Coldwater algae eaters...

[2cvbloke]

Ok, my mum has a bit of an algae problem, I've adjusted the light timer to On-11:30am and Off-9:00pm, so it's down to 9 1/2 hours from 12 1/2, but the poor little Hillie isn't big enough to cope with all that green goo, so I was thinking about removing him and putting him in my tank...

I've just done a 75% water change and cleaned the algae off the front of the tank (where it builds up the most), that stuff is persistant!!! :x

Soooo I just need some ideas on whether there are any Coldwater algae eaters that can live with 2 growing Orandas and 3 weather loaches...

Thanks!!!

 

[evercl92]

rubberlip pleco

 

[smn723]

garra pingi pingi
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fish/pingilogsucker.php

if you can find one. by the way it's 53-77 degrees fahrenheit not celsius if you visit that site.

 

[2cvbloke]

garra pingi pingi
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fish/pingilogsucker.php

if you can find one. by the way it's 53-77 degrees fahrenheit not celsius if you visit that site.

I like the name, but going by your post, they sound like a rareity, and looking at them, I quite like them, nice silvery little things, I'll keep my eye out for them...

 

[Zagz]

I second the rubberlip pleco.

 

[jsoong]

Hillies don't eat algae. They eat micro-organisms that lives in the algae beds, in the process scraping off the algae. But the scrapped off bits of algae just reattach somewhere else & you are back to square one. Gastromyzons are supposed to actually eat algae (as opposed to the common hillies (Beaufortia), but I don't think thsy have much of a reputation as clean up crew.

Is the tank heated? Orandas should be kept in mid to high 70's, so a heater is a good idea. With the temp in the 70's, you have a wider choice of algae eaters. My SAE's are doing just fine with the golds, as is the rubberlip. Bristlenose plecos are also compatible with golds. All these are good choice for algae eaters.

Other algae eaters include shrimps (but they quickely become snacks for the Orandas) and snails. Nerite snails are reputed to be great algae eaters in planted tanks.

 

[JustOneMore20]

What size tank? That will help determine what type of algae eater, as well.

 

[2cvbloke]

Here goes:

The tank has no heater as ambient temperatures of the room it's in keep it within the 70f range, it occasionally has dips and rises, but in a natural environment that would happen anyway, it did have a large heater that came with the tank, but that leaked and blew up on the first day of filling tank.

Size is 36"w x 15"h x 12"d, I think that's about 29 US gals. I believe it's currently a little overstocked with the 2 orandas, 3 weather loaches and the poor little Myers hillie, but I like the idea of it being like a field with a couple of grazing cows and a few rabbits zippng about in it....

I'm trying to convince my mum to get another slightly bigger tank for the Orandas to grow up in (I saw a lovely biiiiig corner tank yesterday, not cheap, but a perfect tank for them!!!), so that could house the orandas and an algae eater, then the loaches would get some new & slightly smaller tankmates...

 

[JustOneMore20]

Awesome. I think the Rubberlip pleco or some snails would be your best bet. Either would be fine in that tank.

The Goldies should be fine to grow up in that tank. I know the rule is usually 20g for the first and 10 for any additional, so you have your Goldies in the minimum tank size IMO. The Weather Loaches will get too large for that tank though. They can reach up to 10 inches. I'd invest in a 4ft tank for them eventually if you can....that would be perfect for the loaches and the orandas.

 

[2cvbloke]

Awesome. I think the Rubberlip pleco or some snails would be your best bet. Either would be fine in that tank.

The Goldies should be fine to grow up in that tank. I know the rule is usually 20g for the first and 10 for any additional, so you have your Goldies in the minimum tank size IMO. The Weather Loaches will get too large for that tank though. They can reach up to 10 inches. I'd invest in a 4ft tank for them eventually if you can....that would be perfect for the loaches and the orandas.

From previous experience, we can't have snails as the loaches eat 'em!!!

It'd be great if my mum got a couple of larger tanks and I get this one for myself, but that's currently wishful thinking!!! As for the loaches, I thought that they would have been ok in that tank as it's depth is bigger than an average full-length of a Weather loach, as to leave them enough room to move freely without restriction... :?

 

[hc8719]

rubberlips are cool water?

 

[jsoong]

Maybe not cool, but certainly tepid!

According to planet catfish, Rubberlips (C. thomsoni) live high in the mountains & prefers water in the low 20's (ie low 70's), so they are not your typical tropicals.

 

[2cvbloke]

Maybe not cool, but certainly tepid!

According to planet catfish, Rubberlips (C. thomsoni) live high in the mountains & prefers water in the low 20's (ie low 70's), so they are not your typical tropicals.

Sounds about the same as my mum's fishtank, it's in the low 20/70's, so that'll do nicely, assuming I can find one locally...