Otocinclus vs Hair Algae

matpreec · Post by **matpreec** » 03 Feb 2006, 09:59

Can anyone tell me if Dwarf Otocinclus' will clear hair algae?

I have (i think) 2 types

; A black coloured type which is firmly 'rooted' and a green type which is very fine and easily removed.

I have 4 Otos in the heavily planted 50g but they dont seem to be making much progress although their bellies are full. Are they eating more favoured algae or do i need more of them to see results?

Thanks in advance

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 03 Feb 2006, 10:34

I know of no Loricariidae that will eat hair-algae... Perhaps Rosy barbs will do the job, but they will also reak all sorts of havoc with plants and small fish...

--
Mats

matpreec · Post by **matpreec** » 03 Feb 2006, 10:47

Oh, Bummer! The tank is for breeding dwarf cichlids so the barbs are a 'no go' im afraid.

The Otos are a welcome addition to the tank anyway. Thanks for the reply Mat.

Kana3 · Post by **Kana3** » 03 Feb 2006, 11:48

If that Black Algae is what I'm thinking of, it's a type of 'Red Algae', and the Siamese 'Flying Fox' is supposedly the fish you need.

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 03 Feb 2006, 11:49

In agreement with Mats, it is my experience that Otocinclus will not eat the types of algae you describe.

This is the common "black brush" algae from the genus Audouinella......

This is "green pelt" algae from the genus Oedogonium......

Otocinclus will prefer to browse a biofilm rich in diatom algae of the genus Oscillatoria. This stuff is often called "brown" algae..........

Animals reported to eat green pelt algae are the siamese flying fox Crossocheilus siamensis, the rosy barb Barbus conchonious, and the amano shrimp Caridina japonica.

However the best solution to your problem is to inhibit algal growth at source, rather than treat the symptom.

Do more water changes with nitrate and phospate free water, as these compounds fuel rapid algal growth. Reducing the stocking and feeding will also help lower these pollutants.

Block out light by.....

A) Adding floating plants (These will also remove NO3 and PO4).

B) Staining the water with tannins from some nice new bogwood.

Reduce the pH. Most algae doesn't do so well at a pH of about 6.

These conditions should also be perfect for breeding your dwarf cichlids.

Pics were from ivanov.cekool.com

matpreec · Post by **matpreec** » 03 Feb 2006, 12:16

Racoll - thanks for the thorough reply!

That is indeed what i have, although not the brown algae. The Otos seem to graze on the young 'sprouts' of the green pelt but leave the 'unpaletteable' older stuff.

This is my first heavily planted tank and it has only been set up 6weeks. Its inhabitants are a trio of Apistogramma, 5 Forktail rainbows and the 4 Otos (4ft x 1ft x 1ft). NO2 is minimal and i do 25% water changes weekly with my annoyingly high PH7.6 London tapwater and about 1/3 of the surface is cover with Pistia.

If the truth be told, im probably being a little 'anal' about it (its not that bad), as although i realise that algae is present in all tanks - id rather have less than more

Thanks for the advice though, pic of tank below...

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 03 Feb 2006, 12:33

If you keep the pistia growin in there, it will certainly help.

Algae is often a "new tank" symptom, and will often disappear after a while [unless it gets so bad that it takes over the tank].

--
Mats

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 03 Feb 2006, 12:57

That is indeed what i have, although not the brown algae.

That's because the otos eat it all!

Algae is often a "new tank" symptom, and will often disappear after a while

This was definately my experience with the "black-brush" algae, however the "green pelt" algae is getting worse in both my tanks! I'm putting this down to nitrates (remember my post yesterday about my test kit!), and a recent boost in lighting.

matpreec, you may find that London tapwater is just too high in nitrates, and no matter how many water changes you do, you will still suffer algae problems. You could invest in a nitragon, or an RO unit.

If that's not practical, the best solution is to keep adding loads of plants, as the more you add, the more the plants will be able to outcompete the algae.

CO2 will also help a lot in giving the plants a head-start.

matpreec · Post by **matpreec** » 03 Feb 2006, 13:12

That's because the otos eat it all!

i guess your right

An RO system is a bit of a luxury i cant afford for one tank so adding even more plants might be the idea. When i added some tall stem plants e.g. Hygrophila it seemed to slow the algae down. And cutting off the whole leaf has been the best way to remove the black stuff so far.

I have a Co2 system up and running and it does make a difference (also have undergravel heating - which i highly recommend). I guess its just a regular manual job for the time being until i reach the right balance.

(bringing this back to the original thread - sorry Mods)... I dont mind the Otos in there as they are cool little fish - even if they are 'picky' - hehe

Thanks everyone for your comments and advice!