Algae getting out of hand! :( Suggestion?

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1FatFish

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Jul 1, 2004
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Hello all...

My 1 Gold Algae Eater is not doing his job to well.. The Algae in my tank is starting to show up more and more. I know about sunlite and extended periods of time with the lite on :). But this is not the case..

My question is what other kind of fish can I get that will do a good job at keeping the algae under control?? My tank contains the following fish.

55 Gallon Tank:

3 Angelfish
3 Headlite Tetras
1 Gold Algae Eater
1 Pictus Catfish
1 4" Birchir

Please help me out.

Thank you,
Richie
 
u seem 2 have a lot of room left in the tank so adding fish wouldn't be a problem...plecos, algae eaters , and snails are your best bet...freshwater clams and bamboo shrimp help keep the microbes that create algae out of your tank as well

theres always the good old fashioned scrubbing :wink:
 
i'd say go for it, hell get 2...lol...u cant go wrong with plecos because they're probably the most docile fish out there...ive always had at least one pleco in my tank, i have 4 in my 55gal and theres not a speck of algae there anywhere
 
Oto cats are great for algae, thats all they need pretty much, plecos need wood and when they get bigger cant live off algae alone, An Army of Oto cats would be better IMO.
 
very true...but ive seen otos get upity with smaller fish, plecos would be fine no matter what size and as the get bigger there are the spirulina wafers to keep them well fed
 
Oto cats are great for algae, thats all they need pretty much, plecos need wood and when they get bigger cant live off algae alone, An Army of Oto cats would be better IMO.
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very true...but ive seen otos get upity with smaller fish, plecos would be fine no matter what size and as the get bigger there are the spirulina wafers to keep them well fed
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I myself recommend the Oto's and if you can find'em, true SAE's.
Oto's will keep the algae in check much better than most plecs, Oto's also do better in a planted tank and will need supplemental food when they clean up the existing algae.
As for the uppity Oto's, Oto's are one of the most docile fish there are, they might get persnickety with a fish their size about food or immediate space but not in any aggressive way.

Not all Plecs "need/eat" wood there are relatively few that actually "need/eat" wood as a part of their normal diet. Most plecs outgrow the desire for algae, though some such as the Bristlenose, Rubberlip and such continue to keep it as a mainstay, and these algae loving plecs usually don't get more than 8-10".
And not all plecs "would be fine no matter what size", he's only talking about a 55gal tank!? Alot of plecs grow way too big for a 55, maxing out at 12-24"++ alot of plecs would almost overload that tanks bio-capacity by themselves.
Now as to algae wafers keeping a large plec "well fed", PPSSHAW!
Not a chance bud, they would always feel as if they were starving to death :evil: ....
A plecs digestive system is designed to process large amounts of bulk food, low in nutrition, high in fiber/bulk. To require them to subsist on high nutrition algae wafers is cruel, they need to be fed lots of veggies such as, zuchinni, sweet potato, broccolli stems, spinach, lettuce, peas, beans and even worms, shrimp pellets and ect... To maintain optimal health and vigor.
 
the best algae eater IMO is bushy nose pleco. he ate all the algae in my tank within 24 hours! amazing result!
 
otos have worked for me as do amano shrimp. chinese algae eaters rarely eat algae well or for long, thats why he's not working for you... what kind of algae is it? only on the glass? spot algae? furry? green, brown? how much light do you have and how long are the lights on? any plants? the best way to get rid of major algae is to figure out why you have it in the first place, just opinion
 
It is not furry Algae. It is growing on some of the wood and some of the rocks ate the bottom as well as some plants.

My lite is usually on for a 12 hour period. My tank is also away from direct sunlite.

Richie
 
I agree with ChileRelleno. I would get yourself one (1) pleco for your tank. A common pleco, or some other kind. Do NOT get more than one. Plecs get huge, and one will be more than enough. I've had one in my 55 gallon for about a year and a half now, and I've not once had to scrub algae off my tank glass.

Otos work well too, but healthy ones are often hard to find due to shipping stresses and such. If you are looking for some at the LFS, look for active ones (atleast 3-4) with a full belly. As with most algae eating fish, number one cause of death for them is starvation.

Algae is a normal occurence in any tank, so I wouldnt worry about it too much. Algae is a photosynthetic bacteria...meaning all it needs to grow is light. Good luck with choosing.
 
Is it better to get a bigger one? Or smaller? Say like 1" ?
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There is no pleco that will stay at an inch. If you want a smaller one, go with a pitbull or bushy nose pleco. These stay small, around 3-5 inches. Larger ones are fine too. The thing you want to look at when buying one though, is that they have got full bellies. Don't buy one that looks starved.

Whether getting 2 small ones or one large one is better, I couldn't say. I've only ever had just one, but boy does it eat the algae. That is up to you.
 
I have two pleco's in my 55 gal and have not seen Algae growth on anything since we got them. They keep the place spotless. Last week we got 3 Siamese Algae eaters for the 29 gal and I can still see Algae. I'm hoping to find a pleco to put into it so we can get rid of the SAEs. They just don't seem like they are wanting to eat any of the algae. They tend to hang out on the bottom of the tank and will every once in a while go to the glass and start munching. They definately have to go. Maybe we just got some lazy SAE's.
 
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