Best Algea Eater?
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Need more info. Is your tank planted or not? What fish are in there now? If you happen to know what type of algae you have?
folks on this forum don't like recommending algae eaters just to get rid of algae. they don't get enough to eat unless you supplement them with other foods. in addition, many algae eating fish become less "algae eating" as they grow. plecostomuses are a prime example. algae eaters also tend to poop a lot, thereby increasing your bioload more than the supposed benefit that they provide.
live plants may work better because they will outcompete algae for light and nutrients. BUT they also require some care and know-how. if you get into that without knowing specifics of what kinds of plants you have, you may end up with more of a problem when they start to die and rot.
it's a lot easier if you just take the time and effort to clean the algae yourself. also, try to identify the cause of excess algae. are you cleaning your tank often enough? are you overfeeding? is there too much or not enough light?
live plants may work better because they will outcompete algae for light and nutrients. BUT they also require some care and know-how. if you get into that without knowing specifics of what kinds of plants you have, you may end up with more of a problem when they start to die and rot.
it's a lot easier if you just take the time and effort to clean the algae yourself. also, try to identify the cause of excess algae. are you cleaning your tank often enough? are you overfeeding? is there too much or not enough light?
I agree with all above, but if you decide to get an algae eater, you only options are: otos, great little algae eaters, stay small, around 2", but need groups of around 3-4 and are fairly sensitive to water quatlity. bristlenose plecos are fairly common and only get to around 4" in length, with some attaining a size sightly bigger than that. be sure to supplement their diet with fresh veggies and algae discs. also, some types of shrimp such as amano and cherry do good jobs eating some types of algae, but the only type i've ever seen them eat is hair. with i've heard peckoltias, a type of small pleco, do well too, but they are rare, and have a price corresponding to their avaliblity. also, be very aware that not all algae eaters will actualy eat algae, so cleaning it off yourself is a much better choice. also, i'd suggest testing you water to see if there is anything amiss with the water that could be causing the bloom. what does the algae look like?
If you are looking for something that can be supported in a 10g and take care of algea well throughout its life span, you can't go wrong with ghost shrimp. They are cheap, and they don't require much other than the occassional algae wafer since they will eat just about anything (old food, etc). You will have to go through a few until you find some that will thrive in your tank (or maybe its just me, but about 1/2 that I have bought have died within 24 hours while the other half thrive and grow large very steadily). A 10g is not the place for most common algae eating fish. Otos might work, but they can be picky eaters and tend to get irritable when you don't feed them enough.
Note: shrimp aren't going to help with algae on the walls. In a 10g, just scrub it yourself b/c you won't find fish that will thrive in that size tank that can be supported in large enough numbers to take care of all of it.
Note: shrimp aren't going to help with algae on the walls. In a 10g, just scrub it yourself b/c you won't find fish that will thrive in that size tank that can be supported in large enough numbers to take care of all of it.
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echoofformless
Peat Advocate & Defender Of Snails
SAEs. And yes you can keep them in a ten gallon while they're young...just be aware that they will want more room in a few months.
