Amano or Cherry Shrimp best for hair algae?

[ringfinger]

Of course any site selling either one will claim that it is the best hair algae eater available. I am wondering if anyone has experience that says one is better than the other for eating hair algae.

 

[czcz]

I would call it a tie. Maybe a slight advantage to the Amano, but if I had to pick I would get Cherry, simply because they breed in FW. The best hair-thread-BBA eating shrimp I have had is Caridina gracilirostris, aka Red-nosed/Rudolph shrimp.

 

[ringfinger]

Ya, I was thinking the Cherry Reds might be better anyway because they are somewhat easy to breed.

So where in the world do you get the Caridina gracilirostris???

 

[czcz]

I got mine from Aquabid. Very interesting and explorative shrimp. Mine only lasted about 6 months, though.

Another great, and sometimes ignored, algae-eating invert is the Nerite snail. Relatively cheap and fish safe, and only require a covered tank. Nerite snails took care of more algae than my crew of caridina and neocaridina shrimp (besides ones mentioned, "white-banded new bee" and "bumblebee" shrimp) collectively. My best algae eater ever. Their one downpoint is they leave eggs on everything.

 

[sherry]

my nerites keep my acrylic algae free.. I never ever clean it.. but they don't do much for plants... maybe I need more.. but I find the amnao shrimp to be great hair algae eaters.

actually cz? should I get more nerites?

 

[malkore]

The best way to control algae is with good, balanced nutrient levels. Algae eating fish and shrimp should just clean up minor patches...rather than be used to control large blooms.

 

[ringfinger]

The best way to control algae is with good, balanced nutrient levels. Algae eating fish and shrimp should just clean up minor patches...rather than be used to control large blooms.

Ya, still working on that. I really suspect that I have mixed my Plantex incorrectly now that I think about it...I could be really overdosing iron which could explain hair algae problems. I'm switching to Flourish for a few weeks to see, since I don't have an iron test kit.

 

[czcz]

Sherry, I do not know if Nerites need to be in groups to eat algae off leaves. I doubt it. I had 5 marble nertites in 8g, 10 in 10g, and 7 in another 8g. I always felt like I had too many once eggs were everywhere.

 

[Zezmo]

I would vote Cherry shrimp... not that they as individuals eat more algae than the Amanos, but they are cheaper, and they do breed in Freshwater. If you buy 10 worth of Amano's, in a month you will have 10 or less left (thats if you do good). Buy 10 Cherries in a monthy you may have 100 little ones of them swimming around.