I Need An Algae Eater

[JessiMommy]

Hi all. I've been posting on the beginner board about an acidic water problem that I've been having. All my fish seem happy with their water parameters so I'm fine with the 6.2-6.4 pH I seem to keep. My problem is the algae that is forming. In doing some research I've found that turning my tank light off more often and reducing the amount of substrate I have to 1/4 inch deep may help.

Someone also suggested I get an algae eater of some kind. I've read about Plecos and Siamese Algae eaters but they seem to be way too big for a tank my size. (Correct me if I'm wrong please.) Anyway if anyone has a suggestion on a small fish that is a good algae eater I would be very happy to hear about it. My tank is a 12 gallon Eclipse model with a bio wheel. I do not have live plants. My population is: 2 platies, 2 cory catfish and 4 neon tetras. Is there anything out there that could work for me. I know I'm pretty well stocked on fish size vs. tank size but just to let you know I change my water at least once every 10 days but lately more often trying to clean up the algae. Thanks so much.

 

[JessiMommy]

I change my water at least once every 10 days but lately more often trying to clean up the algae.

Just to clarify when I say change my water I mean I do a 20% change.

 

[JessiMommy]

Ok, I'm here doing some research. I've come across some possibilities... what can anyone tell me about:

Apple Snails
Ottos
Anctistrus (dwarf pleco?)

Would any of these work in my senario?

 

[MAM]

oh, otos are cute an get about 2" so you could get one or two and be okay i'd think. theyre relatively inexpensive also, usually aroudn $2 (US) each, sometimes less.......

 

[Morrgan]

Otos are shoaling fish, so you should get at least 6 of them. I've heard that they can get a bit aggressive with age if they're kept alone or in twos.

Hmm, I wouldn't get more fish to that tank if I were you, so the apple snails seem like the best option. Maybe if you got some live plants and started doing weekly water changes of at least 25%, then you could fit a few more fish in. Fast-growing live plants would use up the nutrients algae need, so getting some would keep algae under control too.

It could also be that the algae is growing because there's a lot of nitrate in the tank. (Just an educated guess, check your water.) This is because the tank is already quite full of fish and has no plants to use it for fertilizer. Doing larger water changes more often would reduce the amount of nitrate in the water.

 

[JessiMommy]

Otos are shoaling fish, so you should get at least 6 of them. I've heard that they can get a bit aggressive with age if they're kept alone or in twos.

Hmm, I wouldn't get more fish to that tank if I were you, so the apple snails seem like the best option. Maybe if you got some live plants and started doing weekly water changes of at least 25%, then you could fit a few more fish in. Fast-growing live plants would use up the nutrients algae need, so getting some would keep algae under control too.

It could also be that the algae is growing because there's a lot of nitrate in the tank. (Just an educated guess, check your water.) This is because the tank is already quite full of fish and has no plants to use it for fertilizer. Doing larger water changes more often would reduce the amount of nitrate in the water.

My tank is fully cycled and as of last night myammonia & nitrites were 0 and my nitrates were very minimal. This algae problem is something new (about 2 weeks now) My water just recently dropped from a pH of about 6.8-7.0 to 6.0-6.2. Thus the algae problem. I wasn't testing for KH and since I have tested I believe that is the reason for my dropping pH. Regardless I do 20-25% water changes every other day as of late as well as scraping the sides trying to eliminate the algae. I'm fine with a lower pH as are my fish but I cannot stand the algae.

When you say otto's need at least 6 to do well could you elaborate a little? I was told the cory cats prefer larger schools and my 2 seem very happy together. I don't want to do any fish harm so if the ottos really just do not function well without a large group then I will not get any. What about the anctistrus? Can I get one of those alone?

As far as live plants go what would my benefits be? Would it really help that much with algae? I seem to have my hands full as it is with this tank. Live plants seem like a lot of work. I don't have any experience with them though so feel free to share any info you would like about them. Thanks again!

 

[Morrgan]

Ah, I see. As I said, it was just a guess. Still, it could be that the algae are using up the nitrates and that's why they don't show up in the test?

As I said earlier, I've heard that otos can get aggressive with age if kept alone or in pairs. No personal experience of this though, sorry.

It's usually said that shoaling fish will survive in pairs, be ok in a group of 3-4 but won't be "happy" unless kept in a group of 6 or more.

The main reason is that shoaling fish will feel more secure when kept in a group. Being insecure can stress them and that's never good. They can also react in different ways depending on the species, by for example getting aggressive towards other fish or becoming shy and hiding most of the time. Some don't show any visible signs at all. If you want more info, check out this link.
Scooling Fish and Schooling Behavior

As far as I know, the ancistrus will be fine on its own.

I had trouble with algae until I got a plant called Ceratopteris cornuta (don't know the English name, sorry). It's a fast-growing plant and hardy too. It does need enough light though. Another hardy plant that demands less light is java fern. It grows more slowly, but reproduces easily. Note that it shouldn't be planted, but attaches itself to roots and rocks. I've never used any fertilizer with these ones and still they grow well. I take out dead or damaged leaves and sometimes remove a few plants if there's too many of them, but otherwise they don't seem like much trouble.

My both tanks are heavily planted and I don't have any algae eaters, but still I haven't had any trouble with algae for ages. Plants do seem to work. Apart from using up nitrates, they also produce oxygen which is a good thing in a crowded tank. I hear they absorb other chemicals too, but I'm not sure of which these would be.

I hope any of this will be helpful.

 

[JessiMommy]

I hope any of this will be helpful.

Yes thank you Morrgan! I really appreciate it!

 

[joshua]

amano and yamato shrimps may help with the algae job too hehe

 

[JessiMommy]

amano and yamato shrimps may help with the algae job too hehe

Something else to check out. Thanks!

 

[gourami guy]

Hi!
I would say your best bet is an albino sucking loach, a shrimp would be good as well. Hope this helps!!

nathan white