55 Long needs an algae eater - which one?

[shinygrape]

I have three adult female platys (I know they stay pregnant for a long time, so no point in buying a male), 6 fry (2 of them newborn), 3 (maybe 4) ghost shrimp, and 6 long-finned danios. Tank has been established bit-by-bit since June, and I'm finally getting algae on my ornaments & on the side of the tank. My #1 priority is having a tank stocked full of playtys, because they are WONDERFUL, and if I have enough, I can start giving aquarium setups to my friends as gifts (all of my friends are having kids that request goldfish, and from my experience goldfish are not great for first time fish owners).

Thought about getting some corydoras panda, but they are always out of stock at the local fish stores, and I'm not sure if I actually want another large group of schooling fish. I looked up fish compatibility, and it seems like an oto cat seems like a good option, but I've heard that many pet stores try to pass off brownish-colored plecos/mean Chinese Algae eaters as oto cats. What would you do? And is it still too early to get an algae eater, or can I supplement with wafers if the tank looks too clean?

Eventually, I might want a single male betta in the tank as well, but currently, the back & sides of my tank are mirrored, and I don't want to stress him out. I've looked for backgrounds, but BOY, many of them are extremely tacky. I have a light brown colored gravel with java moss, a few green plastic plants, and a few sand-colored Egyptian-themed ornaments. If I purchased a background, I suppose I would have to place it directly into the tank to cover the mirror. Is this safe for my fish?

Thanks for reading! I'm so excited to talk to you all - I don't know anyone else that's into fish in my neighborhood anymore.

 

[mfdrookie516]

Well, the tank does not need an algae eater. What you need to do is fix whatever is causing the algae (excess light, food, poor maintenance, etc). The only reason you should get a fish is because you want it. Just my honest opinion. No need to put a bandaid on something that needs stitches, it'll never heal

 

[shinygrape]

Hmm, interesting, I never thought of that. I'm keeping the lights on for about 10-12 hours a day because I have no windows in my office (I have a dark & awful basement office for my startup non-profit, so my fishtank is what spruces the place up!) Tested the water, everything seems ok in the way of pH, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, etc. I'm not sure what kind of bulb it is, to be honest - I "rescued" the tank from someone that could no longer upkeep it.

Going to do a 1/4 water change today because I did also notice a few of those transparent worms after I moved an ornament. My danios ate them immediately, but I know that's a sign of extra food.

If I could have any other algae eater, it would be an upsidedown catfish. I know they usually graze on algae, and I honestly don't mind a *little*, but they're not compatible with my setup. Plecos scare the crap out of me. I had one for SEVEN years (another rescue) and when it finally died, my nephew said, "That fish is bigger than a poopy!"

All in all, I want babies. Lots of babies. If I could figure out how to make my ghost shrimp breed, I would be a happy goat. Danios keep laying eggs into the breeder I have at the side of my tank, but the second the babies hatch, they immediately go right through the holes into the community tank & get eaten. I'm afraid to put "pregnant" danios in my quarantine tank in case another fish gets sick - I won't have enough room for a baby tank AND a quarantine tank, and my interns are going to start looking at me funny.

 

[strokinbyeu]

if ur into fish keeping everybody looks at you funny. i get it all the time from my freinds when i say im going home to do a pwc or go the pet store to go shopping. lol

 

[HN1]

A couple random things....

First, I agree with MFD. Algae eaters should only be added for their coolness, not their eating habits. Most slowly wane on the amount of algae they eat anyway.

What type of light are you running?

The background that I've been happiest with is paint. That can be tough to do on a tank already setup though. lol

Platies will have babies. No worries there. Ghost shrimp likely won't. There are 10-20 species lumped into the "Ghost shrimp" common name and most require brackish water for breeding and a larval stage. If you want to breed shrimp, look at neocaridina heteropoda. They come in brown, red, yellow, blue, green, etc.

Last, and most importantly... welcome to AA!

 

[Fishguy2727]

I do agree that there are usually causes for algae that can be worked on to reduce the amount, but very few tanks out there NEVER need any algae control (and algae is a natural food source and can have positive effects on the tank, but is an eye sore). In my opinion algae eaters as a whole can be an important part of our aquatic mini-ecosystems, just like the bacteria in your filter. Whether it is you with an algae pad or a bristlenose pleco, at some point every tank needs some algae maintenance.

 

[mgamer20o0]

nerites.