best species for algae cleanup?

[Lonewolfblue]

I'm still wondering how they got the name.

Ok the more I read, [looking for an answer to your question] it seems that most agree that they eat algae for about the first six months of their life....then stop for the most part.

So I guess they get their name from the pet industry.......it's not the coolest looking fish so if you call it a algae eater.....it sells better.

I've had CAE's for over a year now, and they do a great job with the algae. But it is true, when they do get bigger, they will stop eating algae and only eat fish food. One of mine is now almost 4 inches, and he still does pretty good with the algae.

 

[Guest]

Bristlenose Plecos and True SAE are the best! The Bristlenose will eat like green algae, spot algae, and brown algae, The SAE eat EVERYTHING including hair algae. Get a couple of each and yoru good to go!

hmmm ok guys. i guess i've narrowed it down to either the siamese algae eater or the bristlenose pleco.

now the only thing is, i don't want a fish that is dependant on algae to survive (such as the otos)

which fish do you think would be better and more hardy? the SAE or bristlenose pleco?

The thing is with all of these fish you need to supplement their diet with something like algae wafers or veggies. I drop in algae wafers about every other night adn once a week each of my tanks gets a HUGE Zuchini slice.

Zuchini will be great food for Oto's, SAE, and pleco's. IMO you could keep all 3 if you have the tank space. As long as you feed them they won't die.

 

[SeymourFRESH]

hmmm one website where i could order plecos from said the bristlenose only gets 4.5 inches and "will not bother your plants"
for some reason i don't believe that!
i have a lot of plants in my tank and the only pleco i would get is one that would not exceed 5 inches
i'm thinking maybe of just getting CO2 to solve my algae problem

 

[donttaptheglass]

I don't know about bothering plants as I'm not brave enough to try live plants yet . . . however, lonewolfblue seems to be the resident planted tank guru, and I know he's got some pleco's in there somewhere . . . I'd be asking him

 

[Guest]

hmmm one website where i could order plecos from said the bristlenose only gets 4.5 inches and "will not bother your plants"
for some reason i don't believe that!
i have a lot of plants in my tank and the only pleco i would get is one that would not exceed 5 inches
i'm thinking maybe of just getting CO2 to solve my algae problem

I have plants in both of my tanks and the bristlenose/oto's/and SAE don't harm the plants. The SAE are excellent at cleaning algae off of the plants without hurting them.

Bristlenose are perfect, yeah the CO2 will help combat the algae problem but pleco's are awesome adn the bristlenose are my favorite. They don't get over 5" and they don't harm plants.

 

[fish_4_all]

According to BrianNY BN pleco do not eat his plants. If they do eat my plants, I will switch to something that isn't a broad leaf. As for controlling algae with CO2, Good luck. Since I put mine in, the algae is just as healthy as ever. 8) I would get the Plecos and/or SAE.

BTW, thanks for starting this thread. Now I think I know why my SAE and Otos didn't live long after the algae was gone. My LFS said they survive on fish food without greens being supplimented. Now I know better.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

My BN Plecos do a great job of cleaning the leaves on my plants without damaging the plant. And they don't eat the plants as well.

 

[SeymourFRESH]

alright cool! now, my LFS has the bristlenose, but they have it labeled as the "medusa pleco." is this possibly a different species? the only reason i ask is because the guy there told me that they get just as big as regular plecos, but i really just think he didn't know what he was talking about. i asked him if the medusa is the same species as the bristlenose, but he said he didn't know. the fish looks EXACTLY like the bristlenose though, and they're about 3"

any of you guys know anything about this?

EDIT: nevermind! i figured out they are different! the medusa's get 8 inches or so. lol, good thing i didn't go out and buy them

 

[RoK]

These them?: http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/loricari/ancistru/190_F.PHP
If it is, those are actually a different species and get a little bigger.

 

[lovemybarbs]

that isn't a pretty fish. Yikes!

 

[trotty]

I agree the BN plecos don't harm plants, i had CAE's and they do become very agressive. I've seen a 5" CAE attack the side of a 12" Oscar. Although the CAE did eventually go missing!!! As for BN they are easy to breed aesy to sex (once they are about 1 1\2" long)
IME they pair for life. None of my tanks have algae that have BN's. I also have Borneo Suckers that are pretty good too!

 

[Primetime]

Alright, sorry if this is hijacking the thread, but since the question got so many good suggestions already, I thought I'd ask as well..

I have a beard algae problem on only one species of plants and other algae issues as well. The tank does get direct sunlight from 2-5 and I cant move it because I don't have room (2 bedroom apartment with 4 tanks). I was wondering if a Bristlenose pleco could help or is the situation helpless? Do they eat beard algae anyways?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Here's another Medusa Pleco...

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1169

 

[SeymourFRESH]

YIKES! i guess the full grown version of the medusa is definetely a very distinguishable difference! that fish looks scary, but that makes it kind of cool in my opinion LOL

as far as the beard algae problem, primetime...i'm honestly not sure if they would eat it, but i thought someone else on this thread pretty much said they'll eat all types of algae

but my next question about the bristlenose now is, are they like all other plecos where they eat algae while they're young and stop when they get older? or will they continuously eat it?
i just ordered 2 bristlenose off of liveaquaria.net and i'm gonna have one for each of my tanks. i just hope that i can always count on them to keep the ol tank clean! lol

 

[Lonewolfblue]

No, they are not like CAE's where they only eat algae when young. They are awsome cleaners all the time from what I understand. I just recently got 2 for my 75G from the lfs here, and they are doing an awsome job.

 

[Fear134]

How good are they with Cichlids? We found out over the weekend that Ottocinclus' aren't good to have with Haps (had an incident where the female of a mated pair of Haps ate an otto and it's spines stuck in her mouth so she couldn't swollow it and died). Could this happen with the bristlenosed plec?

 

[SeymourFRESH]

How good are they with Cichlids? We found out over the weekend that Ottocinclus' aren't good to have with Haps (had an incident where the female of a mated pair of Haps ate an otto and it's spines stuck in her mouth so she couldn't swollow it and died). Could this happen with the bristlenosed plec?

i don't suppose it could, otos only get 2" max where the bristlenose pleco is more like up to 4-5". so if it can't fit in your hap's mouth, i doubt you'd have a problem. a buddy of mine kept a regular pleco (about 5") with africans and they never clashed...but on the other hand, none of his africans ever spawned. so who knows.

 

[Hypnotic]

My one otto does an amazing job of eating algea off of everything! My bristlenose pleco on the other hand has got to be the laziest fish I've ever known. Yes its true that they will clean your tanks when they are young, but as soon as they mature, they need food suplements like zuckini (sp?) or algea wafers and they don't even bother with the algea anymore. My little guy is soo ugly, he's actually cute!

 

[Jarred Darque]

are BNs armorered like common plecos?

If they are, that will help with their survivability in a cichlid tank

 

[lovemybarbs]

My one otto does an amazing job of eating algea off of everything! My bristlenose pleco on the other hand has got to be the laziest fish I've ever known. Yes its true that they will clean your tanks when they are young, but as soon as they mature, they need food suplements like zuckini (sp?) or algea wafers and they don't even bother with the algea anymore. My little guy is soo ugly, he's actually cute!

Well, his coloring and pattern is pretty. He looks really healthy.