Okay, first I read that Rubberlip plecos were good algae eaters in one post and now I read that they aren't. I just purchased one yesterday. Are they good algae eaters or not?
Whats a good algae eater?
- Thread starter tjr635
- Start date
If you've got two Otos in a 20g tank and you still have an algae problem, then no suckermouth catfish will take care of it for you. There must be another issue, such as excess lighting, overfeeding, or waste buildup. In my experience, there are no better algae eaters than Otos. They are absolutely insatiable, and two of them in a 20g should have everything clean as a whistle within a couple days. If this is not the case, you have a nutrient problem and should address the cause, not the symptom.
I see my RubberLip eating algae off the side of my tank; I have never once seen my son's Clown on the glass eating algae. I have always read that SAE's are best with Oto's running a close second. The Japanese Amano Shrimp is supposed to be a good AE, though I have no personal experience with them.
A few weeks ago I picked up a female Albino Bristlenose Pleco and she singlehandedly cleaned my entire 65G planted tank in 3 days. All the rocks were spotless and glass are spotless and she has progressed nicely on the gravel as well. She is also raveneous when I put in a few algae tablets. A virtual machine that can move like a rocket and is a blast to watch any time.
I have a great crew of algae cleaners in my 72G - 3 SAEs, 1 BN, 1 Clown, 1 Zebra. The SAEs never bothered other fish. For those that have nippy SAEs, are you sure they are true SAEs?
bristlenose pleco are excellent, I have 3 young guys in my discus tank. They cleaned all the algae in 3 days in my 55, and there was a lot in tought to reach places and on plants/caves.
That sounds more like a CAE than a SAE. Are you sure of the type of fish you've got? If you can, post a pic.
