Need an Algae Eater

[kll1221]

I need a green algae eater. I have otto but they are eating the green stuff just brown.

I was thinking Mollies because they eat the algae but not sure I think my tank is gonna be too crowded.

Any ideas? I know I will have to clean it myself but thought I would try the fish route first.

Thanks.

My tank is correct in my siggy.

 

[kll1221]

Oh this is for my 55 gallon tank.

 

[Pure]

Get a BN. You would be fully stocked, but should be fine.

 

[Intermision]

I have heard that otos will eat green algea I would think that a shool of 5-6 would dg the job.

 

[kll1221]

I have 5 otos and they don't eat the green stuff

 

[rohnds]

Siamese algae eater are good, while chinese algae eater are even better when youn. As they grow older they tend to become aggressive towards slow moving fish and suck the protective coating off the fish. Ottos are also great.

Rohn

 

[BigDaddy420]

get one big snail, i have one in my 55 and he keeps it very clean.

 

[Orion]

I agree with most of the fish listed above except the chinese algae eater ( I think they are worthless at any age IMHO).

But adding fish to take care of the aglae problem is only going to be a bandaid at best for the real cause of the algae in the first place. Fix the algae problem by finding out what is fueling the algae growth and take care of that and you won't need to add fish. Some of the biggest reasons for algae is direct sunlight or over feeding. Over feeding seems to be the largest of the two, as it leads to an excess of nutrients in the water that allows the aglae to take over.

I'd start with sucking the gravel/sand out really well and making sure that you don't have any pockets of debris or waste built up where you can't see them, and then increase the amount or frequency of water changes for a little while and see how that goes.

 

[kll1221]

Oh yea I agree. My tanks is sort of near a window but doesn't get direct sunlight. I to a water change about every 2 weeks and really suck the gravel every month the whole tank. Every other week I do half of the tank. I hope I explained that right. Maybe overfeeding but I feed them about once a day sometimes I skip a day and they (the fish) seem to eat it all up. *shrug* Thanks for your help. Iw ill keep an eye on things.

 

[Lotus]

Is it flat green algae on the glass or hairy algae? In general, I think it's better to do the cleaning yourself, rather than get a fish to do the job. What are your nitrates at before you do your water changes?