best algea eating pleco

[Guest]

since I can't find an oto to save my life, I am thinking about trading in my beautiful but useless Royal Pleco for one that actually cleans the tank. What is my best option for algea control? Right now its not much of an issue, but I am upgrading lighting and I don't want to wait for it to become a problem.

 

[BillD]

Go for a bristlenose, since most don't get to big. Your Royal is a panaque, and they are more of a wood eater than an alga eater.

 

[Guest]

Go for a bristlenose, since most don't get to big. Your Royal is a panaque, and they are more of a wood eater than an alga eater.

I'm not sure what he is eating, but its not wood because he has been alive for about seven months now without any wood in the tank.

 

[megladonsharky]

royal will eat meat and plant life ,, they should have wood as it helps there digestion.. my pitbull does good work keeping my tank clean

 

[BrianNY]

IMO your best option for algae control is to control it before it ever happens. Often this isn't possible. Algae proliferates for two reasons. Too much light or a nutrient imbalance.

Others may disagree but I haven't seen the pleco yet that is useful in controlling algae. I have been spawning dwarf BNs for over a year so I have plenty in all of my planted tanks. Until I got a handle on my nutrients they were ineffective.

 

[gheitman]

As far as algae-eating fish I would recommend a bristlenose pleco (aka Ancistrus) as well. Mine will scrape algae off the glass but you should have some wood in the tank for them because they like fiber. The ultimate solution though is to control your nutrients (including lighting) as Brian says.

 

[chasgood]

Just found this article tonight about water testing. It talks about phosphate testing and how high levels add to algae problems.

http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/waterchemsitry/a/watertesting.htm

 

[PBirdsong]

Hmm . . . no wood in my tank may explain the problem with my common pleco. He appears to be "bloated".