Your favorite small algae eater?

guppymill

guppymill

AC Members
Jan 10, 2010
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Victoria, BC Canada
I'm setting up my 10 gallon to separate my male guppies into. Boys only tank! It'll be planted. I got some Eco Complete and a couple of 15 watt compact fluorescent lights. So I'm anticipating algae because of the strong lights. Oh, and I've gone old school and put in a UG filter and a corner box filter. I've got the tank practically flat up against a corner wall.

What's your favorite small algae eater? I'm thinking of getting some Chinese Hillstream Loachs. Ideas?

Thanks
 
shrimp
 
Hillies do best in a stream tank set up, temperate water, with a powerhead for plenty of flow. 10g is just not big enough, 20g long would be better. Best algae eaters for a 10g are shrimp and nerite snails. Best algae control is proper tank maintenance and lighting periods. Don't buy a fish just to take care of algae, only buy fish because you want them.

And yeah, I wouldn't do an UGF, especially with a planted tank.
 
Hillstream loaches like currents as they are usually found in moving water.
for a 10 gal tank all I would recommend would be otos, but I wouldnt recommend any fisg just to eat algae. Otos are best kept in groups, and hard to keep alive (In my experience) and are picky eaters. If the correct type of algae isnt in your tank they wont eat, and I have actually seen some die from not eating. I have 5 otos in a 20 gal tank, and there is lots of algae growing in there. but I still have to feed them some wafers occasionally.

My best advice is to control your algae growth through proper lighting, and fertilization of your plants.

As far as the UGF goes, I wouldnt bother either. A simple sponge filter is better than a UGF IMO
 
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