chinese algae eater

[dax29]

Okay. I just went to the [acronym:6cb1701aa7="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:6cb1701aa7] to purchase a $9.00 cleaning magnet and my [acronym:6cb1701aa7="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:6cb1701aa7] owner told me to get a chinese algae eater instead. I've got a 29 gallon tank and I'm starting to see a little hint of brown algae. Can 1 algae eater handle a 29 gallon tank. Can I expect the algae to go away using the algae eater.

[Jchillin]

What other fish do you have? Otos are better at the brown stuff than the [acronym:7217ec8e58="Chinese Algae Eater"]CAE[/acronym:7217ec8e58]. In any event, the cats will consume a lot of the algae but you will still have to clean the glass. Do you have any decorations?

[newtank]

Here are a couple of pages on algae and algae eaters that I've found informative.

www.aquaticscape.com/articles/algae.htm
www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/saes.htm

[dax29]

The brown stuff is the algae I see. I've got YoYo and clown loaches, cory cats as well as black ruby and tiger barbs. I'm thinking I need the magnet anyway.

[dax29]

What can I feed otos if they run out of algae? If I put 1 chines algae eater in with 2 otos in a 29 gallon tank will that be too much "aglae eating"?

[BASSNMAN]

I would stay away from the chinese algae eater. When they get bigger, thy do not eat much algae and they get tempermental. The siamese algae eater stays smaller and has a better disposition. I found a algae cleaner that has a long handle and a white pad that is like a soft pot scrubbber. It works much better that the magnets. I would not use it if you have a acrylic tank though.

[dax29]

Thanks for your response. The problem is that the [acronym:e1096ad3fa="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:e1096ad3fa] has already sold me the chines algae eater. If it gives me too much trouble I'll send it back. They take fish trades in all the time. Or at least they will take them back.