considering algae eaters - pleco, snails, Hillstream loach

Hillstream loaches require cooler temps than a tropical tank to do well and like fast current.

Flagfish are good algae eaters as are True Siamese algae eaters.

Different algae eating fish eat different types of algae. Some have sucker mouths and can only suck soft film type of algaes, while others have regular "chewing" mouths to be able to eat filamentous algae.

The candy stripped pleco is an omnivore and not an efficient algae eater if that's what you are really looking for. They need a variety of prepared and frozen foods including some meaty food. They are also only nocturnal feeders so you will not see them out and about during the day.

The hillstream loach will also graze on some algae but they should be supplemented with other bottom feeder foods like algae wagers and shrimp pellets. As far as I know, the hillstream loach requires a fast current in the tank to keep the oxygen levels high. It probably wouldn't be happy in a regular community tank, usually there's not a whole lot of water movement in the.

And the bristlenose are herbivorous and eat soft algaes.....biofilm and diatom. They need to be supplemented with some veggies and algae wafer foods.

The snails....I can't tell you, don't keep them. But many people here do.

I have nerites in a coldwater tank (40+ gal) and have never had an algae problem. I am not terribly impressed with the BN ability to keep algae down.

Nerites would definitely be my first choice.

Bristlenose plecos are by far the best pleco(that does not get large) at keeping algae down.

Many Peckoltia species are not great algae eaters. They will eat it, but they are omnivores as stated above, and they also have teeth, so the tank walls never get scrubbed clean by them. And they need wood in their diet to stay alive.

I don't think BNs are boring at all! They may not be the best algae eaters, but I would still get one. Nerites are amazing at algae eating. From my experience, Hillstreams will be fine with an area of high current and high oxygenated water, but they're not the greatest algae eaters. What about Oto cats?

No matter how many or what type algae eaters you have, you may still need to scrape algae now and then. I just counted and I have twenty-three types of pleco/algae eater. None of them are boring. My wild caught Ancistrus sp. spawned a couple of weeks ago. They would be the first wild fish I've spawned. Not boring at all.

But, when people stop by, they like the dwarf ABN and BN long fins the best. Calicos are second. I hope this helps you make your choice.

You could look into some Albino Longfin Bristlenoses, they're stunning.

I agree the longfin albino bristlenose are beautiful!! I also have found them to be quite good algae eaters. I was surprised that they have become some of my favorite fish. I bought them strictly to be useful in my Discus tank! They are very graceful and just really nice to look at.