# Algae eating fish?



## Jaap (Jun 24, 2005)

Hello,

I have a 35 gallon planted tank that was recently brought to live again by adding some fish in! I would like to ask what would be the best fish to add from the ones below, that will eat algae in general, eat dead plant leaves and not bother my other fish. 

Fish alredy in tank:
6 Black widow tetras
5 leopard danios
1 pleco
4 corrydoras
6 ghost shrimp

Fish for algae eating from LFS:
1. Chinese algae eater
2. Common pleco
3. Flying fox
4. Platty
5. Xiphophrus
6. Molies
7. Rosy Barbs

What do you suggest from the above list?


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## yildirim (Nov 25, 2004)

My suggestions according to my observations from my tank, albino ottos, SAE's and false SAE's (flying fox) will do fine. But my miracle workers are always my guppies.


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

Of the ones you mention, I would only add platties and mollies. CAE (Chiniese algae eaters) are good when young, then they become a real pita being agressive. Flying foxes are usually the 'false' siamese algae eaters (SAE), again will eat some algae but nowhere near their SAE cousins. Rosy barbs tend to also be somewhat agressive. 

IMO, there isn't an ideal algae eater. But I would go for a combination of herbivores: algae eating shrimps (amanos and rcs's), sae's, ottos, nerite snails, some mollies, platties or guppies will also keep your water surface free of oily scum.

I realize your lfs doesn't have these at the moment, apparently, but perhaps they can get them in for you. Or you can check with aquabid or put a wanted ad in the for sale forum of the site.

HTH.


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## Jaap (Jun 24, 2005)

I have been searching for SAE for ages but haven't found anything yet. I think that platies are a better "solution" rather than molies since I have read that mollies need a little bit of salt and harder water. Also I had mollies before and some of them didn't seem to like algae much. As for CAE and flying fox and barbs, I would not like to have fighting in my tank so I chose to reject those. So are platies a good choice? How many of them?


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## Salt (Apr 5, 2005)

hadjici2 said:


> I have been searching for SAE for ages but haven't found anything yet.


Your search is at an end.

http://www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pages/scavengers/scavengers.htm#Algae


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## Jaap (Jun 24, 2005)

Salt said:


> Your search is at an end.
> 
> http://www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pages/scavengers/scavengers.htm#Algae


Thank you for youre helo but unfortunately I come from Cyprus which is far far away from USA and this store will not ship outside the US.

So any suggestions conserning the topic?


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## wiste (Feb 10, 2006)

I would not add any of the fish available. 

With respect to the CAE, while CAE are aggressive, I have kept a CAE in a tank (heavily planted with val and sword plants) with mollies and a cory cat for many years. Additionally, I have kept a CAE with Black widow tetras. However, I would not keep a CAE in a tank smaller than a 55 gallon as they do require a territory to defend. They cannot be kept with wide bodied fish. E.g. Angel fish or Discus. Additionally, He would not be compatible with the pleco you already have.

One pleco (pretty much any type of pleco) should be more than sufficient for a 35 gallon.
What type of pleco do you have? Is he not helping with the algae?

Also, I have only been able to keep ghost shrimp in a specie tank with no fish. Curious to know how they fair in your tank.


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## Jaap (Jun 24, 2005)

wiste said:


> I would not add any of the fish available.
> 
> With respect to the CAE, while CAE are aggressive, I have kept a CAE in a tank (heavily planted with val and sword plants) with mollies and a cory cat for many years. Additionally, I have kept a CAE with Black widow tetras. However, I would not keep a CAE in a tank smaller than a 55 gallon as they do require a territory to defend. They cannot be kept with wide bodied fish. E.g. Angel fish or Discus. Additionally, He would not be compatible with the pleco you already have.
> 
> ...


My ghost shrimp are doing just fine no problems at all!!

I have a common pleco and he doesn't seem to be very active!


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## djlen (Jun 22, 2004)

I would suggest Otocinclas as a good option for a community tank. They are small, very fish friendly and to a wonderful job on a variety of algae.
Other than that, I would have issues with all of the fish you list except the 
Rosy Barbs, but at times even they have been annoying to the other fish in my community tanks. They're not nasty, annoying at times.
Another nice algae eater is the Ancistrus or 'Bristle Nose' pleco cat. They are a small variety of pleco that can/will adapt well in almost any tank and do a great job on algae. I've got a 4" Bristle Nose in one of my 10's and he's a sweet fish.
I would suggest that you seek balance of nutrients as a more permanent solution to an algae problem.
A well balanced tank will pretty much 'run itself' and require little else other than water changes.

Len


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