brackish algea eater-

[ntswift]

My girlfriend has a 10gal brackish tank with a green spotted puffer and its getting some wicked algea growing in it. Does anyone know of a brackish water algea eater? TIA

 

[tropicfishman]

I've heard of people treating coomon plecos to become adapted to bracksih conditions but its pretty hard considering there sensitive to salt. you could research on snails and see if they could tolerate bracksih waters, maybe even crabs, crayfish, or shrimp....on second though crabs or crayfish wouldn't do well with the puffers lol

 

[Devilishturtles]

Olive/Nerite snails would be your best bet, but I'm unsure if your puffers would make a snack of them or not. Just make sure that your LFS has them in a brackish set up before you put them in your brackish set up. I've seen them sold as fw snails as well...

 

[ntswift]

Okay then, so a no go on a pleco of any kind then? I'm not sure snails would be a good idea because they will become a quick snack.

 

[penpitt]

Is your girlfriend planning on getting a bigger tank? The GSP will need a minimum of 30 gallons to live in. If the puffer is still small, under 2", it will be fine for a couple months but the puffer will grow to 6".

 

[woodsplace1]

are the corycats sensitive to brackish? I have a mini clown pleco in with my mollies and I add a tsp of salt/5-10 gal to our water for the mollies. My pleco seems to do just fine in it...

 

[Menagerie]

add a tsp of salt/5-10 gal

That's not a brackish tank. Most fish do just fine with that level, but when you start talking brackish with marine salt (not aquarium salt), then the rules change. I have a 30 gal BW tank that's been set up for a couple of years and after much researching, I have not found an algae eater. I keep MTS in there, but mostly the tank is cleaned by hand.

 

[ntswift]

yes she's going to get a bigger tank for it soon. I wont let her keep it in that small of a tank. Anyway thanks for the help guys. I guess shell have to be her own algea cleaner!