I want algae

[Ralphie126]

Hey so in my fish tank, I have a snail, a rubber lip pleco, an oto and loaches and a rainbow shark who all eat almost all algae in their diet. I am giving them algae wafers but i dont think it is enough. How can I get a little bit of algae on the glass so they can eat more because my snail only comes out at night and by then, all the wafers have been eaten

 

[bud29]

Well, if you put the tank by a window and let some sunlight come into the tank that will most likely grow some algae. Also, if you put an aquarium-safe stone in some water and place it on a windowsill it could grow algae and you could put it in the tank.

 

[Autumnsky]

Make a vase in a window sill with small river stones covered with water and let the sunlight cause algae they will get nice and green, or if you have some space in your yard a big bucket in the sun with water covering it same thing with stones in it you can drop in one or two at a time and just keep replacing them and growing more algae rocks.

I would use old tank water to start and refill it it so you would get lots of nutrients to feed the algae! This was suggested to me by other members and I think it would work well.

 

[Ralphie126]

thanks thats a great idea i will def. try that out this week. How long does the algae take to grow and where can i get the stones?

 

[Cynic]

Ever heard the statement be careful what you wish for?

 

[Ralphie126]

Yes but what I was planning to do was get the stones put them in at night and take them out in the morning and do this a few times a week

 

[absolutangel04]

So, otos and snails will eat biofilm as well as algae, so they are probably fine. Loaches and red tailed sharks are not algae eating fish, so they should have a meatier diet than algae of any type. As for the rubbernose pleco, he is likely ok with other food and algae wafers. I have a rubber lip pleco, and he eats shrimp pellets and fallen flakes in addition to algae. Even so, its only the oto, pleco, and (maybe) snail eating algae and biofilm, so I am guessing your tank along with the algae wafers has enough.

 

[Ralphie126]

Well, I am not sure about that because my shark won't eat pellets only algae, and black kuhlis only eat algae too.

 

[absolutangel04]

Well, I am not sure about that because my shark won't eat pellets only algae, and black kuhlis only eat algae too.

That is incorrect. Black kuhlis and red tailed sharks are not algae eating fish. They may prefer the taste of the algae wafers, but it's not nutritionally sounds for them to just eat algae wafers.
Another option you could try is switching to flake or pellet food, and then using blanched veggies to feed to oto/pleco/snail. I am sure the loaches and shark will eat some too, but that is perfectly fine for them as long as they are getting some meaty content in their diet as well.

 

[Ralphie126]

Well I am going by what I see. I may be wrong

 

[shellieca]

Well I am going by what I see. I may be wrong

I have 2 snails, 2 Chinese algae eaters & 3 female Bettas in a 46g tank. I drop,algae wafers about every other day ALL of my fish eat in them & I know for a fact that they are not nutritionally sound for them to be the main diet of my Bettas. So I also feed my Bettas pellets, frozen blood worms once a week & I also drop in a veggie weekly for my snails & anyone else who wants to nibble on it. Fish need a variety of things to meet all of their nutritional needs same as you or I. Just something to think about.

 

[Autumnsky]

Things can be different than what you hear or understand...my Japanese Algae eating Amano shrimp started being ferocious grabbers of the omnivore Hikari sinking pellets and Hikari Shrimp Cuisine, like almost beating each other up over them, then grabbing one and running off and eating them in the bushes. LOL so crazy... I was shocked how much they wanted the pellets and fought over them...tug-o-war, so funny.

(btw Yes they were fed and ate left over foods too)

 

[Autumnsky]

The rocks can come from a rock and sand distributor, we live sort of in the country, or a bag of stones for aquariums or landscaping at the big box stores they sell river stones just rinse them well.

You get the stones with good algae cover, drop in for snacking and remove later, put back into the bucket/vase and just keep cycling through, just an option. There are good algae tabs. I use Hikari brand almost everything so they don't tint or cloud the water and seem to be nutritionally sound. Fish seem happy and healthy.

 

[Ralphie126]

I feed my fish brine shrimp every week or other week along with veggies and pellets.

 

[brunettebaby4571]

I feed my otos omega one veggie wafers and cucumber and zucchini (which all my other fish go crazy for too) throughout the week and my other fish get flakes blood worm and brine shrimp also. I have tried and tried to grow algae but I swear I am the only person in the world that cant grow it! lmao the only kind of algae I have been able to get was the kind my otos wont eat...so nerve wracking!! If you get any to grow let me know how you did it!! I have tried everything!!

 

[Ralphie126]

bad news, snail is now dead. I think it got attacked because its shell was all missing by where it comes out and it was hanging out upside down and its "body" was ripped in half hanging by a piece of skin

 

[HopefulHobbiest]

why do i always see loaches picking at rocks and decor at the stores? shouldnt they be fed bottom feeder pellets or shrimp pellets?