Helper fish for small tank

[Platymaniac]

Hi all,

I've been trying to decide on what kind of bottom feeder type fish I should get when my tank is ready. It is a 25 gallon tank. I've been doing a lot of reading about the different types of algae-eating FW fish but they all say minimum 30 gallon tank. Are there any that don't get so big and would be happy in a 25 gallon tall tank with platies and tetras?

I don't even have the tank yet, but I am trying to decide what types of fish are going to live there so that I get all compatible types.

Thanks,

Kathi

 

[theotheragentm]

Generally buying an animals to deal with algae isn't the best idea. They're either ineffective or too large for the tank they can handle. If you want a little bit of spot cleaning, check out Oto Catfish. You can get a school of five of them. They stay small and are fun to watch as they hover over your tank.

 

[patryuji]

Just remember, whenever you have fish for "algae control" you will have to supplement their diets with some veggies on occassion to prevent starvation.

 

[neilanh]

I agree with the otos, or some dwarf cories.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I would hold off on purchasing any algae eating fish until you see if you even get algae or what kind you have. Not all algae eaters eat the same type. And you may not even get algae. I don't have a single speck of it in our 150, 29, or 10 gal tanks. The 55 gets it occasionally but not enough to warrant a fish addition. If you want bottom feeders I'd go with cories though.

 

[Platymaniac]

Thanks! I wasn't planning on getting these right away, just wanted to have a plan on what to get if I decide to get botton-dwellers. Since I am getting an acrylic tank, I thought it might be a good idea to add some sort of algae-eater to help control algae, as the tank will scratch quite easily. Thanks for the suggestions and advice!

Kathi

 

[odessadude]

Yea those little otos are cute until they get big and start chasing your other fish! Ive often wondered what they would do if they ever caught them.

They also love to eat your live plants if they don't have any algae to munch on.

If you aquarium is balanced right you shouldn't have much problem with algae. Also make sure your lighting is appropriate for the size of the tank and the species of fish you decide on.

 

[farmgirl]

Otos are great LITTLE fish, I have 3. They do not chase other fish, and they do not get bigger than 2 inches best I can tell, and they do an awesome job of cleaning algae. Common Plecos get huge on the other hand. 12" +.
My 90 is acrylic, and you'll find that they make all sorts of algae scrapers, scrubbers, mags, etc. that are specifically just for acrylic. HTH.

 

[theotheragentm]

Yea those little otos are cute until they get big and start chasing your other fish! Ive often wondered what they would do if they ever caught them.

They also love to eat your live plants if they don't have any algae to munch on.

If you aquarium is balanced right you shouldn't have much problem with algae. Also make sure your lighting is appropriate for the size of the tank and the species of fish you decide on.

You have Otos confused with another fish. They don't get big and don't touch live plants other than to each algae off of them.

 

[JustOneMore20]

I agree with most said above. I don't suggest fish to take care of your algae problems. Its best to ID the algae and fix the cause. But, some algae eating fish are great bottom feeders to keep. Otos are one of these. They like to be in groups and its really cool to watch them follow each other around the tank. Where you see one, you'll always see atleast a couple of the others. They don't chase fish that I've seen and they do not eat your plants. They may suck on the leaves and eat the algae off, but they don't eat them.

Cories are great bottom feeders as well and while they don't eat algae, they are very entertaining fish to keep.

When you decide to get some bottom feeders, I'd suggest 4-5 Otos or 6-8 Dwarf Cories (Corydoras hastatus, Corydoras habrosus, or Corydoras pygmaeus).