# Algae Eating Fish



## azn_fishy55 (Aug 7, 2005)

What is a good species of algae eating fish?


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## Guest (Oct 17, 2005)

depending on the tank size...plecos are great. chinese algae eaters...many snails will clean up algae.
what size tank is this? and what fish are in it now?


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## Fishboy93 (Jun 11, 2005)

Otos work for a small tank... whats the minimum tank size for a pleco?


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## Guest (Oct 18, 2005)

people say 55, but i think it should be bigger.


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## Fishboy93 (Jun 11, 2005)

alright looks like my tank is to small then


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## goodie (Sep 2, 2005)

SAE are great if you can find a true SAE. they don't have a sucker mouth so they have to nibble at it. They eat most forms of alge too. Ottos are good also if you have a tank too small for a pleco. Or you could get a dwarf pleco (bristlenose,ect...).


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## azn_fishy55 (Aug 7, 2005)

I am setting up a 30 gallon planted tank.


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## osteoporoosi (Jan 27, 2005)

A bushynose pleco would work great in a 30g.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Bristlenose, bushynose plecos, Siamese Algae Eaters, Cherry shrimp, Amano shrimp. Depends on the types og algae you have.


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## osteoporoosi (Jan 27, 2005)

But it is easier just to fix the problem that causes your algae bloom instead of bying an algae eater.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

osteoporoosi said:


> But it is easier just to fix the problem that causes your algae bloom instead of bying an algae eater.


I cannot agree more. All non predatory fish eat algae. Plants are a big diet of a fish's diet. Rosy barbs, mollies, guppies all eat algae. Algae blooms are a sign something happened in your tank. Algae is present in all tanks. The key is keeping it to a minimal level by controling what is causing the outbreak. Algae eating fish are more for removing small outbreaks and unsightly spots. They cannot keep up with an outbreak.


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## azn_fishy55 (Aug 7, 2005)

Well, the tank isn't set up yet,but I still want some algae eating fish.I introduce them after I get some algae.I really like SAEs,are they easy to keep?


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## Guest (Oct 18, 2005)

ive read that florida flag fish are great for hair algae...also heard they're kinda hard to find but im not sure. They are very pretty though.


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## garfieldnfish (Jan 18, 2005)

SAEs are very easy to keep. I have 8 of them in 2 different tanks. For a 30 gal I would recommend 2 of them. They will eat hair algae and and are good on plants and deco but not that efficient on tanks walls. Depending on what else you want to add to the tank, I would also add a rubberlip pleco. They stay small (4") and will take care of the walls and deco. Rubberlips need a hiding space (cave) to call their home, which they will fiercely defend but other then that they are good citizens and do not need driftwood like many other dwarf plecos do.
SAEs will eat fish flakes, veggies, algae wafers and almost all other fish food you toss in the tank so you will not have to worry about them starving if there is not enough algae present. Very active, outgoing fish that are non-aggressive to most other fish, unless you plan on keeping fancy long tailed goldfish. They seem to think of their tails as possible hair algae and may try to nibble on it. I had mine for 2 years and love them.


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## Cosmic Charlie (Jun 14, 2005)

These bushy nose plecos that you all speak of... Are they also called rubber lipped plecos? Just curious


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## wildtiger (Jun 8, 2005)

No a bushy nose or bristle nose is different than rubber lipped.

Rubber lips stay somewhat small and are very good algae eaters.


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