algae eating fish

[ladynaoko]

despite having a pleco I don't think he's doing his job very well *shakes a fist*

I only have my lights on 8 hours a day (mainly for my plants) but at least 3 times a week I need to wipe my tank down for algae.

Can someone recommend a smallish algae eating fish?

 

[Cheese Specialist]

otos!! They eat algae and would love a tank with plants. I love otos, great little fish

Link to info

Your plec probably wouldn't eat algae. Most plecs don't IME.

 

[ryan]

Your King Tiger L066/Queen Arabesque is unlikely to eat algae as it needs a meatier diet.

 

[tstenback]

The oto is the best fish for this they are tireless workers and will keep the tank shipshape. They do like to be in groups. HTH

 

[ladynaoko]

I had a feeling somebody would mention Ottos on here

How many Ottos would I need to keep them happy? I have a few bottom feeding fish already (4 cories, pleco.. and my kulii loach(es). I say it like that because I haven't seen one of my kuhlii's in over a month.. and the other one is happy to sit intwined around the suckers that hold my filter in place with his head poking out ) so would I be ok adding more?

 

[ladynaoko]

Your King Tiger L066/Queen Arabesque is unlikely to eat algae as it needs a meatier diet.

I still see him on the tank sides so I assumed he would be eating algae then
the fish get a variety of food so he's obviously getting what he needs

 

[tstenback]

Otos will be fine with that crowd they often lay in the plants or attached to an ornament or the side of the tank in a shady spot. groups of 3 or more are great as they tend to stress if all alone.

 

[ladynaoko]

looks like I've already made up my mind about Ottos then
just got to find a place here that sells them.. theres only one really good lfs here and I don't think I've ever seen them there. The only other fs I can think of are 1+ hrs away.. and I haven't had very good luck with taking fish on long trips

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Your King Tiger L066/Queen Arabesque is unlikely to eat algae as it needs a meatier diet.

Do you say that because you think ladynaoko's plec is a Queen Arabesque (L260 I think)?

I thought that myself when I saw the pic of him.

I think otos would be fine in your tank. I don't find they sit on the bottom like most 'bottom feeders' but more they suck onto things and sit on the plants.

 

[Artuk]

We have a single Otocinclus in a 10g tank and he keeps it spotless. There have been a few things he wont clean, and we removed those things, and now everything is good. We only need to clean the very top of the tank where there isn't water that he can't get to.

Very peaceful with our other fish.

Regards,

Artuk

 

[ladynaoko]

Your King Tiger L066/Queen Arabesque is unlikely to eat algae as it needs a meatier diet.

Do you say that because you think ladynaoko's plec is a Queen Arabesque (L260 I think)?

I thought that myself when I saw the pic of him.

we were discussing what he was when I posted pics of him... and I couldn't make up my mind. Mainly because I've seen examples from both varieties that look like him.... so at the moment he's a king tiger/queen Arabesque

 

[cometcattle]

I just moved 1 of my ottos from my 29g to my 10g planted because I was getting alot of brown algae. He cleaned out the entire tank in 2 days.

 

[ryan]

Your King Tiger L066/Queen Arabesque is unlikely to eat algae as it needs a meatier diet.

I still see him on the tank sides so I assumed he would be eating algae then
the fish get a variety of food so he's obviously getting what he needs

No not for certain by GN L177 will often do that but makes no attempt to eat anything, just clings on.

 

[Woody]

Ottos ARE great alge eaters, but I'd be careful about adding them with your pleco. I recently put three good-size ottos in my 46-gallon tank and they all disappeared in a matter of days. I've often read that plecos can be aggressive against other fish of the same type, and ottos basically look and act like tiny plecos. I have assumed that the pleco might have done something to them at night, because I never saw any aggression from the other fish.

I'd appreciate other opinions on my theory about the murder suspect. The tank also contains silver dollars, apollo sharks and one small glass fish. Does anyone have other ideas? The ottos had to be killed, because they flat-out disappeared and all water conditions were normal and healthy. One by one, poof! They were gone.