What Do I Need To Control Algae In A 36 Gallon Tank?

I hate CAE now cuz they killed one of my molly.
Not sure about GAE. I do have a couple snails in the tank, but that doesn’t seem to be enough.
Any ideas? Thanks

Btw, don’t want Plecos since they get huge. Even albino ones I think will grow up to 10” correct?

 

You can always get a bristlenose pleco, they grow about 5 inches max.

Also how long do you keep your lights on?

 

If the algae is really problematic it would be better to address the root cause rather than add fish in hopes they clean it.

Do you have an idea of what's causing it and what kind of is? Common catalysts for algae growth are lights too strong (especially if no CO2), lights too long, natural sunlight hitting the tank, and excess organic waste.

 

12 hours a day with a timer.
Thanks for the reminding, I think I searched that little guy. How many do you think I’ll need for a 36g?

It’s not huge problem, I just want to make a balance from the very beginning. When you keep fish you don’t solve problems one by one, you predict the issues and try to reduce the risk from first step, right?

 

What is a GAE? Nerite snails are great algae eaters. Others, not so much. Best way to control algae is by cutting down on light and regular weekly water changes.

 

Gold algae eater
Thanks for the suggestions guys, appreciated!
Will buy some snails first

 

A golden algae eater IS a chinese algae eater. You'd be trading trouble for trouble. Best way to get rid of algae is typ get rid of whats causing it.

One BN pleco is plenty for a small tank.
Cut your light time in half. A BN pleco won't eat the green algae that grows on glass that has to be razored off but a couple Nerites would. Female Nerites lay dozens of flat white eggs that also have to be scraped off. So when you pick out your nerite(s) you might want to get the smallest ones they have (males are smaller than females)...

 

I'm not quite sure what you mean but fixing the cause of the algae is the solution. A tank is balanced when lights, fertilizers, organic waste, plants, etc., are in harmony. A clean-up fish isn't a critical part of that equation; it's just a band-aid on a problem.

That said, if you want a BN pleco because you think they're awesome fish then yes, totally get one. But don't get one just for their algae-cleaning potential because you can control the factors that grow algae.

 

Right. Create a balance so you don't have to anticipate a problem in the first place as @JenC said. I have never had an algae problem in my tank's that wasn't caused by too much light or water problems. Algae eaters can't fix that and as you have experienced with your CAE, algae eaters can bring a whole new set of problems with them.

 

I agree with @JenC . If your purpose for getting a BN pleco is for algae removal....you will be disappointed. They are not these algae eating machines people claim them to be. They eat algae a lot as youngsters, but adult BNs don't do a lot of algae eating. Especially if you give them an appropriate diet rather than starving them to force them to eat the algae like some people do. :-(

However, If you actually want to keep one as a pet, because you think they are cool then great! Go for it!

But just keep in mind...that they will leave more poop behind than anything else. So they will make the tank messier and require more vacuuming. Which is why I feel calling them tank cleaners is a total oxymoron!!! hahaha

I also agree with the nerite snail suggestion, They eat algae WAY better than plecos in my experience. And they don't add a huge bioload to your tank like a pleco would.

 

Really like what you have addressed.
True, I consider Plecos as algae eaters and try to use them to control the algae. Because I also have molly fish they are doing the favor as well. So I didn’t quite think algae growing is a huge issue for my tank. But I did read some input from above and appreciate their help. Personally I am not a fan of chemicals such as algae control, so I want the natural way, like Plecos like snails. I also start to turn my tank into planted one, so this would for sure also help.
I have a big picture now and thanks everyone for the kind help. Really like this place.

 

You might want to cut down on the hours. 12 hours is a lot of hours and that's a large build of algae. I would cut it down to maybe 5 hours. I have mine come on at 6 pm, off by 11 pm.