The best algae cleaner for your planted tank

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lampro

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Jun 24, 2019
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Im just wondering whats your go to algae eaters for your planted tank that wont affect your aquascape.
heres my:
otto catfish
amano shrimps


would you keep bushy nose pleco or siamese algae eater? also golden algae eater
 

fishorama

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Jun 28, 2006
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SF Bay area, CA
What size is your tank? What fish do have or plan to have?

& most importantly, what kind of lights & how long are they on?

Algae issues are not best addressed by any animals, it's more about balancing lighting, plant growth, fertilizers & water changes.
 
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lampro

AC Members
Jun 24, 2019
57
6
8
What size is your tank? What fish do have or plan to have?

& most importantly, what kind of lights & how long are they on?

Algae issues are not best addressed by any animals, it's more about balancing lighting, plant growth, fertilizers & water changes.
I dont have algae issue but i totally agree with you on this. It is all about the water quality, and light duration. But i still like to keep some algae cleaner as they will also clean up the leftover food as well too not just algae and it is weird not having an algae eater in your tank haha
 
Apr 2, 2002
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New York
Yes, SAE do get to about 6 inches. however, they are never aggressive towards anything save each other. They are probably the best all around algae eater. I used adult SAEs to get tetras to school. A bigger fish sccered them enough to schooling, but the SAEs never even noticed them.


Amanos are good, but they will eat fry and other small fish.


Bristlenose like to root around the substrate and will uproot more delicate or not yet established plants.


“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Benjamin Franklin
 
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lampro

AC Members
Jun 24, 2019
57
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I had sae before but they always eat my plants. they like to eat soft leaves or something. even bristlenose eat some of the sword plants or those thin stem plants. yea i can imagine the big amanno catch a small fish but aren't they herbivores?
Yes, SAE do get to about 6 inches. however, they are never aggressive towards anything save each other. They are probably the best all around algae eater. I used adult SAEs to get tetras to school. A bigger fish
 
Apr 2, 2002
3,532
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120
New York
Amanos, like most other things we keep in tanks tend to eat anything they can. I used to think they were strictly herbivorous until i had a 15 gal planted tank with a pair of spawning bn and amanos in it. The bn would spawn and I would see new fry all over the tank and then then the fry started to vanish. I know bn parents do not eat their young, this left the amanos. Full size for an amano is in the 2 inch range, they can grab a fry or small fish no problem, and they will. I normally buy amanos 50 -100 at a time every few years.

I have never seen a true SAE eat plants. Perhaps if they are starving they might. SAE are more often misidentified than not.

Bristlenose rasp algae off of things. When this is on finer leaved plants like an amazon sword, the bn ends up rasping off part of the leaf along with the algae.
 

fishorama

AC Members
Jun 28, 2006
12,682
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SF Bay area, CA
In a 30g (what shape is it?) I would tend toward 6+ otos, shrimp (I've only kept cherries, but loved them) & maybe a BN pleco. SAEs get too big & need friends, too much for your tank unless it's a 30 long. Mine never ate plants. Mollies & platies can eat some algae too...but that pretty much is all you have room for...

So if you want "other fish" that don't eat algae, let us know what you like or plan for & we can help.
 
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