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Prefered Algae Eater
Badmans Tropical Fish Message Center:
Beginner freshwater : Prefered Algae Eater
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Chris R.
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Sunday,
January 27, 2002 - 10:57 am
I wondered what opinions people had about what the best
fish were for keeping down algae. My tank is a 30g (long)
community tank with tetras (just finishing ammonia cycle
[2 weeks in], but plan to add corys and gourami
or possible a pair of rams over the next few months).
The water is slightly acidic and there are live and platic
plants in the tank, rocks and a largish piece of driftwood.
First, when can I add the algae eater (the algae is
here already)and second, what kind of algae eater do
you recommend? Thanks for any advice.
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boofish
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Sunday,
January 27, 2002 - 12:50 pm
i put my algae eater in about the same point you are at
now and he's still alive, but i do supplement his diet
with an algae disk once or twice a week, plus a peice of
driftwood that he gnaws on. Mine is a bushynose/bristlenose
pl*co/catfish. Ancistrus is their family name. I find
he does a great job, and he won't (or shouldn't)
get as large as the sailfin pleco (only 3-5")
I have a 20 gallon, so perhaps you could get two in a 30?
People are also always recommending the otto. (otocinclus?spelling?)
It's a small slender fish that likes to be kept in groups.
What kind of algae do you have? Diff kinds of algae come
from different sources...
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joycedonley
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Sunday,
January 27, 2002 - 01:19 pm
Ottos are very small and I hardly ever see mine. They do
better in a planted tank, but are really good at cleaning
up algae. You should keep a grop of these little guys.At
least you don't have to worry about them turning into
monster giants like a hippo pleco.
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Drew
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Saturday,
March 09, 2002 - 06:01 pm
I highly recommend the oto's. I keep two in a 20-G tank.
When I added them, I had a good bit of brown algae (diatoms),
and already had two Siamese Algae Eaters. Within a couple
of days, all algae was gone. They are usually suckered onto
the sides of the tank, but occasionally swim around. And
they're great with plants.
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