Alqae Eaters

[agusf]

Hello everyone, Im completely new to fishkeeping. i just bought a 150 liter\40 gallon tank and im in the stage of letting the eco system adjust.
i was thinking about buying an algea eating fish when i cam aross the idea of algae eating shrimp. i would very much like that, but im guessing i would
have to take extra care or something like that. please tell me your opinion

Ps: my tank will be freshwater.

 

[BethK]

Amano shrimp (also known as Caridina japonica) are the best known for eating algae, they grow 2-3" (dependent on sex). For them to have an impact on algae, in a 150ltr, i would say a min of 10, remember that amanos are social and best off in groups of 4 or more.

They will need to be fed algae wafers, as well as letting them munch on algae.

Fish/shrimp are not a cure to algae though x

 

[james_fish]

Hello and to the forum agusf.

Sounds like you got yourself a nice sized tank, nice job!

Please have a good read through the following articles before adding any life into your tank as they will help you vastly now and in the future of your fishkeeping time.

What Is Cycling?
Fishless Cycling
Fish-In Cycling​

In answer to your question, there are many fish and invertebrates(spelling) available for assisting algae cleaning in your tank.
Oto Catfish are an excellent small fish that in groups are great at removing algae. There are many other types of Plecs that are good, but beware some are really lazy! For example my Snowball.
Shrimp can be good for removing algae, however you might want to consider getting your tank set up for a good few months before adding shrimp as some can be sensitive with water quality. They don't need more care, they just need algae! And of course good water conditions. Amano Shrimp are an easy Shrimp to care for.

Hope I was of some help, James

 

[waterdrop]

Excellent advice from BethK and james_fish, I agree with all of it. Its quite lucky to stumble across TFF prior to getting fish, it gives you the rare opportunity to learn it the right way from the beginning. Three of the core things this beginners section has to offer are the growing of a proper biofilter prior to getting fish, the skill of good gravel-cleaning-water-changing and finally, the building of a good stocking list. Verifying that your filter is right and learning how to start a fishless cycle are probably the most important first steps and the members here are great at helping, the can make it fun. Just have a look at some of the other threads!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[karin]

I agree with all of the above. The first thing is to get your tank set up right, cycle it appropriately and make certain to keep your ammonia at 0 at all times if possible. This means correct cycling of your biofilter and good maintenance (weekly water changes). Remember that ammonia and light lead to algae. Then algae control? Fish like the ottos mentioned above and the amano shrimp are good. Remember though that there are fish that will eat or harass you shrimp... larger cichlids in particular. Also you might consider nerite snails they are beautiful and effective but again, medium to large cichlids might eat or harass them.

How big is your tank?

 

[julsifer]

agreed once you've got your tank set up and cycled properly then you can think about stocking and if you still have your mind set on an algae eater, i suggest you start reading this article Algae Eater Info

 

[agusf]

Thanks guys. I already have a tetra test kit. only problem is.... it cant test ammonia.Later Ill buy another one with amonnia tester.Besides that my NO2 level is like 0,3pp and ph is 8.5. I know I must work on my ph, any advice on that?
p.s. thanks for all the great help guys.

 

[james_fish]

Thanks guys. I already have a tetra test kit. only problem is.... it cant test ammonia.Later Ill buy another one with amonnia tester.Besides that my NO2 level is like 0,3pp and ph is 8.5. I know I must work on my ph, any advice on that?
p.s. thanks for all the great help guys.

It depends on what fish you want to keep in the future. If you want African Cichlids or Rainbowfish for example, a high pH is ideal. Whereas if you want the more popular community fish like Tetras, Catfish, Barbs, Loaches. You will need to achieve a lower pH, I recommend neutral (pH 7.0) as it will broaden the choice of species you will be able to have. In order to lower the pH, the best way is to add either natural bogwood or peat media. You can buy your chemicals pH down and pH 6.5 or whatever but they really aren't that good in my experiance. Bogwood is a good way to naturally bring down the pH and it looks good in tanks aswell as being appreciated by catfish. I must mention lowering pH can sometimes leave a slight tint in the water, personally (and a lot of other members) like it and think it makes the tank look natural whereas others are put off it sometimes. Peat slugs go in side your filter cartridge and work well, but also tint the water slightly.

James.