Will A Pleco Clean This?

[ScoutCarcer]

My ten gallon has brown algae every where. The snail that was already there isnt helping. Would a pleco help?

(To be specific a Chocolate Albino Pleco, Rubber-Nose Pleco, Common Pleco)(I know they will have to be rehomed)

 

[OohFeeshy]

Not really. Not many fish eat brown algae, the easiest and far better way of dealing with it is eliminating the cause. How long is your light on for?

 

[ScoutCarcer]

9AM to 11PM

 

[OohFeeshy]

Doesn't seem to be lack of light, I've also heard it can be due to high silica levels (I think). For now I think you'd be better off scraping it, I had this but it went away suddenly after a week or two.

 

[ScoutCarcer]

Most of its on the gravel should I wash that?

 

[Amphitrite]

Most of its on the gravel should I wash that?

Can't you clean the gravel with those vaccum siphons?

 

[ScoutCarcer]

I dont have one. And what are they?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

A gravel vac is basically a little hand held pump that you use to suck out the dirt and waste from the gravel without having to take out the gravel itself- it also does a water change at the same time for you .

 

[zig]

If its a new tank or a tank with new plants in it, its probably a diatom bloom, a sort of fine hair or fuzz, and yes its brown and will get everywhere, if it is a diatom bloom they can last for a few weeks or they can last for ages, months, there is no real way of telling, if it is a diatom bloom otocinclus (or ottos) will think its christmas and new year all in one, they love that stuff and will clean your tank up, and they are a great little fish as well.

If you think it is a diatom bloom id get 2 ottos for a 10 gallon, they dont like to be alone so a pair would be better, sometimes they can be hard to aclimatise but personally i havent had those problems with them, i introduced 6 ottos to my 40 US gallon tank and in one week the tank was super clean ( and believe me i had a major diatom bloom ) but dont expect miracles overnight, give them a little while.

If you were going to buy them i would read up on them, but they are a great little fish, you wont regret buying them, they are great little workers allways looking for more brown stuff to gobble up.

 

[shuhu]

btw, don't even think on getting the Common Pleco, they can grow from 12" up to 20" .

if you want a good algae eating pleco, go for the Bristlenose Pleco (5"), but most people here prefer the ottos like zig said

 

[Ferris]

This is actually quite normal for newish tanks. It normally occurs when the tanks has been up and running for a couple of months. I had this with 1 of my tanks and it cleared up within about 10 days.

 

[ScoutCarcer]

I already have a common pleco hes just in another tank. And my Petsmart doesnt have Bristlenose Plecos. All they have are Common, Chocolate Albino, and Rubber-Nose Plecos.

 

[masterfishes]

if i remeber correctly i belive that bristlenose and rubber nose plecs r the same thing and the chocolate albino is a color morph.....i may be wrong though....commoc plecs r the ones that get huge......believe me 2 years ago a bought a "baby plec" that was aprox 1-2 inches and is now nearly 5 inches....hell probly pass the 5.5 inche mark by the end of the year

 

[Snailguy101]

Well I think you should just scrape it off who knows if he will even eat it?

 

[TigerBarbsRcool]

i wouldnt recoment a placo any way cuz they put out jus as much mess as they take in. try about 25% water changes dailly an see if that helps.