It is my understanding that these little critters are good algae eaters though they mainly deal with algae in its beginning stages when it is very short.

Pleco's are also widely known as "the" algae eater at the LFS. Though it is eldom that they tell you that they grow to be a foot long and will destroy your plants as they get bigger. I have also known them to get a bit more aggressive as the get older. From my experience with non-planted tanks, they do eat algae and do a decent job of cleaning the glass and such. From what I have read, bristle nose and rubber mouth plecos seem to be the one's of choice for a planted tank. I don't know much about the rubber mouth, but the bristle nose stays a bit smaller than its cousins and is a nice addition to any planted tank, eating many forms of algae.

Ameca Splendens, otherwise known as the Butterfly Goodeid. Though I have never physically seen this fish and have only read about it recently, it seems to be the "cat's meow" concerning algae eating. Apparently it simply devours hair/thread/beard algaes. Some have claimed that it will even eat blue green algae, but I have my doubts about that. Again, from what I've read, the fish grows to be about 4-5 inches as an adult. It is a platty looking/type of fish and is a live bearer that gives birth to very large offspring. The babies are about 1/2 in long and are attached to the mother with an umbilical cord for 1 or 2 days before they venture on their own in search of algae. I called the "better" LFS around here and they didn't seem to know what I was talking about when I asked them if they had any in stock. Maybe they go by another, more common name. Word to the wise...I have read that these guys can be a bit rambunctious, stressing out other fish in the tranquil community plant tank. Given their size, I don't think they'd have much of a problem bossing any other fish around.

Shrimp have also become a part of many people's "cleaning crews". The most common and desired shrimp is the Amano Shrimp, made famous by the Takashi Amano. I guess these guys do a decent job of cleaning rocks and gravel and will help over power the algae. I have seen many different types of shrimp that have been labeled as algae eating shrimp; cherry shrimp/chameleon shrimp/ghost shrimp. I have no experience with them because I have a small school of loaches that I fear would eat them.

Snails are also recommeded to have as a part of the "crew". I guess that just about all types snails can be a good thing when added to a planted tank and kept under control. Some common types of snails are Malaysian Trumpet Snails (MTS), Ramshorn, Golen Apple, Mystery Snails. A couple of loaches will keep these guys in check. Clowns or Zebras work well. They will eat the small ones preventing overpopulation. As soon as I added some small snails from the LFS, the loaches greedly came around the corner pecking at them.

[odessa]

Florida Flag Fish, Black Mollies, Gold Barbs and Rosie Barbs all of which I have tried in my tanks at on time or another, and none of which will I have in my tanks again. All of them are superb hair/thread algae eaters and (except for the black mollies, which really wasn't that great of an algae eater anyway) when they run out of algae they will eat all your fine leaved plants to the stems, They love rotala willichi and also combomba sp. Also they are very busy fish and tend to destroy the serenity or peacefulness of the aquascape.

Siamese Algae Eaters, I adore mine they are good algae eaters and very mild mannered I have had them in my tanks for over five years.

Ottocinclus Cats, are also my one of my favorites I don"t have a planted tanks without them. they eat mainly diatoms.

Pleco's I have tried them don't really like them much I have had the ones they say don't bother plants but it seems in the end they always end up rasping the leaves on my swords done to skeletons.

Ameca Splendens I have no experience with these fish I have read that they can be rather boisterous, Who needs that.

Amano Shrimp, are a very good algae eater and very entertaining to watch. You have be careful about your water quality, don't dose too much iron and make sure you dint have copper pipes in your house. I've read that the newer cherry shrimp that is around is much hardier than the Amanos and will even breed in the aquarium. Now if I could only find some.

Snails I dont mind at all as long as I keep my tanks in a good balance and dont overfeed I never have a population explosion. I have ramshorns and MTS in my tanks never worried about getting rid of them, but then again I never felt my tanks were overun with them either.

This is from my experience only.

[The Gipper]

Had 3 SAE's in my 120. When smaller they were fine. At about 4 inches and growing, they preferred to eat the frozen bloodworms and pellets meant for the other fish in the tank. They also tended to dash around the tank at times, tearing up the java moss I was trying to grow attached to some driftwood. I ended up taking them out.

IMO none of the algae eating fish reduce tank algae to any significant levels. I might try Otos though, most seem to regard these fairly high.

Plecs seem to always rasp on my broadleaf plants.

[Richer]

Algae eating fish are used to help control algae, they are not meant to help fix a outbreak that has already occurred. Prevention is key when it comes to controlling algae. Regulating things such as lighting, CO2 concentration, and nutrient levels are key to preventing algae outbreaks, algae eaters are only there to clean up the little bits and pieces of algae that are unavoidable.
Just something to keep in mind if you ever experience a large algae outbreak. Its not the algae eaters that aren't doing their job, its the fact that there's an inbalance somewhere in your tank.

That said, I've tried the following in my plant tanks:

1.) SAEs - currently have 3 in my 70 gallon tank. Seem to work quite well when they're younger, but now that they've grown up somewhat, they prefer normal fishfood. Don't feed your tank too heavily, or these guys will ignore algae all together.
2.) Otos - cute little suckers (pun intended). Seem to work quite well in larger groups. I have about (haven't had an accurate count in months) a dozen in my 70 gallon tank. Quite a few people seem to have a problem keeping these little guys alive. Assimilate these critters to your tank extremely slowly to increase chances of survival.
3.) Clown Pleco - also quite an interesting little bugger. I haven't seen it chew on my plants (broad leaf plants among others). I like the look of it too... prefers to eat the cucumbers I toss into the tank once a week. I have 1 in my 70 gallon tank.
4.) Florida Flagfish - I've heard that these guys eat thread algae like noodles. Saw them at action at a LFS, never seen them in action in my tanks, as I've haven't had a thread algae outbreak in ages. I have a pair in my 70 gallon.
5.) Amano shrimp (aka. C. japonica shrimp) - Quite effective as an all around cleanup crew. They clean up just about any kind of algae that I've ever had. I've heard that every now and then that some of them may graze on riccia. They also tend to prefer fish food as to algae... so feed your tank lightly to get them to graze on algae. They don't live as long as most other algae eaters, are hard to get in some places, and can fall quickly to predation. I used to have 2 dozen in my 70 gallon... but now their all gone. I have about a dozen in my 15 gallon tank (nothing in there, but driftwood, and javamoss). Since they're so small, you'll need large numbers of them.

-Richer

[bobalston]

I have a bristlenose in my 55 gallon and will never buy an ordinary plecos again. This gus is great and "cute".

I got a small, about 1-inch rubberlip pleco for a 30 gal angel spawning tank. Initially he didn't do a lot of visible algae cleaning. But recently, we went to town on the algae covering the back and sides. Doing a GREAT job.

I always have a handful of ottos in my planted tanks. Bellies always seem to be full.

I love the way SAEs school together. Haven't had them to adulthood (catastrophe last year) but will add them again when I can find some. I bought a dozen small ones from Arizona Aquatic Gardens and they did real well (till I killed them).

I hate snails.

Bob

[cpr4cpu]

in defense of my flag fish.
I have a few scattered here and there and they love hair algae and hornwort. Lately they have been getting regular duckweed too. Great for existing hair algae, but hell on thin leafy plants.

Otocinclus work well for the starting stages of green algae but they avoid the cyanobacteria (Blue Green Algae) like the plague.

Shrimp have always caused more trouble for me than they are worth. Trumpet and Ramshorn snails are welcome but populations are reduced from time to time.

And if you hate snails, get some Clown Loaches. They love sashimi stlye (raw) escargot.

[~*LuvMyKribs*~]

I have a Siamese algae eater in my 20 gal community tank. (Orange, quite pretty). I have never had a algae bloom however that really doesnt have anything to do with him. He's always cleaning but doesnt do a good job on the 'beard' algae. Although, I'm one of those people who like the look of beard algae as long as it stays away from the plants. He keeps the glass really clean I rarely have to sponge it. Kind of agressive, though. Still quite young so I havent had a problem with him ignoring the algae, however I dont mind him helping out my catfish with the bottom cleaning. So I would have to give the SAE a thumbs up, a good basic (and fairly easy to find) algae eater.

[Toro Driver]

Don't like SAE's, my experiance with them are they are very aggressive and can grow quite large. Pass. any good places online to get shrimp?

[feylind]

ive got bristle noses and they do a great job on the glass walls there great and there cute too!

since on this topic does anyone know of a fish that will eat the algae that grows on plants? i have no idea what it is called but its really tough and grows round the edges of the leaf, and its really hard to scrape off with out damaging the leaves.

[Wingman]

O-cats are my favorite, they do a great job when algae is beginning.

Algae eating shrimp are great specimens and they do a good job. Ghost shrimp do not, but they're still cool.

Plecos are not good for plants and barbs are not good for community fish. (in my experience).

The best way to fight excessive algae is to have some type of fish to control it along with: excellent light, great water quality and overall, really healthy plants. This will choke out most algae.

[promethean_sprk]

Originally posted by feylind
ive got bristle noses and they do a great job on the glass walls there great and there cute too!

since on this topic does anyone know of a fish that will eat the algae that grows on plants? i have no idea what it is called but its really tough and grows round the edges of the leaf, and its really hard to scrape off with out damaging the leaves.

This stuff gradually covers the leaves of swords and other slow growing plants. I try to keep things growing fast enough that I can prune away algaefied leaves. It seems the rate it spreads to new leaves depends on the amount of algae in the tank, so trimming leaves it grows on seems to slow it down.

I've read that beard algae favors hard water with a high ph, so my next front in the war will be a de-ionizing purifier so I can bring my hardness from 12gH to 6, and use some peat to pull the ph from 7.7 to 7.0 or less. Gradually of course.

Beard algae seems to do gangbusters if there is an iron deficiency. I think it sucks the iron right out of the plants leaves.

[somefinnfishy]

I use lots of algae eating fish as many diff kinds as I can find.

Flag fish would like to try them but only seen them once and had spine deformities so I chose not to bother but heard from others that they did a good job.

Barbs in a heathy planted tank there is not enough algae to keep them off your plants period.Good for outbreaks only.

Mollies as babys do ok, older they prefer prepared foods.

Ottos love them! every tank should have them in numbers
at a rate of like 2 per 10g or more.On a side note ottos must be aclimated by the wholesaler/importer in acified RO water or they will die two months later in your tank as with most wild caught cats-plecos once aclimated properly they do good in any water.

Plecos
Commons and variations are to be avoided messy and will trash your tanks in the long run.
Rubber lip/brissle nose there are far to many species and sub-species to say they work good or are messy.
I have a dwarf albino ancisteris breeding pair that are no bigger than my thumb and do wonders and do not harm my plants at all on the other hand I have a brissle nose I got 4 weeks ago thats puttin on a half inch a week now at 5 inches thinking he might bust 6" to big for a planted tank IMHO.

SAE
Eat mostly fish food when older (few months) have fun catching them If you want them out.But great fish in certain tanks.
Some variations of them are OK like the yellow-thai flying fox.

shrimp
All do OK but you need a army of them and they are like candy to lots of our fish.

snails
I keep them in all my tanks ramshorn and common pond snails no MTS but chose not to intentionaly infect my tanks but would not weep if it happened.

others
fry off all kinds eat the stuff I raise guppie and other livebearer fry to about a inch in my planted tanks in large numbers.

As others have said prevention is key and even a tank stock with only algae eating creatures will get over grown if not given the proper maint and attention.

[Matak]

Here's one vote for CAE's (Chinese Algae Eaters). Mine seems to be the exception to the rule; he only eats algae, he doesn't harass other fish. He is also two years old so I guess he is mature by now.

[Glenstorm]

Just wondering if people are making the distinction between the Chinese Algae eater and the Siamese Algae eater. The CAE's are agressive the SAE's are not. Also the the CAE's are very easy to find and the SAE are very rare.

[yen]

I haven't seen anyone mention farlowellas yet. I bought one a couple weeks ago and so far he's doing a great job eating algae. As soon as I turn the tank light off, he comes out and does his thing. Does anyone have any experience with these guys that they can share? Will he keep eating algae or eventually out grow it like a pleco?

-jen

[topajos]

Saved my plants life after an algea takeover, now I have added a farlowella also and my plants are beatiful.

[Hans]

clown plecos that have the gold bands around them destroy certain types of broad leaf plants such as oriental sword plants. they eat the green out and leave it just a skeleton of cellulose

[silentskream]

i'm curious as to any varieties of algea eater fish that would be appropriate for a coldish water tank ( 55 gallon with fancy goldfish) its not very cold.. but stays at around 73 to 74 degrees for the most part.


i've used mystery snails in my ten and 20 gallons before.. but i'm scared that in a 55 gallon i'd want more than one, which scares me into thinking i might have lots of little snail babies... although i'm wondering if perhaps the goldfish would eat the smaller ones?

i've also used ghost shrimp in all of the tanks, but they never lasted long. a couple of them went kamikaze and ended up in the floor. and i think the rest of them got eaten.

in the 55 gallon tank, there is lots more room for shrimp to hide, but i'm not sure that it would be sufficient. and ghost shrimp are the only variety sold in this area.

[rick458]

What are some other names or L#s of Siamese Algae Eaters?
having a hard time finding any hard info on them

[Captain_Obvious]

Originally posted by rick458
What are some other names or L#s of Siamese Algae Eaters?
having a hard time finding any hard info on them

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=50435&genusname=Crossocheilus&speciesname=siamensis

This website has some good info on SAE's. There is no L# because they are in the family Cyprinidae not Loricariidae. You can also google their scientific name: Crossocheilus siamensis.

[djlen]

An article by George Booth with descriptions and antidotes:
http://faq.thekrib.com/algae.html

And a thread from Plantgeeks with pictures of true Siamese Algae Eaters, along with different algae profiles:
http://www.plantgeek.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=74

Len

[jamzwayne]

Take a look at this rock (http://www.thegodshatetexas.com/jamzwayne/tank/Aug/Pl3co%203.JPG).

At one point that rock was completely covered with that brown algae. In just 4 days, thats how much one ( 1 ) Otto Cat cleaned up on his own in my 55 GAL.

IMO - good lil eater.

[Otocinclus]

Oto cats rock, these are my fav freshwater fish. Otos are what the people at LFS'a should recommend for small community tank cleaning, not plecos.

I dunno why so many people have trouble keeping them healthy - in my exp they are one of the hardiest cleaning fish you can buy. Maybe my sources are good about acclimation.

They are also the cuteist little bugers :)

[QCppg]

Common pleco: Grows very large but does a decent job on algae... Mine (about 1 foot long) has never harmed my plants (hornwort and anacaris) even when it was confined in a 18 gallon tank, but my dad's eats just about everything green.

Ghost shrimp: They don't touch the algae itself, but will eat all the stranded bits of fish food that fish may miss or be unable to reach. Plus they are cheap.

Snails: Work okay.

Common goldfish: Don't laugh... NOTHING green survives in my goldfish tank! They will pick at the glass whenever there isn't food in the water.

[hey]

Are SAE's also referred to as just algae eaters (and their lighter colored reltives "golden algae eaters")?

The regular algae eaters that I see at petsmart grow to about 6"

[ambrosiamonkey]

Does anyone have any suggestions about what to feed otos after they've thoroughly cleaned up the tank? And/or how does one tell when the otos have thoroughly cleaned up the tank?

I'm asking because I just added 5 otos to my new 50 gallon (filled and added plants on Thursday and Friday, Saturday added bio-spira and the otos) and they are going to town hoovering over the plants and sides gobbling up algae I can't even see. Which is great. But it makes me wonder if they ever get it all, how will I know I need to feed them? Should I just drop in an algae wafer every so often and see if they are interested? What else, besides algae, do otos like to eat? Would they maybe like blanched cucumbers or peas? (I'd rather ask here than put too much food in a new tank...)

Thanks!

[reiverix]

My otos go crazy for a bit zucchini. I blanch it and weigh it down with one of those lead strips you get with stem plants.

http://www.classiccycleparts.com/john/otto.jpg

[Blackghostknife]

well from my experance auto cats rock i have 4 in my 10 gallon breeding tank it has all kinds of live bearers in it and those 4 totally rock and keep it under control. in my large tank i got a nice sized pleco about 8 inches they are great at battleing the algae around 6 inches or so plecos though start prefering real food vegg's blood worms and shrimp they still battle the algae but at about 1\2 the rate as before

[Obsidian]

Okay, there seems to be some confusion about what fish are what. Chinese Algae Eaters (CAE) and their golden cousins, IMO, are quite good at cleaning up a tank when they are very young. The one I have now is about 3 1/2 inches long, and he is beginning to prefer algae wafers and shrimp pellets. CAEs also become aggressive when they get older.

Siamese Algae Eaters... SAE, Flying Fox, Algae Eating Shark... they eat beard algae and whatnot. They don't get aggressive, from what I understand. I just bought one of those today... LFS labelled it as Algae Eating Shark.

Otos... OCats... are small and delicate, very sensitive to water quality. I have never had much luck keeping these alive for more than a couple weeks.

Common plecos are kind of pointier than rubberlipped plecs. They grow to be about 18" long... so not really a good choice for that 20 gallon tank... I've never had one, so I don't know how effective they are.

Rubberlipped plecs look kind of like slugs from a distance, they are so streamlined. They are quite sensitive to water quality issues. They are very efficient at cleaning up algae. However, the ones I've had seem to eventually stake out a territory and keep to that part of the tank. They especially like large smooth rocks. They also have been known to 'polish' the decorations in the tank. In my case, my plec started scraping the paint/dye on the fake rock ornament I had. I think he died from ingesting the resin and paint so much.

And there are other options like snails and shrimp, but I don't know anything about that at all.

[jamzwayne]

I have had my Oto's for....well, a pretty good while. Very active at first, and has my tank in excellent condition. I would recommend them to anyone for algae control - wonderful fish.

[buddha_red]

i have 10 ottos in my tank and they are always working away. My lyretail mollies will eat alage off the glass and plants,My candy striped pleco is hidden all the time so i have no idea what it is doing.

Dont like snails, they reproduce to fast for me.

[Karnaaj]

Just to muddy the waters even more, flying foxes and SAE's are two entirely different fish.

[tuchon35]

What does everyone think of rosy barbs? I have never had a fish that makes a point to staghorn algae as much as they do. The only down fall i see, is with dwarf hair grass, they seem to eat a lot of new sprouts

[Marc999]

I just added 3 rosey barbs today. They seemed to find the algae quickly enough, although I haven't seem them go after the staghorn algae on my rocks yet. I'm sure they will soon after eating the softer algae from the driftwood.

[Kev79x]

I had 2 of those ocats, they lived for about 3 days, then I found their dead bodies crammed under my rocks.

Plecos have always been the best, I only have one live plant in my 10g tank, but they always clean good. They even get the algea inbetween my fake plants. I have my light on for about 14 hours a day as well, so the algea gets up there, but my tank is clear as hell. I know he is gonna get huge though, guess I'll just trade him to the pet shop when that happens and get another one.

The siamese algea eaters, didn't like them. I saw the one I had pretty much biting or sucking or whatever they do on one of my other fish. He died though.

[wickerman]

My red tailed black shark spends all day eating alge,plus hes a real neat fish to have in the tank

[biogirl361]

does anyone know of a fish or snail that will eat the hard green spot algae from the glass?

[frmrreefr]

does anyone know of a fish or snail that will eat the hard green spot algae from the glass?
Actually yeah! It's called the scraper fish. It's got a plastic handle with a metal blade attached to it. Works wonders on glass! Do not buy if you have an acrylic tank though..... (sorry I just had to be a smart***, no offense)

[FishSeller]

I placed a few Florida-Flag Fish in a neglected 29 gal. planted tank and they destroyed the mat of hair algae that established itself between my narrowleaf chain sword and in the java fern attached to driftwood within 10 days or so. I think the biggest issue is people don't realize that these guys are shoaling fish and a group of 8-10 fish won't bother each other or other fish. If this isn't an option, keep only one male per tank and you'll cut down on your aggression problems substantially.
I've used SAE's and CAE's as well, however, the Flag Fish is certainly on my loved fish list presently. I will say that I live in Central Florida and considering most aquatic plants in the states are coming out of Central Florida and subsequent hair algae growing in the tank is a local/native variety, it is something that the fish recognize and relish as a food source.

[HeinekenMike]

wow check this link
http://www.azgardens.com/shrimpfactory.php
anyone ever seen any of those shrimp or own them? I have only seen cherry shrimp, ghost shrimp, and Amano shrimp. theres a lot of other shrimp out there that look like thay may do a better job at cleaning up and getting rid of algee

[neon7]

I havn't seen anybody mention guppies yet they are an excelant algea eater.

[neon7]

and what is the differance between a flying fox and an sae because around here they are the same fish.

[MMX]

and what is the differance between a flying fox and an sae because around here they are the same fish.

FYI:
http://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/cyprinid.html

True "SAE":
"All the fins are transparent or slightly milky without any yellow or reddish sheen. The black band goes from nose to the fork of the tail and its edges are zig-zagged."

False "SAE" = Flying Fox:
"The black horizontal band does not go to the fork of the tail but stops at the base of the tail and its edges are rather smooth... All fins except pectoral are yellowish and there are dark markings on the dorsal fin." ;)

[troy272]

my SAE does a great job at keeping the tank clean.

[ccclifford]

is there any type of fish that will eat algea and stay outside all winter in a 12 gallon pond for my tank is not set up.

[telecubby]

Ive found a dead otto or 2 so it leads me to believe they are rathar sensative to water conditions but your so right I have some little ones who never stop eating algae off plants & tubes but wont touch the lava rocks where the shrimps hang out.Otto's seem to work in the mid to upper range of a tank,cute too! never found a dead Algae Eating Shrimp though I think the AES's rest & never seen an otto that wasn't working.Large otto's rest

[Jerm]

2.) Otos - cute little suckers (pun intended). Seem to work quite well in larger groups. I have about (haven't had an accurate count in months) a dozen in my 70 gallon tank. Quite a few people seem to have a problem keeping these little guys alive. Assimilate these critters to your tank extremely slowly to increase chances of survival.

I've never had a problem keeping my ottos alive. I thought they were hardy lil fish, and they are like vaccumms to algae.

[reiverix]

Otos are a hit or a miss, depending on their condition when you buy them. Choosing ones that are eating and have fat bellies will increase their survival rate. The critical stage seems to be the first few days after adding them to the tank but they can still just die suddenly within the first month or so. I've had my group for almost a year now and they are really quite hardy when acclimatized.

[telecubby]

guppys may learn algae eating tips from other fish & shrimps.
bamboo shrimp (larger than 2 inches) will moe algae down with their fans .small ones stay near surface & filterfeed

[trevorich]

I've got em and while they are fun to watch, they also love to chase others around and have nipped fins on other fish. I would only recommend them for semi aggressive tanks. They do a marvelous job though.

I knew I was getting them and wanted to really test out their reputation so I allowed the phosphates in my hospital tank (20gal) go through the roof. Only had some zebra danios in there (sacrificial lambs but they all survived just fine) and did no vaccuming on the tank for a month. Algae city....put two females and one male juvenile ameca's in there...5 days it was clean. they ate everything!

trev

[Thekidcash]

All depends on the type of fish you're getting. Community Tank save fish I'll go with mollies, swordtales, Oto cat, True SAE, Busynose Pleco/Rubbernose Pleco

[Gumby131]

thanks for the help

[LimnoMan]

Besides guppies my swordtails and gouramis will also pick at hair algae although they don't eat as much as flagfish.

[BadRoma1]

hi fin banded shark loves algae, very peacefull, and sifts sand well. will get huge though, and ugly. i have one. i'll keep it untill it gets too big and will give it away. this fish is also great for ponds and does well in cool water. it will not eat any size fish no metter how big it will get.

[ataylor]

Besides guppies my swordtails and gouramis will also pick at hair algae although they don't eat as much as flagfish.

When I put some larger gouramis in my 75-gal planted tank with an algae problem, they eliminated it overnight. I was quite impressed. They immediately started browsing on it, and by the next morning it was all gone. In my case it was a white 'slime' type of algae growing on my lace rock.

[staraquarist]

Gouramis are good for that...

[nonregla]

I started with one o-cat and he did great, I have bought more, but after about a month only one is left alive. I'd like to think that this is my original o-cat, but I really don't know. Before dieing off, all the o-cats were looking fat and healthy; they were almost always pooping, which I have understood as a good sign. Their deaths seemed odd in that they died off together, like some sort of suicide pack. It could be a water quality issue, but I do a partial water change and test regularly. I assuage my guilt in thinking that they were not as healthy as I had thought. After all, I still have one o-cat going strong for almost a year now. I'll add a molly to help with the algae and try out some more o-cats... They are a cool fish.

[NinjaPirate]

Many of the problems with ottos are that they are fish caught live in the wild. While I haven't seen any absolute confirmed reports, the general belief is that in order to catch otto's wild the waters they live in are mildly poisoned in order to temporarily paralyze the fish. That combined with staging and shipping tanks being kept Super-Clean in order to cut down on infections leads to alot of malnutrition among them, which causes them to stress and be prone to disease.

Ottos need to be eating constantly to be healthy, and they tend to be fragile to abrupt WC changes due to their non-domestic origin. I have good luck with ottos because my LFS treats them very well and feeds them true otto food (algae wafers and prepared vegtables) rather than just throwing flake food and calling it good, or assuming that 10 ottos can survive off the algae in one of those little 7.5g display tanks.

Generally, if you can get an otto to last a month, chances are you'll have him for a good long time.

[graham7]

on the subject of algae eating fish can anyone tell me wether the golden rosy barb is a good algae eater or ist it just the rosy barb that eats algae? Also I amthinking about getting some amano shrimp but have a pair of angelfish that are mateing continuosly and are hatching some eggs at the moment , should i split the angel fish up as they are quite aggressive when gaurding their eggs as i dont really want any more angel fish and am worried about them killing the shrimp.

[gaines]

I absolutely love reading forums for advice, but this thread is a great example of why you shouldn't take things written in forums as fact. I was skimming the thread for people's perspective on SAEs and was impressed by the amount of misinformation. I'm happy to say that by the thread most of the misinformation was addressed, but all it takes is for someone to stop reading before the end of the thread for them to leave thinking that CAEs are algae eaters (false) or SAEs are agressive (false, probably actually had a very similar looking fish).

Just remember to double check what you read with a reputable source.

[ziddyziddy]

whats LFS or w/e? ive heard it so many times what does it mean?

[cichlidkeeper91]

It means "Local Fish Store".

[Beasts]

I think I have read most of the posts in this thread and have not seen one mention of a Farlowella! Mine are excellent algae eaters and are constantly fat. They seem to scour the driftwood and large leafed plants (amazon swords) primarily but that makes sense as they are 6 to 7 inches long. They are definitely not aggressive and have, to me, a very interesting and unusual appearance. I have not noticed that they have done any damage to the leaves that they clean and I have never seen them show any interest in the foods I offer (flake, frozen shrimp, frozen blood worms). Mine, as best I can determine, are Farlowella acus. Obviously, I think they're great!
Beasts

[nickmcmechan]

Are Otos the sames as 'Algae Eaters' found in LFS, I heard they grown big and then become agressive?

[Paul]

The only fish I have seen eat algae off plant leaves are black mollies and platies. I have ottos and siamese algae eaters, but they only eat algae off the glass and driftwood
.

[muddskipper26]

The only fish I have seen eat algae off plant leaves are black mollies and platies. I have ottos and siamese algae eaters, but they only eat algae off the glass and driftwood
.

Tell that to my farlowella catfish... he jumps from leaf to leaf sucking the leaf dry of all algae.

[Swayde]

The only fish I have seen eat algae off plant leaves are black mollies and platies. I have ottos and siamese algae eaters, but they only eat algae off the glass and driftwood
.

My ottos love eating off plant leaves and I love watching them pull themselves along the skinny leaves with their fins =) The platies also pick at the leaves and rocks and I've seen my zebra danios copying them lately.

[johnmartino]

I have a 125g planted Discus tank. I have used SAE's which were good until they got a little bigger and then preferred fish food to the algae. Oto's which i like, but tend to die off mysteriously and Amano shrimp. I have found the amano shrimp to be amazing. I had a horrible beard algae problem which i picked up along with some live plants rom my LFS. I tried everything and could not rid the tank of it. Although i didint have access to a follewolla(sp?) or a bristlenose. I purchased 2 dozen and withen days the tank was spotless. Mine have lasted for quite some time now and are doing too well. Since there is no algae left they sometimes snack on my live plants and have demolished my java ferns.

[pigeonblood]

I totally agree i've been working in a aquarium shop for 2 years now and i see alot of misunderstood people and incorrectly labeled fish and sae's are often confused with flying foxes and the such so most people in these threads might be buying the wrong fish.True sae's are wonderful at algae cleaning i keep them in all my tanks that are peaceful enough for them.Including my discus tanks, never a problem out of them old or young.Although no fish should be relied upon to keep a tank clean if your not doing your part with tank cleaning and water changes

[matsya]

I presume by Plecos, you mean Suckermouth Catfish. I have a couple of them in my 25 Gallon tank. I have seen some huge (10 to 11 inch) specimens, but mine are small- about 3+ inches. They are quite sincere fellas -- quietly cleaning up the glass walls and algae on the stones. If they do grow to their full size then they could pose a threat to the serene environment. I think mine won't, considering the smaller size of my tank and the amount of fish in them. They have not attacked the plants (though I've been warned), and they are innocent till proven guilty! But they are not so effective in eating algae on uneven surfaces (like ridged petrified wood).
I have a couple of rainbow fish and they eat up the algae too.

Algae need light to grow and restricting light will help. Unfortunately plants need light too, so this needs to be done in a selective, controlled way. One way of killing algae that grow on the surface of the rocks or drift wood is to periodically turn them upside down. That way, the surface that gets exposed to light gets "buried" and a different surface gets exposed. By the time algae starts appearing on the freshly exposed side you can reverse it again.
Another way to "slow down" algae growth is to create a "siesta" time. Let's say your aquarium lights are on between 7am and 9pm. Switch of the lights between 1pm and 3 pm. This cuts down the supply of light to algae.This of course is subject to the environment of plants you have and their need for light.

[musho3210]

I presume by Plecos, you mean Suckermouth Catfish. I have a couple of them in my 25 Gallon tank. I have seen some huge (10 to 11 inch) specimens, but mine are small- about 3+ inches. They are quite sincere fellas -- quietly cleaning up the glass walls and algae on the stones. If they do grow to their full size then they could pose a threat to the serene environment. I think mine won't, considering the smaller size of my tank and the amount of fish in them. They have not attacked the plants (though I've been warned), and they are innocent till proven guilty! But they are not so effective in eating algae on uneven surfaces (like ridged petrified wood).
I have a couple of rainbow fish and they eat up the algae too.

Algae need light to grow and restricting light will help. Unfortunately plants need light too, so this needs to be done in a selective, controlled way. One way of killing algae that grow on the surface of the rocks or drift wood is to periodically turn them upside down. That way, the surface that gets exposed to light gets "buried" and a different surface gets exposed. By the time algae starts appearing on the freshly exposed side you can reverse it again.
Another way to "slow down" algae growth is to create a "siesta" time. Let's say your aquarium lights are on between 7am and 9pm. Switch of the lights between 1pm and 3 pm. This cuts down the supply of light to algae.This of course is subject to the environment of plants you have and their need for light.

there are hundreds of species under the name pleco, what type of pleco do you have?

[Joergen.Schoppe]

I had 9 SAE, plenty of Shrimps and 2 black Mollies (still have), the algae were still growing like weed.
I experimented with increasing the dosage of fertilizer (have a planted 450l tank), and now I have less algae. I didn't believe the stories about when you add more fertilizer the plants take it up, leave less for the algae. But it seems to have to do with the right mixture. A shortage of some nutrients, and plenty of others for algae, the right mixture, and the needed ones are used, meaning less for the algae. But doesn't this mean aso less for the plants??? I still don't get it, but it works.
Can someone explain the real reason for me?

[mellowvision]

my otos climb every piece of hairgrass, and hit every leaf...

[Homer_Simpson]

My otos are totally awesome when it comes to tackling diatom algae. But, they suck when it comes to thread algae. They ignore it. The armano shrimp, cherry shrimp, and mts(Malaysian Trumpet Snail) are also useless when it comes to thread algae. I am about to break down a 2.5 gallon planted tank that has been taken over by threrad algae. I pretty much tried all corrective measures(reducing photo period from 12 to 8 hours, 50% weekly water changes, overdoses of fluorish excel, cutting out fertilization, etc.,) and nothing seems to work. Once I relocate the inhabitants(dwarf aquatic frog, amano shrimp, and cherry shrimp) to my 5 gallon, I am going to thow in an unfed Rosy Barb for experimental purposes and try and independently confirm if it devours that thread algae. Once it finishes off the thread algae, I will feed it and if decides to go after the plants, no problem, the plants are extras.

[qwerty1291]

What are the best fish when it comes to brown algae?

[Lupin]

What are the best fish when it comes to brown algae?
Otos.

[friends_forever]

I've got a rubbermouth pleco and he cleans brown algae like mad! For those of you who have Chinese algae eaters, let me clear this up.

* They don't eat algae (well, at first they do)
* They get very aggressive when older
* They suck onto other fish when older
* They can kill your fish by sucking on them
* The little ones suck rings, the big ones suck holes that kill

[Lupin]

I've got a rubbermouth pleco and he cleans brown algae like mad! For those of you who have Chinese algae eaters, let me clear this up.

* They don't eat algae (well, at first they do)
* They get very aggressive when older
* They suck onto other fish when older
* They can kill your fish by sucking on them
* The little ones suck rings, the big ones suck holes that kill
True. Not many people believe what I said. They'll regret it soon enough when they try to catch the fish.:footinmouth:

Chinese Algae Eater at its adult size:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124160

[MadREEFer]

Hello, I agree completely with the word lately on SAE's. Stay away from for a peaceful, or even semi-peaceful planted tank of almost any nature. They do get big and fairly obnoxious and really don't do such a great job on algae anyway...not long term at least. Fish, not too familiar with habits personally but through doing a little research on the ones discussed here it really doesn't seem as if any of them are worth it for various reasons and there are much better alternatives. Plecos, in general, are a mixed bag at best. Standard Plecos sold commonly do eat algae when small, but when they reach a size of about 6-8 inches they start to become lazy and become much more carnivorous...many times just waiting until you feed the fish and then stealing all the food. Aside from this they get absolutely monsterous in size and will tear apart a planted tank pretty quickly. They do also rasp the leaves of plants such as swords, apons, etc. to the skeleton. Bristlenose, Bushynose, and Bristlemouth (all variations in labeling) are excellent. They stay small (usually 4-6 inches), remain herbivores for entire life, are fairly peaceful but yet very active grazers, and are just the coolest looking little guys!! I have also read that they can be bred with decent success. I also currently have an Angelicus Pleco, a Gypsy Tiger King Pleco and a Royal Pleco in my planted tank. They will all stay much smaller than a "common" pleco. Aside from that though the jury is still out..... I am pretty confident that the Gypsy and Angelicus are ok, they are both good algae grazers. As for the Royal I suspect he may be rasping my swords. I have noticed that the Royal has fairly prominent little teeth, which would make sense. That being said, many of the more specialized Plecos require driftwood to eat. I know the Royal is one for sure, so again with the teeth. The Angelicus and Gypsy Tiger King do not appear to have prominent teeth at all. I may have to get rid of the Royal:sad:, he is so beautiful though!! I have only had these guys for a few months so I will keep y'all updated on them.
Oto cats are hands down my fave!! I have 8 in my 36 Bow and they are just the best little guys, and some variations can have really cool patterns and some color even. They eat algae non-stop, although they do not eat it when it gets too long or thick (not enough to make a diff. at least). They tend to stick more to diatom, and other types in its early stages of growth. Keeping the algae trimmed down manually will help overcome this however. They will also clean algae from anywhere, I have a dwarf narrow-leaf chain sword and they will even clean the algae off the airborne roots of the sprouts!! And my Micro narrow leaf Sword, cleans them too..and the leaves are like needles, oh yeah..Rotala Wallichi, that too!! They really help to keep detritus from settling on these types of plants and moss as well. Luckily I have not had blue-green yet so I cannot comment on that but the word seems to be no.
I personally love the shrimp too. Amano are awesome! They eat the algae well, are really fun to watch and I love the aesthetic appeal they give, esp. in groups. Cherry Red's and Orange Shrimp are great too, they both look beautiful, eat algae well (not quite as good as Amano IMO), and they have both been reported to breed easily in captivity....I'm keepin' my fingers crossed. :) One shrimp I would stay away from is the Six Legged shrimp, they are really cool looking but in nature they live in labyrinths and aquatic caverns where food is minimal. This is why their claws have evolved into little "fans". They catch particulate matter out of the water. I know these guys can be very hard to keep alive long term and they don't touch algae...really one of those that should just be left in nature. Just out of curiosity what bad experiences have others had with Amanos, Cherrys, or Oranges? I saw a few posts from people who don't care much for the shrimp in general. Please let me know your experiences as I am fairly new and am only reporting on my observations and research, and am always open to learning something new. Any ideas about the three Plecos I mentioned, anyone else had experience with them? Thanks a lot!!

--Tim

[zak15]

Clown plecos get rid algae without a problem. When I got mine I just didn't feed them any bottom feeder food till they got rid of the algae and they don't seem interested in plants. Once they get rid of the algae, I feed them zuchinni that i stick in the gravel with a plastic paperclip.

[Joergen.Schoppe]

Tim, is it possible you made a mistake? In you first sentence, do you mean SAE or do you refer to the chinese algae eater?
The SAE are very peacefull fish. Mine are now 1 year old, quite big (largest 3.5 inch) and school with my penguin tetra. The penguin tetra are the more aggressive ones, beeing teretorial and so, often chase some of the SAE away, or try at least...

[jpappy789]

Otos.

I completely agree with Lupi here. Otos cleared up the diatoms in my 30 within a couple days. The bn pleco helped a little as well.

Though with diatoms or "brown algae" I wouldn't get fish just to get rid of it

[SpitRhyma]

IMO none of the algae eating fish reduce tank algae to any significant levels. I might try Otos though, most seem to regard these fairly high.

Plecs seem to always rasp on my broadleaf plants.


This was my oppinion until I got a Trinidad Pleco... Dude you would not BELIEVE how much algae my tank was getting. Every 5-6 days... my tank would become disgusting because all 4 sides would be covered in algae making the water look dirty. If I showed you HOW GREEN my ENTIRE TANK would get, you would swear I haven't cleaned it or turned the lights off in a couple months... My gravel was always green even though I bought natural mixed colored gravel. My drift wood had a thick coat of fuzz algae. When you looked in the tank from above you only saw green. Ever since I bought my trinidad pleco a few months ago... I haven't had to clean my tank... He cleaned it by himself and kept it clean. My other plecos all died in a heat/ammonia peak and the algae has not returned. I only have a Trinidad pleco (small 3" one) in my tank as far as eating algae goes and he eats everything but the hair algae.

Here's the scary part though... He drops poops like prolly 6 feet long... they're too long to fit straight in the 48" long aquarium so they loop like 3 times. It's crazy man. I'm not joking about the size of the poops. And my tank is SUUUUPER low in algae now. I just want to take the pleco out and kiss him.

Sometimes he swims around in the top of the tank with a poop hanging down to the bottom of the tank and he looks like a kite... lmao

All fancy plecos are worthless as far as eating algae goes... but my trinidad pleco has BOGGLED MY MIND!!! He looks nice too... looks like a leopard sailfin pleco.