I was thinking Otos again, because my first one died suddenly, but I was exploring the other possiblities. I have green and brown algae in both of my tanks and I already have scavengers for both of the tanks, now I just need algae eaters. Could anyone please put what type of algae eater would be good?? I'll research the information on them, and don't worry about the food becuase I have a lot of algae that grows weekly and I also have algae wafers.
Good Algae Eaters For Two 10 Gallons
- Thread starter Kiara1125
- Start date
I have a problem with pond snails and, although I've been able to manage their numbers, they keep breeding and they are super annoying. I'm starting to think about getting 3-4 Otos. I had one and he was happy, but for some reason I came home one day and he was hanging upside down on my heater dead. I don't know what happened and he was fat and happy, but all I know is I want more. I've also heard of a lot of people just putting Otos in a 5-10 gallon tank by themselves and they breed and have many babies.
Pond snails breed when they have food. If they are breeding excessively, you have too much food available for them to find. Reduce feeding and they cannot breed so much.
Algea is caused by too much nutrients in the water and/or too much light. Feed less, do more water changes, do more gravel vacs, and reduce your lighting period, and your algae will be under control.
Otos do not do well in such small tanks from my experience. It is not uncommon for them to die months after you purchase them due to the inability to digest the food being offered to them. If they were stressed in the beginnings of their captivity, it is not uncommon for the bacteria that commonly lives in their gut to die and that prevents them from being able to digest what they are eating properly.
Where did you hear this??? It is quite rare for them to breed in captivity.
Algea is caused by too much nutrients in the water and/or too much light. Feed less, do more water changes, do more gravel vacs, and reduce your lighting period, and your algae will be under control.
Otos do not do well in such small tanks from my experience. It is not uncommon for them to die months after you purchase them due to the inability to digest the food being offered to them. If they were stressed in the beginnings of their captivity, it is not uncommon for the bacteria that commonly lives in their gut to die and that prevents them from being able to digest what they are eating properly.
Where did you hear this??? It is quite rare for them to breed in captivity.
I think it's Nerite or something like that. Anywho, I'm gonna get my 3 Otos today. I talked with my lfs and they've had them for 2 weeks and they are fat and happy from what I can see. There are 3 of them that swim around in a little group of their own (yay!!) and this time I'm going to drip-acclimate them cuz I didn't last time.
Kira, your tank is too small for ottos, we have advised you repeatedly aginst them. they are finiky, need really pristine water and wont do much for brown algae.
Nirite snails (or however you spell it) would be your best bet. They are hard workers and are quite small.
I believe we also told you to get rid of the pond snails initially and that they were not pets. Try adding zuccini each night after lights out, before lights on take it out and hopefully you can cure your pond snail infestation.
Also if you aren't home turn out the lights this has gone a long way in eliminating any issues i have with algae (I have a doorwall across the room from my tanks, if I run my lights on a timer 12 on 12 off i tend to get some growth)
Nirite snails (or however you spell it) would be your best bet. They are hard workers and are quite small.
I believe we also told you to get rid of the pond snails initially and that they were not pets. Try adding zuccini each night after lights out, before lights on take it out and hopefully you can cure your pond snail infestation.
Also if you aren't home turn out the lights this has gone a long way in eliminating any issues i have with algae (I have a doorwall across the room from my tanks, if I run my lights on a timer 12 on 12 off i tend to get some growth)
I've tried to get rid of the snails!! I never wanted the pond snails as pets, just the ramshorn who is now dead!! I've tried everything, even the zucchini, to get rid of them. Apparently, they are immune to freezing tap water and 128F tap water. I closed off the top so they could breathe and they still survived (this was after I washed everything: tank, gravel, decorations, etc.)!! And besides, I already got the things. I have 3 of them and they are eating my brown algae and green algae. They went straight to it after I put them in my tank. They're fat, happy, and they have plenty of food. And who says that I can't maintain their "pristine" water and all of their other requirements?? Look, just because I'm young doesn't mean that I don't know what I'm doing, because I do. I'm not going to kill the things torturefully like how people put goldfish in a bowl!!!
Kira.. you have already had ottos die... they are tricky fish... 10g tanks really aren't the right situation for them. Has nothing to do with young or old, i would give the same advice to a 40yr old stay at home mom with money to burn.
Use snail away on your tank after removing all the inverts and plants from the tank. It will kill the snails.
Use snail away on your tank after removing all the inverts and plants from the tank. It will kill the snails.
Kiara, sorry I missed an A hun. I know sometimes I upset you, it's really not anything personal my advice to everyone is abrupt and to the point.
I hope you are doing well and I can't tell you how happy I am to see you got a 55g. You pick it up at a yard sale? craigs list? or did you get all fancy and get a new one
I hope you are doing well and I can't tell you how happy I am to see you got a 55g. You pick it up at a yard sale? craigs list? or did you get all fancy and get a new one
Well...not trying to start a fight, but some people would much prefer that you[or anyone else offering advice] take a minute more to make it more nice...nobody wants to be talked down to or implied that they are newbies and incapable of taking care of fish...because then what's the point of posting here?
To answer your question, Kiara, I'm gonna get 3 zebra otos for my red cherry shrimp 10gal ASAP and have heard the same thing about people being able to breed them in those types of setups[except maybe the shrimp eating the eggs before they hatch] so no, I don't think you're in the wrong and they'll probably enjoy living in your tanks if they have plenty of algae to graze on as they please.
To be honest, even if they die, it more-then-likely isn't your fault...they are caught horrible ways from the wild and then kept in crappy conditions for too long and they just can't snap back despite everything being, honestly, perfect...
To answer your question, Kiara, I'm gonna get 3 zebra otos for my red cherry shrimp 10gal ASAP and have heard the same thing about people being able to breed them in those types of setups[except maybe the shrimp eating the eggs before they hatch] so no, I don't think you're in the wrong and they'll probably enjoy living in your tanks if they have plenty of algae to graze on as they please.
To be honest, even if they die, it more-then-likely isn't your fault...they are caught horrible ways from the wild and then kept in crappy conditions for too long and they just can't snap back despite everything being, honestly, perfect...
Hello Kiara 1125; It actually does seem as thou the criticisms are a bit toned down compared to the language of several months ago. While this forum was having trouble I joined another and posted for a while. I posted a defense of undergravel filters and was hammered soundly for it by by one of the only do it my way crowd on that forum. Seems that I need to move up to the modern way of doing things and forget what has worked for decades in order to fit into that persons way of thinking the world ought to be. I could not resist a reply, but doubt that I made a new friend.
Some folks cannot help but try to push their perferences. It is not exactly wrong but can be annoying. I have a friend who is that way by nature. He finds a way of doing a thing and keeps pushing for everyone else to do it just that way; Waxing a car, changing oil, keeping a checkbook or mowing grass. He stopped by my place one day while I was mowing my grass. I stopped the mower. He could not resist changing the height of my lawnmower wheels, even thou I had not asked for his advice, and mowed a bit. He spent several minutes explaniing how his way was better. I bit my tongue and said nothing, but put the mower back where it was to finish mowing. Even if my mowing method was not up to his standards, it is my grass and i can mow it any way I want.
Some folks cannot help but try to push their perferences. It is not exactly wrong but can be annoying. I have a friend who is that way by nature. He finds a way of doing a thing and keeps pushing for everyone else to do it just that way; Waxing a car, changing oil, keeping a checkbook or mowing grass. He stopped by my place one day while I was mowing my grass. I stopped the mower. He could not resist changing the height of my lawnmower wheels, even thou I had not asked for his advice, and mowed a bit. He spent several minutes explaniing how his way was better. I bit my tongue and said nothing, but put the mower back where it was to finish mowing. Even if my mowing method was not up to his standards, it is my grass and i can mow it any way I want.
I hesitate to get into this discussion, but I have had otos in several of my small tanks for almost a year with no problems. The 2 1/2 g tank has two with a betta and has been fine. So has the 5g tank. They are small fish and it is not over stocked in my opinion and I don't see the problem. I had heard they and neon tetras were "very sensitive". Surprisingly the fish I lost were corys and danios - the neons and otos have done great!
Every tank situation is different and so is every fish. Some will do well, where others will not.
Usually the advise given on this forum takes the "better safe than sorry"/cautious approach.
Anyone who gives advice on this forum is giving it from their own personal experience. You can find ten people who will tell you one thing and ten who will tell you another thing.
I try not to take things I read online personally because emotions and meanings are lost in the written word. You lack tone, expressions and body language!
I use the internet to gather information and use my own brain to process that information and decide what I'm going to do about it.
So if you want to get oto's get oto's....it's your life, your tank, your choice!
Anyways......
I wouldn't recommend nerite snails for algae personally.....they leave little white eggs EVERYWHERE!! Very annoying!
I would go with the recommendations made by Nanu and OC. Any advice I have received from them is always helpful and informative.
Usually the advise given on this forum takes the "better safe than sorry"/cautious approach.
Anyone who gives advice on this forum is giving it from their own personal experience. You can find ten people who will tell you one thing and ten who will tell you another thing.
I try not to take things I read online personally because emotions and meanings are lost in the written word. You lack tone, expressions and body language!
I use the internet to gather information and use my own brain to process that information and decide what I'm going to do about it.
So if you want to get oto's get oto's....it's your life, your tank, your choice!
Anyways......
I wouldn't recommend nerite snails for algae personally.....they leave little white eggs EVERYWHERE!! Very annoying!
I would go with the recommendations made by Nanu and OC. Any advice I have received from them is always helpful and informative.
Thanks for all the help guys, and I'm sorry for blowing up on you nanu.
I got fancy, lol. I worked till I got $300 and bought a new one that came with $10 worth of free fish. I'm still setting it up, but as soon as my camera/computer program stops hating me and being stupid, I'll post some pictures!!
That guy must have had some nerve to tell you how to do things. I hate it when people tell me to do things rather then give me advice (no offense to anyone!!).
I never heard that the Neons were sensitive, just the Cardinal Tetras. I only lost 2 Neons due to Neon Tetra Disease.
I got fancy, lol. I worked till I got $300 and bought a new one that came with $10 worth of free fish. I'm still setting it up, but as soon as my camera/computer program stops hating me and being stupid, I'll post some pictures!!
That guy must have had some nerve to tell you how to do things. I hate it when people tell me to do things rather then give me advice (no offense to anyone!!).
I never heard that the Neons were sensitive, just the Cardinal Tetras. I only lost 2 Neons due to Neon Tetra Disease.
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Hello; Sorry to hear that your computer hates you. Mine is mostly indifferent, but from time to time puts me into a semi-panic. I will be going along and hit a wrong key or something, a window will pop up asking that I make a critical choice on some proceedure that I know nothing about and have no clue which choice to make. I am about three to two in favor of making the bad choice so far.