# Algae Eating Fish?



## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

Besides Otocinclus affinis, what other fish are good algae consumers?


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## MiSo (Nov 4, 2005)

I keep Siamese Algae Eaters in my aquarium.

i've read florida flag fish are good for hair algae.
mollies will eat algae if you starve them.

then there's the popular pleco's out there.


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## John P. (Nov 24, 2004)

Truth is, none will really get you to where you want to be as well as Co2, NPK, micros, and good husbandry.


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

I've used SAEs and plecos in the past. The SAEs got big and I got sick of seeing these rockets in the tank. Great help with BBA when young but then they got lazy! 

Plecos are so ugly they're cute but I haven't had one in a while. If I do get them again I'd go for the ones that stay small. I also noticed that plecos can also end up "rasping" large leaf plants, basically destroying the leaves...

For the past several years the only fauna I use for algae control are ottos and Amanos.


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

Hmm I knew about the other ones, but like Laith I didn't like them for their size and appearance. 

Otos and amanos..I'm pretty surpised that's all there is.

-John N.


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## Lauren (Mar 18, 2006)

my wellfed Platies nibble on algae every so often, they mow the dwarfsword pretty well too.


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## titan97 (Feb 14, 2005)

As John said, prevention of the algae is probably more important than removing it after it has already appeared. However, I still keep some plecos around, along with my SAEs for problematic algaes (BBA for me). I got rid of my staghorn algae with an increase in CO2, plant mass, and a small amount of Excel (1/10th of the recommended dose). Another algae eater "fauna" include the many varieties of shrimp.

-Dustin


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Small Plec's like the Bristlenose or Rubbernose are still my choice for the best overall algae eaters. I've never personally had them rasp too hard on any of my plants, but I hear it can be a bit of a problem with some Swords, which I don't keep many of.


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## Abe Froman (Mar 27, 2006)

In my community tank I use a combination of plecos, ottos, and SAEs. I also have used red nosed and cherry shrimp, but got tired of my loaches making snacks out of them.

In my cichlid tank I use plecos, snails, and American-Flag Fish. SAEs IME are worthless in the presence of even smaller Central American cichlids. Mine would simply hide and refused to eat algae when the cichlids were around. The Flag Fish however are algae eating machines that are fast and have a mean streak. So far they have worked out well.

Also agree that none of this really matters if you don't have your water params correct.


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## 247Plants (Mar 23, 2006)

I have 1 ghost shrimp and 6 otos and a breeding pair of american flag fish in my planted community and Ive never had a problem with my flag fish being aggressive....if anything my dwarf gouramis and blue gourami tend to take the upper hand on this one........thats my clean up crew and i hardly have any problems with algae.....and ya the flag fish ate the heck out of some algae that i had growing that looked like hair algae but was black and short not bba cause it was about an inch to three inches long and almost as thick as a bloodworm....


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## standoyo (Aug 25, 2005)

John P. said:


> Truth is, none will really get you to where you want to be as well as Co2, NPK, micros, and good husbandry.


i'm not a good husband!

i'm a great algae grower though.

ph 6 kh 0 fe thru the roof, co2 not well distributed...:-&

anyway trying to do it properly...without SAE's...


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## MoonFish (Feb 12, 2006)

Speaking if small plecos, do many keep clowns? I had one for years and never thought much of it. I kept a regular one in the tank with it much of the time. I might try again as they are so small and hard to notice. I just wish I could see one eat algea some time. 

Flag fish can get mean sometimes but it is totally the dynamic aspect of the tank. They are pretty when there isn't something brighter right in front of them.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

I have some clown plecs and love them. 
My 2 more normal ones (I forget exactly what they are now) are wonderful algae eaters, and I have one L134 who is beautiful, but he does very little on the algae front. That's okay, he can just look pretty in my tank.


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## Round Head (Feb 28, 2006)

How big can the SAE get and do they breed at all?

Thanks


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

SAE's are around 4 - 5" as adults, but they have fairly slender bodies, so it's not as big a load as other 4 - 5" fish.

It would be very rare for them to breed in the home aquaria.


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

Do Sae's require friends? Meaning do they prefer a school to be happy. 

-John N.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Yes they do John. They can survive on their own, but they don't feel as comfortable without more of their own kind.


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