algae eaters compatible w/bettas

[stacie]

Can anyone recommend an algae eater that would be compatible with my bettas? I will have 3 in a divided 10 gallon tank. Lots of what I'm assuming is algae already on live plants I've got in there. Any suggestions? Thanks

Stacie

 

[TankGirl]

Oto's, oto's, oto's!! (Otocinclus catfish) They are a schooling fish so they do best in groups, but I have had luck with single specimens, personally. They are somewhat starved when they are at the fish store, since generally they do not have a lot of algae for them to eat, so sometimes you will lose them when you get them home. Make sure they have nice rounded tummies if they are attached to the front glass and can be seen, but they stay tiny and get along with any fish that is not aggressive. I have kept them with bettas.

 

[stacie]

Are they fairly easy to find? I would like to get one for each section. Would I be overstocked with 3 bettas and 3 of those? Do they stay small? Thanks for the suggestion.

Stacie

 

[TankGirl]

They stay pretty small, and that is the neat thing about this fish. I would get three of them, one for each section. They are pretty common, and even the big chain pet stores usually have them. Stay away from "algae-eater" fish, which are usually siamese algae eaters, as they get large and aggressive. The otos stick to diatoms (brown algae) and some of the green spot, but once you get into the brush algae and hairy algae you may be on your own. I think most would agree that this is one of the best algae eating fish out there.

 

[stacie]

Okay. Thanks a lot. I'll check around and get 3 then. I plan on keeping the tank pretty clean so I'll wait to see if I need anything else when the time comes. Again, Thanks.

Stacie

 

[RogerMcAllen]

As far as compatability, I thought you could put just about anything with that beta that doesn't look like a beta. That spans just about everything except betas and fancy guppies. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[loganj]

I agree on both counts...any algae eater is OK with bettas with the exception of the chinese algae eater because they can get aggressive as they get older. I think, in your case, due to the available space, that the otos are the way to go.

 

[stacie]

Well, thanks to all of you. I was worried about overstocking and them getting along. We had fish when I was very small, but other than that I just recently started pursuing my interest in aquariums. Just really like the bettas and don't have a lot of room right now. Would one day like to learn more about the saltwater and coral aquariums. Thanks guys!!

Stacie

 

[wabyrd]

I got a mystery snail to go with my betta. They get along great.

 

[stacie]

Why is it called a mystery snail? Did it work out okay with keeping the algae down?

Stacie

 

[TankGirl]

The snails you typically see at the pet store are called mystery snails, and they do eat algae. I had one with a betta in a 3-gal and that worked fine for algae, but if you have three sections you would not want to get three of them, as snails are HUGE waste producers and you would be doing daily water changes (if that is what you do anyway with your bettas then no prob). You also will most likely wind up with millions of baby snails, too, which sometimes can be a nuisance. Also, if you go with the otos give them a tiny plastic plant or something to give them cover, as they are shy and basically nocturnal, and like a hidey hole. I rarely if ever see mine in the 55-gal!

 

[stacie]

I went on a website called aqualife.com and the profile for the oto said a MINIMUM 30 gallon tank and major aeration. Is that true? I wouldn't be able to get a bigger tank or a bigger filtration system. Already trying to fix the 10 gallon filter so it doesn't push the bettas all over the place.

 

[TankGirl]

I could not find the aqualife.com site, as that appears to be a German drinking water company. Anyway, I have never heard that they require large tanks. I know there are many, many people who use them in very small tanks without any trouble. The only downside to them is that they are very slightly delicate, so you need to ask your LFS how long they have had them and how many they lost in that shipment (they should tell you), otherwise you will just be replacing them. Make sure there is already some algae in the tank for them, and if they clean it out feed them some zucchini. Once you get them I think you will be very fond of them, as so many fishkeepers are! Do a generalized search on "otocinclus" on Google or something and you will see how much this fish is discussed and how popular a fish it is. It stays extremely small (about an inch and a half), so it is an excellent choice for a small tank.

 

[stacie]

Sorry it was liveaquaria.com. German drinking water. WOW!! Okay, well, thanks a lot. And I will go ahead and get some. They sound like pretty neat little squirts from what I've been able to find out. Acclimate them just like any other fish, I suppose. I will anyway, but yeah, have some algae on live plants I've got in there. I'll check with the seller on those points. Thanks again!

Stacie

 

[tkos]

Snails are great for Betta tanks. I keep Ram's Horn snails in mine (they are smaller). Snails will clean up a lot of wasted food as well as munch on algea. But they can start to breed really quick if there is too much food for them in the tank. Of course the fact that they can breed quickly makes them nice as you will never not have one. And they will crawl into the different divisions unlike fish.