# Best choice for algae eating?



## cgcaver (Jul 10, 2005)

Im pretty much constantly battling green algae on my driftwood, slow growing plants, rocks, and sometimes glass. Believe it or not, my water conditions are generally in very good shape, but sometimes I forget the lights and let them run a lil too long (which is like insta-algae for me). I try my best to keep it clean, but... sometimes I just think I could use some help 

I had considered buying some algae-eating shrimp, but I have 2 jack dempsey's so that's pretty much not gonna happen 

I guess what I really wanna know is: Whats the best algae-eating species of fish I can put in there (that my JD's won't eat)?? In all fairness, neither of my JD's is very aggressive at all, but why tempt em?  So, who's gonna eat the most algae? SAE's? Pleco? Any other suggestions on what fauna is going to help me out with algae the most? Is ANYTHING even going to eat the green spot algae I get?


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## yildirim (Nov 25, 2004)

> I forget the lights and let them run a lil too long (which is like insta-algae for me).


Algea is a result of some unbalanced environment in the tank, and usualy by itself lighting intensity and the period may not be the only reason for algal growth. You should always try to preserve the balance for nutrients, lighting, CO2, fish and plant mass.



> Whats the best algae-eating species of fish.


Best algea eating fishes are IMO SAE's (the true ones), albino Otto's and believe it or not Guppies. But those dempseys will always be a problem. You should have all the alg eating fish young and underfed at all times for efficient clean up. What is common for all alg eating fish is that they get lazy and much into fish food when they get old.



> Is ANYTHING even going to eat the green spot algae I get?


GSA is the toughest algea for any fish to eat, even you can not move it from the surface of a leaf mechanicaly. But pleco is told to be eating this algea which I never put in my tank due to its being an unsighty fish for my son and wife.

Anyway coming back to main issue here, alg eating fish may be helpful but not good enough to compete with out of control growing algea. So you should pay more attention to the causes for alg IMO.

YILDIRIM


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## Jubs (Mar 24, 2006)

Might want to consider buying a timer too. I just picked one up yesterday as I was having a hard time knowing when my lights where coming and shutting off due to having to go to work and depending on my girlfriend to turn them on when she got up which varied greatly. 

As for fish I would go with an Ancistrus species pleco as they don't get too big and they are algae eating machines compared to most plecos. Cichild tend to not mess with plecos as much as long as they aren't in their breeding territory IME but every fish is different so I don't know if this would work or not in your particular setup but I would at least give it a try. I never had a problem with plecos and cichlids getting along when I use to keep SA and CA cichlids it was usually the pleco giving the cichlids a problem not the other way around... my old sail fin was PITA and mean lol. It started to suck on my Chaca chaca the minute I put it in the tank. Needless to say I wasn't too thrilled with that, but it stopped thankfully. 

Like I said I would give it a try but I can't say if it will work out or not but I have had good experiences combining plecos with aggressive to semi aggressive cichilds in the past. Never owned a JD though so I can't say I have tried this setup.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Yes, I agree about the timer. I won't even put lights on a tank before I have that timer in hand....

I also agree that the Ancistrus is probably your best bet with the JD's in the tank. Actually, they are my first choice for algae eaters in _any_ tank that's big enough.
Nerite snails are amazing algae eaters too, but they would be a no go for you.


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## titan97 (Feb 14, 2005)

Instead of using fish, why not try to fix your GSA problem with more PO4. I find that I have to keep my PO4 around 3 to 4 ppm or I get GSA starting to show up. 

-Dustin


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## cgcaver (Jul 10, 2005)

I'll definitely try the PO4 suggestion.

Also, where can I buy Nerite Snails and Ancistrus Plecos? Are Ancistrus Plecos called anything else (like common name)? I know 100% that my LFS doesn't have them and never will LOL They have a comparable selection to Walmart usually  How many of these plecos would you recommend for 55g?

EDIT:: Oh yeah... And aren't Nerite Snails saltwater inverts? You can put them in a freshwater tank?


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

The Ancistrus are commonly called "bristlenose" or busynose" Plec's and they're pretty easy to come by these days. 
I'm sure your store could get some in for you if they have even a halfway decent supplier.

You see the Nerites for sale on Aqua Bid from time to time. I got mine from Doctors Foster and Smith (liveaquaria.com).
They do have both FW and SW varieties of Nerites. I'm unclear whether some of them are the same snail, or if they've been acclimated one way or another.


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## stevenlael (Mar 30, 2006)

*snails*

I had a pair of 1"+ Colombian ramshorn snails. They were pretty good for algae so long as you keep an eye on them. They cleaned out my algae pretty quickly, but then moved onto my plants like little lawnmowers.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

stevenlael said:


> I had a pair of 1"+ Colombian ramshorn snails. They were pretty good for algae so long as you keep an eye on them. They cleaned out my algae pretty quickly, but then moved onto my plants like little lawnmowers.


That was my experience with the big ramshorns too. They mowed the plants down worse than any fish ever has. The smaller ones don't do that, but they aren't as efficient as Nerites for super algae cleaning either.


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## rahamen (May 6, 2006)

Some Otocinclus could be a good choice to solve algae problems
:hippie:


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## Fedorov (Apr 16, 2003)

The brislenose will be fine with the Dempseys . I have had them in a tank with 4 dempseys , 2 red devils , a red terror and two convicts . The Dempseys and the convicts would both bred and still no problem with the brislenose pleco . You might want to get one botia to clean up after the Dempseys, they are messy eaters .
Mike


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