# Hair algae eating fish



## Alin10123 (May 22, 2005)

Ok... i think after reading simpte's sticky about algae in a planted tank i've managed to get the hair algae to stop spreading. But i can't seem to starve the algae to death. So... is there any sort of algae eating fish that will eat the hair algae? along with the green spot algae that doesn't get huge? 

I need a fish that wont ruin my plants. I was thinking maybe a rubberlip pleco? or some ottos maybe? 

Anyone have any experience with these? 

thanks


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I've been told some goodieds eat hair algae.


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## violet (Mar 17, 2006)

I saw one of my American Flag Fish chompng on some Hair-like algea today.

I have some green spot algae that will only come off with a fresh razor blade.

violet


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## garfieldnfish (Jan 18, 2005)

Siamese Algae eaters, American flagfish.


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## Alin10123 (May 22, 2005)

violet said:


> I saw one of my American Flag Fish chompng on some Hair-like algea today.
> 
> I have some green spot algae that will only come off with a fresh razor blade.
> 
> violet


Hmm... sounds interesting. Will they go ok in my 55 gallon tank? (the inhabitants are in my signature). 
Think a male/female pair will be ok? I'm not looking to breed, but i do want them to be happy and not harass my other tank mates. 
I also plan on adding 3 pearl gouramis to the 55 gallon as well. 

thanks


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## dwool36 (Jan 31, 2006)

My guppies LOVE hair algae.


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## violet (Mar 17, 2006)

I have 5 flag fish. Haven't had them very long but they seem to be very much a fish which does well in groups. If I had known they liked their own kind so much I would have gotten 10 or 12. I never see them off alone. If one goes off from the bunch there is a string of the others following. Makes corys look unsociable.

Mine have been fairly shy, there is nothing aggressive in with them but they seem to like diving into a big clump if corkscrew val for secret meetings. Spots with dense cover seem appreciated. But they don't panic when a goofy cory goes zipping thru the group.

Honestly I don't remember the last time I had a gourami, I have no recent first hand observation of their behavior, all I would do is read something. But a 55G is a decent sized tank.

While they aren't spectacular fish, they are nice and in the right light pretty. I will eventually condition them and try to spawn them, shouldn't be too hard, to get more. I strongly favor schooling fish, one or two species per tank with the obligitory bushynose pleco or two to keep things tidy.

One caution, the flag fish do need a lot of vegetable matter in their diet. I feed cooked greens to all my fish (my angels love and devour cooked collards). I would expect flag fish to at least nip at tender plants if they didn't have lots of other veggie matter available.

violet


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Starving hair algae is next to impossible. You have to keep it from spreading and slowly remove what you can over time. Livebearers love hair algae. Flagfish will eat it also. Angels will also. Lots of barbs (cherry, golden) will devour it also. True flagfish are hard to come by in most U.S. areas (this time of year is the best to get them). They can also be agressive towards their own species.


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