Is there something else besides Ottos for brown algae / diatoms?

Just wondering if there is something else that eats the brown algae / diatoms for a larger tank.

Thanks for any info.

 

Yeah. Ameccas Splendins will.

What else is in the tank, what size tank, and is your pH and dH within common perameters? (dH being hardness)

 

I've been wondering the same thing. I've got a 55 gallon tank with african cichlids (red zebras, yellow labs, etc). My ph is 8.2. I have a lot of limestone rocks in there, and they are COVERED in brown algae (its gross).

 

HI Chief,
It's not actually my tank... my mom has a 35 gallon.

has neon tetra's, bloodfin tetras, some other tetras, guppies, I think some other's all community fish... last time I checked the PH was 7.0 or 7.2...something like that. all other numbers are great (nitrites, amon. etc.)

Thanks Again for any more help

 

She is probably near, at, or over her limit of bioload by all the things you named. If she waits it will go away on its own eventually, maybe 3 weeks to a month and a half... unsightly, but the fish you listed should, if kept in proper numbers, have her near a limit.

 

There are only 8 fish in there.. the brown diatoms have been there since ther were 4 or 5 fish in the tank... even @ the 1" per fish rule she is not close to her max. It's all over her white colored greek ruins.. it looks really bad. she doesn't want to wait... it has been like that for about 3 weeks now.

 

Sorry, but sometimes waiting is the only reasonable option. Its ultimately up to you and her though. Best of luck either way.

 

What about SAEs? I'm not too familiar with them, I've just read they'll eat about any sort of algae. And why not get some ottos? They're small, somewhat entertaining(mine mostly just hang out on the glass or the veggies I put in) and have as negligible of a bioload as any living thing can.

 

Olive or zebra nerite snails do a great job on any algae. Farlowella, and other small L-numbers do a nice job too.

 

What about SAEs? I'm not too familiar with them, I've just read they'll eat about any sort of algae. And why not get some ottos? They're small, somewhat entertaining(mine mostly just hang out on the glass or the veggies I put in) and have as negligible of a bioload as any living thing can.

Sorry, what are SAEs??

 

Siamese Algae Eaters, you have to find a true one though, many stores sell false or flying foxes labeled as SAE's

Good site for telling the difference.

 

Chief_waterchanger mentioned something called an "Ameccas Splendins" as a possible algae eater - what is this fish? I tried searching the internet and came up empty.

 

Amecas are very interesting fish, but extinct in the wild.