Algae eaters for community tank? (under 5")

[Splaker]

I've got a BN pleco but would like to add to this. Probably another BN pleco like a Calico, but I am thinking of Otos, Doctor fish or other smallish algae eaters. Looking for efficient ones that are compatible with my community tank, which now includes recent additions - 2 GBR. Preferably able to do well in 80 F

Thoughts? Thanks!

 

[ProudPapa]

Does it have to be a fish? Nerite snails are little algae eating machines.

 

[SM1199]

I loved my otos, but they all got skinny when I added a BN pleco. And that was a SINGLE, one inch long BN! That wouldn't be an issue if my otos liked veggies or algae wafers, but they had absolutely zero interest in either of them. Removed the pleco, otos were happy again. So I personally wouldn't take the risk of adding otos in with a BN. I would rather do two BNs.

Nerite snails do an amazing job, but they drive me crazy with their eggs.

Honestly, I would see if you could find a BN pleco of the opposite gender and see if they decide to breed at some point down the road, might be fun!

 

[Crispii]

Amano shimp is my vote.

 

[MissNoodle]

I love my nerites for their algae cleaning jobs.

Except one. Hes lazy and doesn't do his job.

 

[Crispii]

I love my nerites for their algae cleaning jobs.

Except one. Hes lazy and doesn't do his job.

You should fired him.

 

[MissNoodle]

You should fired him.

I did. And hired a new one.

Now the freeloader fired bum rides around on the new one's back all day.

 

[KinderScout]

Amanos every time - algae, excess food, detritus - even the odd dead fish.... all gone. Thourough, ruthless and entertaining to boot

 

[Splaker]

Didn't expect this to turn become such a funny thread!!

Maybe I'll look into the snails! What's their bioload like? How many would I need for a 65?

 

[MissNoodle]

Didn't expect this to turn become such a funny thread!!

Maybe I'll look into the snails! What's their bioload like? How many would I need for a 65?

Nerites have very low bioloads, and they don't breed in freshwater tanks.

You could have 10 and id doubt theyd make a dent in your tanks biocapacity.

I like to keep at least one in every tank, I got 1 in each 20 gallon but I got 2 in my 46g, but only because one doesn't want to eat the greenspot algae I got on my glass lol my other tanks are spotless, even the one that gets direct sunlight.

 

[rainbowsprinkles]

Ammano shrimp are the best!!

 

[Splaker]

The Amanos are interesting... but I just read an article from Fish-keeping World and it lists the following as fish to avoid with amanos shrimp - I have 2 GBR and 3 dwarf Gourami:

Cichlids	Goldfish
Arowanas	Bettas
Oscars	Large Plecos
Crayfish	Gourami

Nerites have very low bioloads, and they don't breed in freshwater tanks.

You could have 10 and id doubt theyd make a dent in your tanks biocapacity.

I like to keep at least one in every tank, I got 1 in each 20 gallon but I got 2 in my 46 gallon, but only because one doesn't want to eat the greenspot algae I got on my glass lol my other tanks are spotless, even the one that gets direct sunlight.

So maybe 3 or 4 is a 65? Do they need any supplemental diet or will they get enough from the natural algae present in the tank?

I really like the idea of the amano shrimp too but I am worried about the rams, angelfish and dwarf gourami, even the congo tetras, eating them..

 

[jinjerJOSH22]

The Amanos are interesting... but I just read an article from Fish-keeping World and it lists the following as fish to avoid with amanos shrimp - I have 2 GBR and 3 dwarf Gourami:

Not sure about the Rams but Dwarf Gourami are usually ok.

 

[MissNoodle]

So maybe 3 or 4 is a 65? Do they need any supplemental diet or will they get enough from the natural algae present in the tank?

I really like the idea of the amano shrimp too but I am worried about the rams, angelfish and dwarf gourami, even the congo tetras, eating them..

3 or 4 would be awesome in your set up. They may appreciate some veggie supplements but mine never seem to touch the veggies.

Not sure on the amanos as I have no experience with them, but youd have room for both the nerites and amanos easily. Just unsure if they'd mesh with your stock (mostly on the angels tbh). Rams and DG I don't think are big enough to eat amano adults anyways.

 

[jmaldo]

Amano,
Siamese Algae Eater,
Nerite snails but female nerites will lay eggs in your aquarium. They won't hatch, but they are designed to survive until conditions are favorable for hatching. So any keepers are prone to be "Snaildazzled" with eggs. A"Good" description used by another member.



Here's a pair


Oh, and by the way "Your" the best algae cleaner. Just need a scrub pad and elbow grease.

LOL

Learning all the Time.

 

[Splaker]

Dont their eggs become caviar for the fish?!

By the way, I did some searches for ammano compatibility with Angels... seems like a no no...in forums across North America, many posters reported that their angels ate the shrimp...

I am regretting in some regards, getting angelfish... they ate 9 of my 12 cardinals (which I really, really like!) - I am considering rasboras but now have to search for the biggest ones b/c I am worried the angels with gulp them down too... they are beasts...

 

[MacZ]

Honestly, I would see if you could find a BN pleco of the opposite gender and see if they decide to breed at some point down the road, might be fun!

And where to put the fry? It's really hard to get rid of BN plecos here, the market is oversaturated in most parts of the world already.

 

[Splaker]

I have no interest in breeding fish.. honestly if it happened "accidentally" I'd leave the fry for the others as live fish food..

 

[rainbowsprinkles]

Dont their eggs become caviar for the fish?!

By the way, I did some searches for ammano compatibility with Angels... seems like a no no...in forums across North America, many posters reported that their angels ate the shrimp...

I am regretting in some regards, getting angelfish... they ate 9 of my 12 cardinals (which I really, really like!) - I am considering rasboras but now have to search for the biggest ones b/c I am worried the angels with gulp them down too... they are beasts...

I have angels with mine just buy the large amanos- not the tiny juveniles . My angel harassed them for a while so they became nocturnal- now they get along and shrimp are diurnal again. Heard the same happens with goldfish

 

[Dennis57]

Some of the plecos I have are Snowball Plecos 5-6", Golden 6-9" (maybe a little to big for you ) Clown Plecos 3-4"

 

[Sprinkle]

Amano shrimp, nerites, cherry shrimps (good for debris), and otos.

 

[MissPanda]

I have amanos with my gbr, but they are mia. I know they're alive as their molts are around, but I never see them anymore.

 

[SM1199]

And where to put the fry? It's really hard to get rid of BN plecos here, the market is oversaturated in most parts of the world already.

I'm surprised to hear that - BN plecos are in high demand where I am and they're a fun breeding project for a lot of people.

 

[Splaker]

I'll try 5 or 6 snails and some big Amano if I can find
Them.

 

[rainbowsprinkles]

Bn or clown Plecos work too but make so much poop and contribute a lot to bioload. And ammanos are so much fun to watch

 

[Splaker]

I know. I got rid of my common pleco and I noticed a difference in days

 

[KinderScout]

If you do get amanos make sure there's plenty of cover - a cave or shrimp tubes. When they moult the new skeleton needs to harden and they'll hide whilst it's still soft - and even big ones will be at risk from your monster angels! They'll probably moult just after you add to the tank 'cos of the water parameter change and you might not see them for a day or two. Even your normal water changes can trigger moulting.

 

[annamtau]

I have had Amanos with gourmais, Angels, clown & yo-yo loaches and Congo’s.

The fish never messed with them.

If you have the option to find larger ones for sale, I’d go that route. However, I put mine in and have added to them, intoducing them all pretty small, and they are smart & fast enough to keep hidden & get out of the way.

Dont their eggs become caviar for the fish?!

By the way, I did some searches for ammano compatibility with Angels... seems like a no no...in forums across North America, many posters reported that their angels ate the shrimp...

I am regretting in some regards, getting angelfish... they ate 9 of my 12 cardinals (which I really, really like!) - I am considering rasboras but now have to search for the biggest ones b/c I am worried the angels with gulp them down too... they are beasts...

I would maybe consider rummy nose tetras to try also. Very fast & tight schooling.

 

[MacZ]

I'm surprised to hear that - BN plecos are in high demand where I am and they're a fun breeding project for a lot of people.

Here they are in the same league as Guppys and Mbuna. Multiplying like rabbits.

 

[Splaker]

I bought 6 nerites yesterday...

two of them look very inactive...not moving at all currently and just stuck to the glass

is this normal? water temp is currently 79.3

 

[SharonLC]

two of them look very inactive...not moving at all currently and just stuck to the glass

is this normal? water temp is currently 79.3

A few of my zebra snails died within days of being added to aquarium but the other 3 are fine. Don't know if they were sick to begin with or just stressed but the ones that died didn't move much. Eventually fell off glass and were lying upside down. I put them right way up and left them day or 2 and then decided they were dead

 

[andy305mia]

Snails the way to go, they can handle higher temps as well. Your rams will appreciate 82-84 degree water btw....good luck

 

[Splaker]

Pulled out another dead one yesterday. I think it may have been dead for a few days. So down to 2 or 3. Not sure how many cause I never see more than 2. I am thinking of adding a few more, but they aren't cheap and their survival rate doesn't have a great track record with me!

 

[KinderScout]

Sure they are dead? I found this online...
nerite snails
Quote:
"An interesting thing about Nerite Snails is that when they are in feeding mode, they are constantly on the go, moving steadily and tirelessly throughout the tank. Then, for no apparent reason, they become idle and still for long periods of time. When this happens, they may be out in the open on a hard leaf, on the glass, or on a filter intake, for instance. Or they may find a dark, quiet corner of the tank near the surface and stay there motionless for days."

 

[andy305mia]

Sure they are dead? I found this online...
Nerite Snails: Algae Eating, Care, Lifespan, Eggs - Video
Quote:
"An interesting thing about Nerite Snails is that when they are in feeding mode, they are constantly on the go, moving steadily and tirelessly throughout the tank. Then, for no apparent reason, they become idle and still for long periods of time. When this happens, they may be out in the open on a hard leaf, on the glass, or on a filter intake, for instance. Or they may find a dark, quiet corner of the tank near the surface and stay there motionless for days."

I read somewhere they can sleep like 16 hours!

 

[TWiG87]

I read somewhere they can sleep like 16 hours!

I’ve got some bladder snails in my tank and man are they always on the move.
Pretty quick too!

 

[H2O Concierge]

Otto's are good, but can be tricky in the 1st hrs after transport and addition to your tank. They succumb to stress very easily. SAE's are very active, swim with my sharks, and are veracious when it comes to algae (except on the glass) and picking thru my gravel.. I have loaches so I don't have snails, at least not for very long. I have 3 SAE's in the 75 gallon community. The Chinese AE are best kept as a single.

 

[andy305mia]

Otto's are good, but can be tricky in the 1st hrs after transport and addition to your tank. They succumb to stress very easily. SAE's are very active, swim with my sharks, and are veracious when it comes to algae (except on the glass) and picking thru my gravel.. I have loaches so I don't have snails, at least not for very long. I have 3 SAE's in the 75 gallon community. The Chinese AE are best kept as a single.View attachment 664817

Love your stocking, exactly what I would do if I setup another 55+ aquarium

 

[mdjrnc]

Panda garra would work well

 

[Snailerator]

I've got a BN pleco but would like to add to this. Probably another BN pleco like a Calico, but I am thinking of Otos, Doctor fish or other smallish algae eaters. Looking for efficient ones that are compatible with my community tank, which now includes recent additions - 2 GBR. Preferably able to do well in 80 F

Thoughts? Thanks!

Panda garra

 

[H2O Concierge]

Panda garra

I have 3 SAE's in my 75 gallon for a year or so and they do a great job.