?algae eaters?

otos(otocinclus), Siamese Algae Eater(Crossocheilus siamensis) and farlowellas will all make great algae eaters. All are good community members.

What kind of algae needs to be eaten?

I am not sure what it's scientific name is but I call the green stuff.......green algae.

All of the above should eat green algae. Oto's are widely available, inexpensive and do not take up much space in your tank. Just make sure you find ones that are eating at the store. They should have slightly rounded bellies.

Keep in mind if you are going to get one that you will still need to feed them with other types of food. Also some "Algae Eaters" will stop eating algae after they get bigger so you will want to check that.

You should also try to figure out as to why you are having an Algae problem. There could be something that needs to be changed. Start a new thread and see if you can get some ideas as to the cause of it.

I must say that my otos are quite adorable, and dance all over the tank together.....very animated and cute guys! Highly recommend them ...but I am quite biased

Needeles said:

Keep in mind if you are going to get one that you will still need to feed them with other types of food. Also some "Algae Eaters" will stop eating algae after they get bigger so you will want to check that.

You should also try to figure out as to why you are having an Algae problem. There could be something that needs to be changed. Start a new thread and see if you can get some ideas as to the cause of it.

Click to expand...

I totally agree with Needeles. Many folks on this forum, myself included, have a pet peeve where people want to get algae eaters to take care of a problem for them. It's really much more practical to simply scrape the algae off yourself, or as Needeles said, figure out why you have that problem in the first place.

I have a well-balanced 29 gal community tank with healthy live plants. I can leave the lights on in there 12-14 hours a day and still grow very little algae! It took me a long time, but I finally found a good balance of light, fish, plants, and fertilizers that works.

Otos (Otocinclus catfish species) are adorable, I agree, I have 4 myself. However, it can be very difficult to feed them once they eat all your algae. I was scrambling to find alternate foods for them so that they wouldn't starve! I was even farming algae in another tank! Most otos will not touch prepared foods, even "algae wafers." I finally found a true herbivore food that lists kelp and spirulina as the first two ingredients, rather than fish meal or wheat. It's Omega One Veggie Rounds (even their Veggie flakes still have seafoods first before veggies), and they love it! So if you decide to get otos, I'd highly recommend that food to supplement them.

good luck, and feel free to post another thread as our wise moderator suggested

you know in all the years i have kept tanks the only one that did not grow algae was one that was never exposed to direct (and damned little indirect) sun light. The rest of them have had some level of the stuff.

The other thing is that i have never thought of it as a problem. Cyanobacteria is a problem. Staghorn, BBA, hair and a few others can e a pain in the tookus.

I have always thought of plecos and other algae eaters as doing some work for me. and, since i enjoy many of the species and they enjoy algae I have never thought of them as solving a problem. i've always looked at it like i look at many other things in a tank--keeping a balance.

I like Royal Farlowellas--I keep one in a tank that generates BBA. They go together well. Without the Royal (and a species of plec that seems to love the stuff) that crap would proliferate. I get to avoid an issue i don't enjoy--they get to have snack food whenever they want. I don't see a negative with that type of "problem" resolution.

so how big is the community tank? is it planted--i always think of otos in planted tanks. i always feel bad when i see them in uplanted ones. got driftwood? what fish are in the community? how many? are you sure you have the right amount of room for an algae eater? how long has the tank been set-up? what are nitrates at?

what is the algae growing on? lots of it--or just a bit?

I agree with the pps re: not using fish as a total tank clean-up crew or as a replacement to grvel vacs. etc... That being said, just wanted to let you know, I love love love my siamese algae eaters!! Not only are they really fun to watch (very busy all the time) but they are sooo mellow and low key. Nothing really seems to alarm them and even the more aggressive fish in my tank act as though they're not even there. They also get along really well with one another and often swim very close to eachother. Just make sure when you buy them the horizontal black stripe extends all the way to the tip of the tail.

Here's a pic of my beloved SAE!