Need an algae eater

[Sidman24]

I'm getting a lot of diatoms, or so I assume... It's the green/brown algae that covers mostly my rock. The only thing I have in there now as a clean up crew is a ramshorn snail. I have a keyhole, buffalo head, 2 firemouth, rams, krib, and can't remember the other ones name. I also have cories. But those are my cichlids. What algae eater could I put in here? It's a 75 gallon planted. I don't have any driftwood so I can't put a pleco in. Add more snails? Would a flying fox work? Ideas please! Thanks

 

[Cichlid.Keeper]

Siamese algae eaters. And why can't you put a pleco in. They do the job

 

[Scottyhorse]

You could put a bristlenose pleco in there. I have a bn in a tank w/o driftwood. But I would just find out what the cause of the algae is.

 

[Surfer]

If you dont have driftwood, a rubbernose pleco can work. They love algae, and dont need DW. Latin name is chaetostoma thomasi for reference. Good luck!

I dont recommend putting a BN there without DW, it can cause digestional issues.

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[Goldfish loach boy]

Ben plecos don't eat entirely algae, and don't compare to nerite snails
I had a big rock piece, like a foot long filled with diatoms, and I. Like 4-5 days, it was clear, they are amazing can't recommend anything better because there is nothing better

 

[twiddlemuffin]

Pleco's don't really eat algae. I recommend oto's.

 

[Sidman24]

If you dont have driftwood, a rubbernose pleco can work. They love algae, and dont need DW. Latin name is chaetostoma thomasi for reference. Good luck!

I dont recommend putting a BN there without DW, it can cause digestional issues.

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I really like the idea of the rubber nose pleco! Do they eat algae their whole lives?? And could I add two?

 

[Sidman24]

Pleco's don't really eat algae. I recommend oto's.

I had ottos but moved them becuase they are too small and my cichlids would eventually eat them as snacks

 

[Sidman24]

Ben plecos don't eat entirely algae, and don't compare to nerite snails
I had a big rock piece, like a foot long filled with diatoms, and I. Like 4-5 days, it was clear, they are amazing can't recommend anything better because there is nothing better

I had a mystery snail in my tank and it disappeared... ( that happens a lot in my tank! Haha ) anyways, I'm afraid my cichlids may have gotten him.. I'm not even sure. So I don't know if id add anymore snails, however my ramshorn snail has been doing fine

 

[Goldfish loach boy]

I had 5 Otos in my tank, still had to clean the glass
Sold them and got one bn pleco and one rubber lip, didn't help that much
Added 3 nerite snails, thank looks clean

 

[ashleynicole]

A rubberlip pleco will rasp holes in plant leaves. Believe me I know.

I have two bristlenose plecos and a few otos and they do alright but I still run my magfloat over the glass once a week or so.

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[Surfer]

A rubberlip pleco will rasp holes in plant leaves. Believe me I know.

I have two bristlenose plecos and a few otos and they do alright but I still run my magfloat over the glass once a week or so.

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Ive never had any problems with them even touching my broad leaved plants, so I guess it depends on the individual.

Yes they will eat algae, but supplement with algae wafers once your algae runs out.

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[ashleynicole]

I fed the rubber lip veggies and wafers daily but was still getting holes rasped into my crypts and swords. Those rubber lips have powerful suction.

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[nathanden]

question why do plecos need dw I've never heard this before

don't no much about plecos so Jw

 

[Surfer]

question why do plecos need dw I've never heard this before

don't no much about plecos so Jw

They need the fiber and microorganisms that digest wood in their gut to help digest their own food. Most plecos only get this from wood.

However some plecos come from rivers that lack driftwood so they never needed it.

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[nathanden]

cool didn't no that

 

[Peacockbass]

I think you just need to clean it...I heard that if you get algae eater of any kind they will grow up and eat the stress coat off of the other fish. I have a pleco and he does the job, but I would be carful before buying them. I would just get the mag float magnets. They seem to be pretty good.

 

[ashleynicole]

I think you just need to clean it...I heard that if you get algae eater of any kind they will grow up and eat the stress coat off of the other fish. I have a pleco and he does the job, but I would be carful before buying them. I would just get the mag float magnets. They seem to be pretty good.

This is too much of a generalization to be true. Ive kept common plecos, bristlenose, rubber lip, and clowns and never have seen any latch onto larger slow moving fish.

There is ancedontal reporting of chinese algae eaters doing this, ive never had one so I dont know.

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[Maria discus]

I keep discus. I has BN in there as part of my ground crew. When I would do my w/c's the discus natrually move down to the bottom of the tank, that's when the BN would latch themselves on to my discus. Moved most of them out now.

 

[NYgiantsRP]

Sidman24, what is your feeding schedule? How long are your lights on for? And what is your water change schedule? What are the other fish you couldn't remember?

Your problem could be over feeding, over stocking, and the lights being on too long.

You could try keeping your lights on a couple hours less, feed every other day, and changing more of a percentage of water then you currently change. Adding more fish to help the algae usually doesn't help.