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Hi Folks
I have an outbreak of green algae in my 46G tank. Is there any catfish, loach or snail species that I can add to the VERY peaceful community tank that will actually eat the algae? I have live plants and I don't have any snails or "algae eaters." The problem is that I can't get it off my acrylic tank sides and front and I'm afraid anything too abrasive will scratch my tank. I've tried algae sponges and scrapers to no avail. My red plecos aren't doing the job. What actually will eat the algae?

Hi Popeye,

By "red plecos," do you mean the super red Ancistrus? I would expect them to eat algae. How many do you have in the tank? And are you feeding them so much food that they aren't hungry enough to eat the algae?

I've been told that otos are good algae eaters. A group of small Ancistrus (e.g., Ancistrus claro) would probably work too.

Good luck with the algae,
Eric

Ancistrus should eat algae, but frankly, I´m afraid your acrylic screens might get damaged too. As far as I know, Otocinclus - or other fish from their subfamily are a bit more carefull.

Oto´s will, furhter, not be interested in any food which is nog algae. However, many imports are in bad condition. If possible, try getting tank raised ones

Bekateen and Bas Pels -
They are 2 juvenile Ancistrus piriformis (1.5"). They look like they are eating the algae, but as they pass over it, it is still there - no tell-tale tracks. With just the 46G I don't want to get any plecos that will outgrow the tank. As it is I'll have to donate some fish back to my LPS to add anything, verging on crowded.
I hear ya about the otos, been warned before about bad imports that's why i stayed away from them initially.
How about snails, any experience with types of snails or shrimp?
Popeye

Eric -
The A. claro sounds like a good option, I'll give it a try. According to specs they'll stay small enough and should not be territorial with my other cats or tank residents. Hopefully I can find them in my area, probably under the name marble bristlenose. Thanks again for the info and advice.
Popeye

I have a few tanks witout algaeeating fish, where snails do the job. What kind of them? I could not say, that is, thay are not the large ones one can buy

Hi, Popeye. I know this is an old thread, but I thought I'd chime in with a few ideas. I have really good luck with panda garras. They are actually a cyprinid, but they look like sucker. They eat algae and biofilm, and they do a good job keeping my plant leaves clean. They are really fun to watch, too, and quite peaceful in my experience.

Another option is amano shrimp. They are general scavengers, but they do eat a lot of green algae when it's available. You can usually find them for only about $3 each, and they produce very little bioload, so you can get a bunch of them. I like one for every 2-3 gallons.

Finally, nerite snails clean up algae really well, and they can't reproduce in fresh water so they won't overpopulate. I don't much care for the because they leave little white eggs everywhere, but they do eat algae.

None of these critters will harm healthy plants.

As far as scraping, I use an old credit card or gift card. I have never had an acrylic tank, but plastic cards work really well on my glass tanks. They are about the only thing that will remove black brush algae without scratching the glass.

I'd be interested to hear what you decided. Good luck--Thomas

There are fish that are not averse to eating algae, it may be that even if they lack something, they may need a variety of food. In general, many factors can influence this. I spend most of my free time near the aquariums, in general, I am doing well with both fish and algae. Numerology also helps me a lot in caring for fish, for example, in the catalog at https://www.sunsigns.org/angel-number-666-meaning/ I found out that the number 9 makes me happy and now I change every 7th of every month. changing the water in aquariums. As you can imagine, the fish can hardly endure the change of water, but not on this day!

Hi all,

Popeye wrote: ↑30 Mar 2018, 15:57 I have an outbreak of green algae in my 46G tank. Is there any catfish, loach or snail species that I can add to the VERY peaceful community tank that will actually eat the algae? I have live plants and I don't have any snails or "algae eaters."

Red Ramshorn snails are excellent algae eaters and extremely low maintenance to keep. They don't eat plants.

cheers Darrel

If you know anyone with daphnia they will also help to clear up the tank.
Birger