What small algae eater for 10gal?

[mPhish]

I have a 10gal with 1 dwarf gourami and 4 guppies. I would like a small algae eater or two that effectively cleans, but i would like to get a few more guppies as well. I don't know where to get nerite snails in my area, and i have heard that apple snails don't help with algae so much (despite what petsmart employees say). I like otos but will they take up all my room so I can't get more guppies? A guy at my LFS said i could get something like a miniature clown pleco or a miniature pleco or something, i don't totally remember what it was. Any advice or suggestions?

 

[Mebbid]

Nerites are your best bet for algae eaters if you can find them.

Oto cats are great, but a 10g is a bit small to sustain them and they need to be kept in a school. It is also very difficult to get healthy ones.

All plecos are a terrible choice for that tank size. They are massive poo machines and will cause parameter problems in a tank that small. 30g is the minimum for them.

 

[mPhish]

I went to my LFS and got two teeny little algae eaters. I'm not sure what they are, but the guy at the store said they won't get any bigger than they are (1"-1 1/2"). I'm starting a new thread to figure out what they are.

 

[Fresh2o]

I went to my LFS and got two teeny little algae eaters. I'm not sure what they are, but the guy at the store said they won't get any bigger than they are (1"-1 1/2"). I'm starting a new thread to figure out what they are.

A little late for this, but it might have been better to get pics of the fish with the name listed and bring it back here for proper ID. Care and other considerations (such as what to look for in a healthy specimen) would have been pointed out so that you could have made an informed decision whether it's a good fit or not for your tank.
Could be otos. Then again, it could be CAE (Chinese Algae Eaters) which would not be a good fit.


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[mPhish]

Fresh2o thanks for your concern. I know they are not CAE and I don't think they are otos, but see my new post (ill post soon in general discussion) for a pic. I realize I should have done i bit more research beforehand, but it's hard to leave that store with just one fish (I was there to get a guppy)

 

[Fresh2o]

Fresh2o thanks for your concern. I know they are not CAE and I don't think they are otos, but see my new post (ill post soon in general discussion) for a pic. I realize I should have done i bit more research beforehand, but it's hard to leave that store with just one fish (I was there to get a guppy)

Fingers crossed they are not. I don't always trust the LFS/big box staff. I hope I did not come off sounding rude or condescending. Often the scenario here is "I just bought X and how do I take care of it?"
I have not kept Otos in a long time but they are industrious little cleaners. I kicked the temptation bug as I've been concentrating on plants and shrimp the last few years ago. Last time I'm bought some danios from Pet$mart and came back with Ich. That was in 2012


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[mPhish]

Fresh2o Yeah, I don't trust petco because all the guppies i get from there have ich, and i check Petsmart fish very carefully before buying them. My LFS is pretty reliable, tho, they have lots of saltwater fish there too.