Which algae eater for a 10 gallon

[Leatherback1]

I currently have a 10 gallon tank with 2 guppies.I plan on stocking it with more guppies (female had fry) but I need a hardy algae eater.Which one would you recommend?I bought otocniclus in the past but it was very small (1/2 inch)and died within 24 hours. That may have been because of bad water quality,though.Also,if I add a bigger filter,can I add more fish?

 

[00youknowit00]

Personally, I'd get a bristlenose pleco. Hardy, active, stay small enough. I love them

 

[dragonfisher33]

I currently have a 10 gallon tank with 2 guppies.I plan on stocking it with more guppies (female had fry) but I need a hardy algae eater.Which one would you recommend?I bought otocniclus in the past but it was very small (1/2 inch)and died within 24 hours. That may have been because of bad water quality,though.Also,if I add a bigger filter,can I add more fish?

siamese algae eater is the best alternative for algae fighting although i think your tank is too small for them. no pleco because they poop too much and most of the time wouldn't do a darn thing with algae. and as they age, they become increasingly aggressive and eat more meaty food.

i have otos in my tank and i have not fed them anything for the past several months, they're doing hell of a job in cleaning up my tank. I think you should give it a few more tries instead of just giving up on them. all fish get sick and die for one reason or another.

 

[Leatherback1]

siamese algae eater is the best alternative for algae fighting although i think your tank is too small for them. no pleco because they poop too much and most of the time wouldn't do a darn thing with algae. and as they age, they become increasingly aggressive and eat more meaty food.

i have otos in my tank and i have not fed them anything for the past several months, they're doing hell of a job in cleaning up my tank. I think you should give it a few more tries instead of just giving up on them. all fish get sick and die for one reason or another.

I think ill go with a pair of Otos because the first time i got them i didn't cycle my tank and they are particularly finicky about conditions. thx for the help and hope it works out!

 

[dragonfisher33]

another word of advice: when getting the otos, it's better if you go in when they're feeding the fish. you can tell which one is eating and which one is not. pick out the ones that are eating. eating is a sign of good health.

 

[Leatherback1]

another word of advice: when getting the otos, it's better if you go in when they're feeding the fish. you can tell which one is eating and which one is not. pick out the ones that are eating. eating is a sign of good health.

Ummm I have no idea when they feed the fish in my lfs .............any other signs of healthiness?

 

[dragonfisher33]

Ummm I have no idea when they feed the fish in my lfs .............any other signs of healthiness?

for some fish that small, it's the easiest and sure way to tell. maybe you can call them ahead of time and ask them about it. the thing about otos is that sometimes the stress from transportation takes a toll on them and the new fish environment. they would starve themselves to death. that's why i've always advice people that when picking out fish, it's best to go in when the lfs is feeding their fish and pick out the ones that are eating.

 

[Leatherback1]

for some fish that small, it's the easiest and sure way to tell. maybe you can call them ahead of time and ask them about it. the thing about otos is that sometimes the stress from transportation takes a toll on them and the new fish environment. they would starve themselves to death. that's why i've always advice people that when picking out fish, it's best to go in when the lfs is feeding their fish and pick out the ones that are eating.

I'll see if that's possible and thank you for the advice.I hear that snails are good but I asked a friend and he said DEFINITELY NOT!!you can't tell if they are pregnant when you buy them and once they are in your tank,they aren't leaving.

 

[Zimmanski]

Nerite snails are perfect algae eaters and would be the best option for a ten gallon tank. Nerite snails cannot reproduce I'm fresh water so you don't have to worry about them taking over your tank. They really would be much more suitable for your tank rather than any of the sucker mouth cats

 

[Leatherback1]

Nerite snails are perfect algae eaters and would be the best option for a ten gallon tank. Nerite snails cannot reproduce I'm fresh water so you don't have to worry about them taking over your tank. They really would be much more suitable for your tank rather than any of the sucker mouth cats

How would I know that they are Nerite snails and not some other snail that would kill my tank

 

[Zimmanski]

How would I know that they are Nerite snails and not some other snail that would kill my tank

Buy them from a reputable dealer. Buy them from an online source or from an honest local fish store. They're fairly easy to tell apart from mystery snails, pond snails, trumpet snails and rams horn snails, but if you're not confident in your ability to do that then again hit the World Wide Web. You can find many sellers of them on eBay and amazon.

Edit: also, why not find the reason Why you algae in the first place as well? Are you running your lights too long and nutrients too high?

 

[Leatherback1]

Buy them from a reputable dealer. Buy them from an online source or from an honest local fish store. They're fairly easy to tell apart from mystery snails, pond snails, trumpet snails and rams horn snails, but if you're not confident in your ability to do that then again hit the World Wide Web. You can find many sellers of them on eBay and amazon.

I just searched them up and apparently they do lay eggs........

 

[Zimmanski]

I just searched them up and apparently they do lay eggs........

Eggs that dissolve and don't hatch. They're also pretty unnoticeable.

 

[Leatherback1]

Eggs that dissolve and don't hatch. They're also pretty unnoticeable.

Ok,but I'm not really a fan of online fish buying. I can't really trust petsmart or petco too much either to know that it is a Nerite snail

 

[dragonfisher33]

How would I know that they are Nerite snails and not some other snail that would kill my tank

look up pictures online. they're algae eater and won't pick on your plants. they go the stripes on the shells, pretty cool looking if you ask me for snails. just make sure you don't have pond nails in your tank, if you do take it out, otherwise your tank will be infested with them. snails in general don't pick on fish, so your tank is safe with them, even the stupid pond snails.

 

[Leatherback1]

look up pictures online. they're algae eater and won't pick on your plants. they go the stripes on the shells, pretty cool looking if you ask me for snails. just make sure you don't have pond nails in your tank, if you do take it out, otherwise your tank will be infested with them. snails in general don't pick on fish, so your tank is safe with them, even the stupid pond snails.

How do I differ between Nerite snails and other snails

 

[dragonfisher33]

How do I differ between Nerite snails and other snails

i don't believe the lfs will try to rip you off by false advertising. plus i would do a bit of research into the snails because each one has a specific role. for example: assassin snails are used to kill off nuisance snails and will not hurt your fish. trumpet snails are for digging/aerating the substrate, nerites are known for cleaning algae. and of course, they're delicacies to loaches, puffers, etc.

 

[Leatherback1]

i don't believe the lfs will try to rip you off by false advertising. plus i would do a bit of research into the snails because each one has a specific role. for example: assassin snails are used to kill off nuisance snails and will not hurt your fish. trumpet snails are for digging/aerating the substrate, nerites are known for cleaning algae. and of course, they're delicacies to loaches, puffers, etc.

Why do all these other threads say that Nerite snails reproduce and take over their tank?

 

[dragonfisher33]

Why do all these other threads say that Nerite snails reproduce and take over their tank?

are you sure they said nerite snails? i think they're talking about regular ol' pond snails, which will take over your fish tank. it's more of a nuisance than damaging. people put pond snails into their tank and think it's cool but soon to regret it later, it happened to me as well when i started this hobby.

 

[Zimmanski]

I have them in my tanks and they have dropped some eggs but they don't lay them in sacs like other snails do and they absolutely will not hatch in fresh water, they will dissolve or be eaten by other fish. And they have probably the best chance of survival against loaches, they have thicker shells than other snails, their bodies dont stick out as far from their shells, and they have a little trap door they can close behind them when they retreat into their shells. Though some very determined clown loaches can make a snack out of them if they really try to, but none of my loaches have.