Algae Eaters for a Discus Tank

[Saltymeat]

Hi all, im new to this forum and to discus in general so i thought i would ask all of you, what is the best type of algae eater to put in my 120 gallon planted tank. I have been reading all over the internet for about a week now and every time i THINK i have found the right algae eater for my tank i read an absolutely horrible thing about them such as snails who are the best algae eaters but become a pest and have a hard time living in 85 degrees, or otos and BN's who like to suck on the side of discus to SAE who become fat and lazy and just eat the food and not algae. So i was hoping that all of you here would be able to shed light on this with your own tanks and experience to help me finally get rid of all that green and brown algae after my fishless cycle. thanks! p.s. there are no other fish in it right now, just dosing 1 - 2ppm of ammonia a day to feed the bacteria.

 

[Mebbid]

Adding an algae eater to a tank will not get rid of your algae problem. Not by a long shot. It will actually very likely make the problem worse as they will leave sucking marks all over the side of your tank. Snails are the worst, but fish are bad too.

Instead, don't use the lights. There's no reason to use the lights if there's nothing living in the tank currently. Next, the brown algae is a temporary thing that pops up in nearly all aquariums. The aquarium will eventually mature and the diatoms go away all on their own.

 

[Saltymeat]

Thanks for the reply! But i dont look at it as a problem and i do know that the brown algae will eventually go away but do u think weekly to bi weekly water changes and gravel vacuuming with make having algae eaters pointless? I was just looking for long term to keep the tank sparkling and beautiful

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[Mebbid]

First: I would start off by suggesting going either bare bottom or sand for a substrate vs gravel. Gravel and discus don't go well together.

Second: Supplement that with strong flow and frequently cleaned mechanical filtration media to keep debris from settling.

Those 2 things along with a modest lighting period and the pristine water parameters that discus need to thrive should prevent most algae growth on it's own.

 

[Saltymeat]

Thanks for the advice, i really appreciate it! As for the substrate i have an extremely fine gravel thats rounded and made specifically for discus (it better be for the price i paid) so i dont see that being a problem. Im gonna go out this weekend and pick up some cardinal tetras and see with your advice i can keep the tank pristine. Thanks again!

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[Mebbid]

Thanks for the advice, i really appreciate it! As for the substrate i have an extremely fine gravel thats rounded and made specifically for discus (it better be for the price i paid) so i dont see that being a problem. Im gonna go out this weekend and pick up some cardinal tetras and see with your advice i can keep the tank pristine. Thanks again!

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Would you happen to have a link for it? I'm curious as to what it is.

 

[Saltymeat]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003J..._rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2068141862&pf_rd_i=mobile

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[Tropical Aquarist]

Also I do a siesta for all my tanks, mainly for the plants as they run out of Co2 during mid day, but also as it takes 6+ hours until the algae starts growing. My lights go on for 5 hours, off for 4 and on for 5. Then off for the night. I use a timer, you can get one cheaply at a hardware store.

I have practically no algae at all, and the plants grow 2x as fast.

Also, I soak all my plants for 24 hours in an Alum soak this kills all invertebrates (snails) and fish, so I have a dedicated bucket for this. Alum can be found in the spice section of your local grocery store (used for pickling).

Btw otos and BN plecos are completely safe for all fish they won't suck the slime coats off fish. You're thinking of Chinese algae eaters.

I have/had both and they do produce a LOT of poop!

 

[Saltymeat]

I know ur probably gonna cringe when i tell u this trop but i have the finnex 24/7 planted pkus 48 inch fixture... it automatically changes every hour to simulate a full day and it is absolutely beautiful and from what ive seen so far my plants have had amazing growth (with the help of seachem flourish excel and trace in moderate amounts) and i guess i should also clarify that as of right now i do NOT have an algae problem and my water is perfectly clear i just didnt know if over time it would crop up... i personally am not a fan of plecos and if i can keep my tank looking the way it is now when its fully stocked than i would be extremely happy so im gonna follow mebbids advice for now and just use good ol fashion hardwork and keep it beautiful myself and not put any necessary risk to my discus!

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[Saltymeat]

But this alum for soaking plants has intrigued me as i do have a few snails in my tank now (i counted about 6 to 8) and would prefer to not have a massive outbreak so maybe u could tell me your water to alum ratio ( i assume its powder form) so i can stop the snail infestation before it begins!

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[jessipanda]

I, too, would love that alum-water ratio... Please, Tropical! ?

 

[Tropical Aquarist]

Lol no worries, lucky you though, those are truly amazing fixtures!

Alum is a just a "scoop" in a gallon of water, about 2-3 tablespoons. I do a minimum of 24 hours, max of 4 days. If they're bought locally they can do fine with no additional light, but if they're shipped (so already a few days without light) I would add some kind of light.

 

[Saltymeat]

Thanks so much! I really appreciate this!

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[jessipanda]

Me too! Thanks Tropical Aquarist!