# Algae Eaters and cleaning tank glass



## spindaddydad

I searched and didn't find a problem similar to mine. I'll try to be as thorough as possible because I'm not sure what is causing my problem so please pardon the length of my message.
I have a healthy 55 gallon bowfront tank with an assortment of fish that are alll healthy and thriving. I have had the tank for about 4 years and experienced very low fish loss. I have a plecostamus (sp) which I think is a common pleco but not sure. He is approxiimately 7" long. He no longer cleans the glass, in fact he swims upside down at the surface eating the tropical flakes. 

I noticed a small bit of green algae beginning to grow on the surface of the glass, so I put a Chinese Algae Eater in. He immediately begand to clean the algae from the surface and I was back in business with a spotless tank.

The Chinese has now stopped cleaning the glass as well as other surfaces. The algae began to accumulate again. It is not running rampant yet, but small green spots are accumulating on the curved side of the bowfront tank (none grows on the flat surfaces of the glass).

To attempt to remedy I have increased and decreased the amount of algae wafers I feed them thinking that perhaps I was feeding them too much or too little algae wafer. Stopping did not remedy. Neither has increasing wafers.

Seems like if I include a new Chinese, he will clean the glass again, but I'm certain he will become "lazy" or "spoiled" like the other Chinese and the Pleco.

Any thoughts as to what could be causing my problem and/or how to remedy it?


----------



## Lexus

Typically algae eaters such as the chinese and common pleco will do this. I have 3 otos in my 55G and it is spotless, they only grow to 1.5" and dont get lazy like the others. Maybe get rid of the pleco and chinese algae eater and try the otos?


----------



## shev

Well algae eaters generally don't clean up green spot algae, and it should be wiped off manually. just a heads up on the CAE, they are mean, and I dont think do a very good algae clean up job. at first you may notice small hickeys on your fish, but when it gets larger they become killer hickeys.


----------



## Mr Aquarium

You might look into a Bristle Nose Pleco, My 75g has brown algie that you could almost watch growing in the glass, so I desided to get one when I had the oppertunity to get one,
I have not touched the inside glass of my tank for around a month now.


----------



## maxpayne_lhp

I need to clean it every week. I have no algea cleaning fish (only a red-tailed black shark) I'll try some until there's some bristle-noised avaible. It may be years....


----------



## Damon

As stated above fer few fish will even bother with GSA. Its to hard for them to get off the glass. A credit card is the best cleaner for this algae.


----------



## Anaughtybear

*Naughty plecos*

Nobody really knows what's going on a pleco's tiny brain, but I think they often decide it's just easier to eat flake food than algae. Perhaps they don't require algae in their diet as much as other food types as they grow larger. Whatever the case may be, perhaps you could introduce a bunch of snails to your aquarium instead of another pleco. I've heard from several people that they do the same amount of work as a pleco. Depending on the conditions, they might breed like crazy. That might be a bonus, depending on the tank size. You might also have some predator fish that like to eat small snails.


----------



## bmlbytes

Anaughtybear, this thread is 4 and a half years old. Please check the dates before posting.


----------



## jones57742

spindaddydad said:


> so I put a Chinese Algae Eater in. He immediately begand to clean the algae from the surface and I was back in business with a spotless tank.
> 
> The Chinese has now stopped cleaning the glass as well as other surfaces.


Chinese Algae Eaters will do this as they age.

Siamese Algae Eaters will function better but still substantially quit as they age.

Bristle Nose Pleco's will probably function for you.

Otocinclus catfish will also work wrt the algae but they are very sensitive fish.

TR


----------

