Algae eating fish/shrimp recommendation - QUICK!!!

[Patwa]

Hey I need some quick advice on an algae eater

i've got lots of small green hair-like stuff on most of my grass on my gravel bed....i'd assume it's hair-algae...hehehe...the little 'hairs' are about 5mm in length..

and i've also got some darker coloured hair like ones that grow sort of like cheerleader's pom-poms...and they greyish-blackish in colour..

but i've been told by my LFS i need algae eating shrimp

but i just checked this site and it says the True Siamese Algae Eater is the best bet for this type of algae..

http://www.azgardens.com/algae_eating_fish.php

not sure what to go for...HELP ME OUT QUICK, as i'll prolly be going to the LFS after work.

ALSO is the True SAE aggressive in any way??? i had a Golden ALgae Eater that was pretty aggressive to most other fishes in my tank....i don't want that again AT ALL

hook me up!

Zach.

 

[LondonGman]

otos man, i have a bristle nose pleco that does my algae eating duties but the is a thread here somewhere

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=13644

praisng the oto.

 

[Patwa]

otos man, i have a bristle nose pleco that does my algae eating duties but the is a thread here somewhere

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=13644

praisng the oto.

thanks man, but i've got 2 otos already.....but this algae i'm referring to is stubborn.....i think i'll get 3 shrimp and see how it goes.....i'm a bit apprehenisve about the true SAE, as i do not want any aggressiveness whatsoever.

thanks

Zach.

 

[tkos]

Ottos are only good for brown algae. SAE's are the best algae eaters out there, especially for green hair like algae.

I would get to the root of the problem though. Probably excess nutrients do to over feeding or high levels of nitrates in the water. More frequent water changes will certainly help .

 

[Allivymar]

Algae eating shrimp won't really help with hair algae; I've got a bunch of cherry shrimp and they ignore it completely. I've heard Amano shrimp may help, but it won't be as effective as the SAE or florida flagfish.

 

[Fruitbat]

Another fish you might consider is the twig catfish, Farlowella sp.. I have one in my 26 gallon that meticulously cleans every speck of brown and green algae off the glass, the rocks, the driftwood AND the plant leaves. The only thing he hasn't touched so far is the Cladophora-encrusted snail shell that I added recently. Maybe he just hasn't found it yet.

 

[Madame_X]

The problem with the shrimp is that "a few" won't do you any good. I put ten in a 30 gallon tank and they were eating like crazy, but the stuff still grows faster than they can eat it (and these were amanos).

You'd probably need at least a dozen to do a good job, and you'll still need to get to the root of the problem. The shrimp are just good at cleaning up the mess once you've figured out why you're having the outbreak.

 

[Patwa]

Ottos are only good for brown algae. SAE's are the best algae eaters out there, especially for green hair like algae.

I would get to the root of the problem though. Probably excess nutrients do to over feeding or high levels of nitrates in the water. More frequent water changes will certainly help .

yah i think the SAE is my best bet...

as for the root problem..i'm not too sure what it is...i have the lights on for max 10 hours a day...and I do a 10% water change every 10 days or so....

Zach.

 

[Patwa]

Another fish you might consider is the twig catfish, Farlowella sp.. I have one in my 26 gallon that meticulously cleans every speck of brown and green algae off the glass, the rocks, the driftwood AND the plant leaves. The only thing he hasn't touched so far is the Cladophora-encrusted snail shell that I added recently. Maybe he just hasn't found it yet.

no worries mate....I already have a Farlowella...and it's a fully grown 7.5" long adult (very hard to find these at an LFS)...and yes, he's a crazy algae eater too....but i tell you what, he doesn't even make a dent in the algae i'm talking about!....

i'll try and get my digicam back and let u all see what i'm talking about

Zach.

 

[justDIY]

I have flag fish in my 30, and they don't touch the black/blue 'pom pom' algae ... they originally helped with black/blue stringy hair algae, but the pom pom's have taken over.

I'm waiting to see if a contact can get me some amano shrimp inexpensively, I'm not likely to spend $100+ for the full price shrimp and shipping, not with with their survival rate.

 

[tkos]

Yeah, with shrimp as was mentioned above you need a lot. Get 1 per gallon I think to make a real dent in things. It isn't that hard on the bioload. But if you have a 7.5" catfish then they will be gonners.

 

[Patwa]

can anyone comment on the SAE in regards to aggressiveness??? does it get more aggressive with age??? is it territorial???....how long does it grow??

and why do they call it 'true' SAE....I assume there's a 'false' one out there...???? how can u tell the difference??

Zach

 

[tkos]

SAE are very peaceful compared to other algae eaters. And they can be kept in groups. Nice fish. They can get around 4-5 inches in length.

There are a few fish that look similar to the SAE. The Flying Fix is the most common. And it does get territorial. They are often sold as SAE.

This is a good link.

http://www.fishpondinfo.com/sae.htm

 

[Patwa]

But if you have a 7.5" catfish then they will be gonners.

naw....this catfish is a Farlowella (aka. stick cat)...it only eats algae....maybe some lettuce too.

 

[Patwa]

SAE are very peaceful compared to other algae eaters. And they can be kept in groups. Nice fish. They can get around 4-5 inches in length.

There are a few fish that look similar to the SAE. The Flying Fix is the most common. And it does get territorial. They are often sold as SAE.

This is a good link.

http://www.fishpondinfo.com/sae .htm

yeah great link....i think i'll print it out when i go check the lfs for the true SAE.

thanks

Zach

 

[davoz]

american flagfish and rosey barbs eat har algea.