# When Do You Add Algae Eaters to Tanks?



## tiffc (Jan 8, 2010)

Hey everyone!
I have a planted tank in progress with more plants coming in mid-week to add. My question is even though I don't see any algae growing so far (I've had the plants in there for 2 weeks now), when is the best time to add an oto or two? Or is it too early to add an algae eaters? My method is to go for silent cycling once I get all of the new Anacharis in the tank. So I'm not sure how long I need to wait before adding fish.

Any feedback would be great! Thanks!


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

You need to make sure you don't have ammonia in there before you add fish. Is there anything in there for them to eat?

I'm not familiar with the term "silent cycling".


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## J-P (Jan 5, 2010)

Do you mean "fishless cycling"?

ammonia under .25 
Nitrite under .1
Nitrate under .2 <== that's the difficult one

The plants consume the nitrate at different levels during a 24h period. 

Once your readings are near 0 with only trace amounts of nitrate your tank should be cycled


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

I think you meant under 20 for nitrate...? I don't know any test kit that reads to .2


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## tiffc (Jan 8, 2010)

Sorry, I found the term "silent cycling" in an article on the internet describing the cycling process with the use of a heavily planted aquarium. Instead of the normal cycle, the plants consume the ammonia and other toxicities to fish and therefore the aquarium cycles without showing the typical results on test kits. 

Basically, you're not going to see high ammonia levels because the plants absorb them before the test kit can show them. 

I wish I remembered what site I read that off of!


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## tiffc (Jan 8, 2010)

Here's one:
http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_silent_cycling.php


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## tiffc (Jan 8, 2010)

And another:
http://www.rexgrigg.com/cycle.htm

I don't see any visible signs of algae that I recognize, so I'll hold off on any otos until ammonia is consistently 0 and more fish are added.


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## NatalieT (Mar 20, 2007)

Interesting articles; thanks for sharing them!


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## tiffc (Jan 8, 2010)

No problem Natalie!


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## J-P (Jan 5, 2010)

sorry yes .. under twenty


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I like the articles as well. Just never heard the term. Maybe I skipped over it. The converse of "silent cycle" makes me laugh. When has cycling an aquarium ever been noisy!


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## J-P (Jan 5, 2010)

tiffc said:


> Basically, you're not going to see high ammonia levels because the plants absorb them before the test kit can show them.


AFAIK .. plants don't consume Ammonia or Nitrite. There are 2 kinds of benificial bacteria that do that. They convert these into Nitrate that the plants will consume.

BUT in a heavily planted tank, those bacteria are located in the substrate, thus giving the appearance the plants are consuming the ammonia.


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## tiffc (Jan 8, 2010)

LOL Tex Gal! Yep, cycling isn't noisy for me either 

Thanks for the info J-P! I completely misunderstood the info to mean that plants were the ones to absorb those things...I'm new, what can I say! 

Thanks for the help.


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## Muirner (Jan 9, 2007)

J-P said:


> Do you mean "fishless cycling"?
> 
> ammonia under .25
> Nitrite under .1
> Nitrate under .2 <== that's the difficult one


Not to go OT but i hope i have more Nitrates in my tank then .2ppm. In planted tanks nitrates that are under control are not a bad thing... Granted on a cycle i'd like to see low low levels.


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## Nymsley (Mar 24, 2009)

J-P said:


> AFAIK .. plants don't consume Ammonia or Nitrite.


According to this article, plants can use ammonia and nitrite in addition to nitrate.

As for the original question, I waited until I could see some algae (brown diatom) growth after the cycle.


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## J-P (Jan 5, 2010)

Nymsley said:


> According to this article, plants can use ammonia and nitrite in addition to nitrate.
> 
> As for the original question, I waited until I could see some algae (brown diatom) growth after the cycle.


Thank you for the link. I'll have some peers review it and see if I can get a consensus. Probalbly start a new thread regarding this


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## tiffc (Jan 8, 2010)

Thanks everyone! I'll wait on the otos until they are necessary. Thanks for finding that article Nymsley, I will read it


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## J-P (Jan 5, 2010)

Nymsley said:


> According to this article, plants can use ammonia and nitrite in addition to nitrate.
> 
> As for the original question, I waited until I could see some algae (brown diatom) growth after the cycle.


I have it on good authority that the article cited is not to be trusted. You can PM me for full details.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

i would personally wait a lot longer before adding any ottos, in my experience they are more delicate than other algea eaters. i would do a few plecos to help some, the smaller species like clown or bushynose. also, is helpfull knowing that even they can and will eat some algea, it doesn't mean that you will have a spotless aquarium. try to get an equilibrium in your aquarium (light, hours, fertz, and whatever you do in balance). have fun!


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