Will A Pleco Clean This?

[ScoutCarcer]

What if I get 2 or 3 otos? Will they clean it?

 

[OohFeeshy]

Not nessecarily. As I said, not many types eat brown algae, and its hit or miss with those that are said to. Just wipe it off for now, it comes of really easily. Why do you want a plec in particular anyway?

 

[ScoutCarcer]

Because I love plecos. And if a Chocolate Albino or a Rubber-Nose Pleco would help it would be a good excuse to get one.

 

[123justin]

My tank (about 2 months old) developed brown algae too.

I found out it was because the light was on wayyyy too long. Mine was on for like 12 hours at a time or more.

Once I cut down the light, the brown algae went away.

 

[AllusiveLife]

I threw a pleco in a pool that is 15 feet deep, and it was halfway full, and the algae was at least a foot high inside of the water. I also had goldfish in there, long story short pleco died a year later due to the Winter cold, but we thought it was a monster pigeon at first. the Pleco got a little over 2 feet long "including tail" and was at least 5 inches wide both ways.

And he got thrown in there when he was an inch....

 

[sylvia]

Get yourself a gravel vacuum/syphon. That should solve your algae-on-gravel problem. The syphon just sucks up water and any loose waste. But it also helps mix up the gravel a bit so it'll help keep the algae from growing there again if you use the vac weekly to do your water change.

The albino/choc plec would be the albino morph of the common plec (which is usualy either called albino or chocolate because - well I suppose some people think it looks chocolat-y in color ). Rubebrnose plecs are not the same as bristlenoses. Bristlenoses are much hardier in my experience and also generaly grow a bit bigger. Rubbernoses are also known as bulldog or rubberlip plecs and most species require a well-aerated tank and some actualy preffer the temp on the lower side and need a good current. To be honest though, no fish is going to solve your problem - not even otos.

First off, adding fish will just add to the nutrients in the water which will encourage even mroe algae to grow but, mroe importantly, adding a fish to eat the algae is treating the symptoms when you should be addressing the cause. Weekly water changes of 25% are essential, gravel vacs will help as well, reducing the hours of light to 8 reduces green algae but won't have an effect on brown realy. If you preffer green algae though, increase your lighting hours to 12 . The main thing is to not over-feed, not over-stock, keep up with maintainance and be patient as it'll be a while before the tank settles and stabilizes and the brown algae starts to go. Scrape it off meanwhile.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I have to agree with syvia, i also explained to him about the albino sailfin/common plec thing too, but i would not recommend any more fish of any sort to your tank scout as its realy overstocked.
Dealing with the algae yourself and not getting more fish will be your best bet at maintaining a healthier tank .

 

[Sky042]

Not nessecarily. As I said, not many types eat brown algae, and its hit or miss with those that are said to. Just wipe it off for now, it comes of really easily. Why do you want a plec in particular anyway?

IME a lot of plecs will eat brown algae but many won't eat green dot.

My rubberlip is excellent at curtailing green AND brown algae.