Amano Shrimp...how many to eat algae?

A

andyjh

AC Members
Feb 18, 2009
574
3
18
Massachusetts
I've got some fuzz algae on plant leaves, and while I've heard that amano shrimp will eat this stuff I'm not seeing much progress with the two shrimp currently in the tank. How many shrimp would I need to really make a dent on the algae in a moderately planted 55 gallon?
Andy
 
I've never kept amanos, but I would just keep adding two at a time...

Do you want amanos, or do you not want algae?
 
Honestly, Adding any bioload to rid your tanks of algae in counter-productive. More stock equals more waste..

There is something else causing your algae issue that needs to be addressed..however though once you have that under control the Amano's will help you...yet not rid you of the algae....this is something you have to do by adjusting your lighting period, waterchanges, fert schedule, and co2 and feedings.

Amanos would prefer to eat the same food you feed your other livestock, so for them to be really interested in eating algae then they would have to have little to no free floating/wafer food available.


Try dosing peroxide in moderation to the tank directly..or you can get a syringe and "spot treat" the affected areas.

the algae will turn red and die off and the Amanos will attack the red like candy!

you can also remove this with your fingers or tweezers, yet you risk splitting leaves or uprooting plants in the process...

But in a 55 gallon I would have alot more than two...maybe 20-30 heck even more of them as they are quite neat to look at.
 
lol... I'd have at leat six. I love my ghost shrimp, but if my angels eat them (when they are out of QT) then I will get amanos...
 
I disagree with most of the above posts, lol. I find that amanos add very very little to bioload but are very productive algae eaters which are very easy to supplement and don't reproduce. I have 20 in my 75g and wish that I had twice as many. Amanos, even if supplemented are very busy creatures. They busily sift the substrate, graze on wood and plants, and eat constantly. They will eat most palatable algaes first, meaning biofilm type algaes. After these are depleted, they move on the fine filamentous algae (hair algae) then after those are depleted and they reach a larger adult size they will even work on clado. I do agree that figuring out what is causing your algae issues is important, but amanos are an excellent solution. Nerites are also good, but less efficient on hair algae but add an interseting dynamic with low bioload as well. Inverts can be an excellent addition to a balanced tank to keep minor algae in check. If you are having really terrible algae outbreaks, the source shoulld be discovered first.
 
msjinkzd said:
I disagree with most of the above posts, lol. I find that amanos add very very little to bioload but are very productive algae eaters which are very easy to supplement and don't reproduce. I have 20 in my 75g and wish that I had twice as many. Amanos, even if supplemented are very busy creatures. They busily sift the substrate, graze on wood and plants, and eat constantly. They will eat most palatable algaes first, meaning biofilm type algaes. After these are depleted, they move on the fine filamentous algae (hair algae) then after those are depleted and they reach a larger adult size they will even work on clado. I do agree that figuring out what is causing your algae issues is important, but amanos are an excellent solution. Nerites are also good, but less efficient on hair algae but add an interseting dynamic with low bioload as well. Inverts can be an excellent addition to a balanced tank to keep minor algae in check. If you are having really terrible algae outbreaks, the source shoulld be discovered first.
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Excellent write up! I failed to mention they are "busy" and seem to always be "working".
 
Thanks everyone. I have no more than 8 hours of light daily (split into two 4 hour periods). Total wattage is 110 of compact fluorescent. The fuzz algae persists. Maybe pressurized co2 is the next step...?
 
is it green or brown? either way more water changes will help. if it's brown, less light won't do anything, you need to remove phosphates.
 
msjinkzd said:
I disagree with most of the above posts, lol. I find that amanos add very very little to bioload but are very productive algae eaters which are very easy to supplement and don't reproduce. I have 20 in my 75g and wish that I had twice as many. Amanos, even if supplemented are very busy creatures. They busily sift the substrate, graze on wood and plants, and eat constantly. They will eat most palatable algaes first, meaning biofilm type algaes. After these are depleted, they move on the fine filamentous algae (hair algae) then after those are depleted and they reach a larger adult size they will even work on clado. I do agree that figuring out what is causing your algae issues is important, but amanos are an excellent solution. Nerites are also good, but less efficient on hair algae but add an interseting dynamic with low bioload as well. Inverts can be an excellent addition to a balanced tank to keep minor algae in check. If you are having really terrible algae outbreaks, the source shoulld be discovered first.
Click to expand...

I second everything she has mentioned. When it comes to getting an algae eater or a "clean-up crew" type of inhabitant, I always go for inverts first because you can add a lot and they produce extremely little bioload.
For a 55G tank, get 30-40 amanos in there. I have 40 in my 75G, although I wish I had more. Not because it's algae infested, but because they're incredibly useful in keeping algae at bay from ever getting out of control when I slip up and create an imbalance.
Fix your algae problems by balancing out your ferts, light and co2. Amanos will act as the janitors to clean up your mess while you find your solution of preventing the algae from growing.

Algae eaters should NOT be the solution to getting rid of algae permanently. They clean the mess up for you but it you keep letting that mess (algae) grow, then it won't be of much help for your situation.
 
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