# best algae eater for my planted tank



## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

i am so overwelmed by my planted tanks hair algae and brown algae issue. i was thinking of adding some mystery snails? what you think or anything better there is alot of this crud


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Better to fix the problem than cover it up with fish/creatures.

Mystery snails will eat the algae but also the plants. 
Otto cats are good for most algae in nice 5-10 sized groups, but they die easily and can be tough to find.
Plecos are ok at eating hair algae, but get too big when they get older and can uproot or eat plants.
Shrimp can be helpful in large numbers, but that gets expensive.

You could probably get rid of the algae faster by other means than by finding algae eaters.


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## aley1511 (Apr 23, 2007)

SAE and Florida Flag Fish are great algae eaters, but I agree that you probably need to tweak your tank to prevent algae from growing.


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## patrick76 (May 21, 2007)

Otto cats are great.


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## jazzlvr123 (Apr 29, 2007)

ottos are okay but amano shirmp are the best algae easters I know of florida flag fish tend to east the plants as well as the algae leaving your plants looking spotty


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## Jeff232 (Nov 4, 2006)

you might want to try excel, fertilization, and weekly water changes.

This cured a nasty brown hair algae infestation that i had going on for months in my tank due to neglect in just a couple weeks and i just followed the directions on the excel(no overdosing). 

Your plants will love you and the algae will turn white and fall off making it easy just to suck out of the tank.

I bought a bunch of oto's long before the algae appeared, I bought Florida flag fish after it appeared...they all ate like little pigs and became fat but the algae grew faster.


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## jazzlvr123 (Apr 29, 2007)

yup the best way to rid off algae is find out whats inducing it and fix the problem. usually is becuase of a lack of nutrients and or unstable Co2 Levels. people always do huge water changes and remove as much as they can and the next day it all grows back. this is becuase you need to pinpoint the problem, algae is an opportunistic grower and a water change just encourages algae blooms to grow if you do not fix whatever might be causing the problem


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

Ameca splendens. They will eat anything and quickly, too.

But I don't recommend them IF you have other fish in the tank. They are VERY territorial.


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