5 Best Tank Algae Eater Fish:
Algae is a non-flowering plant
& it grows unwantedly in water in the presence of light. Presence of algae
is not bad & in fact hobbyists like to have them because they provide a
beautiful look to aquarium. However, too much algae is bad for fish tank. Also
they block the view of fancy aquarium & a lot of people don’t like them
when they grow beyond limit. Various techniques are used to keep algae in
control & we have mentioned 5 tips & tricks in this article that can
help you maintain unwanted growth of algae in tank.
Reduce Lights:
Lights left on for longer period
of time can help in increasing growth of algae in aquarium. Make sure you use
timer that turn off lights for at least 12 hours a day to reduce algae growth.
Do not put your aquarium in a
location where direct sun light can hit water. In the presence of sunlight, algae
grows substantially faster.
Do not overfeed fish:
Do not overfeed aquarium
inhabitants because leftover food can help increase growth of algae in tanks.
Feed what fish can consume in 5 minutes & remove leftover food from
aquarium using fish net.
Water Maintenance:
Make sure you regularly change
water every week. Do a 15 to 50 percent water change to reduce growth of algae
in aquarium. Vacumm gravel your aquarium when changing water.
Add Live Plants:
Avoid adding too much nutrients
to water because it can boost growth of algae. Add live plants to aquarium
which absorbs those nutrients.
Add Algae Eater Fish:
Keeping algae eating fish in
aquarium is very important because it eats algae & balance the natural
ecosystem. They can eat algae & gives a clean look to your aquarium. Instead
of adding chemicals to aquarium we suggest you to add few algae eating fish to
your aquarium that can do the job very well.
1. Bristlenose Plecos (Bristlenose Plecostomus):
Bristlenose Plecos is a nice
addition to most of the fish tanks. They look weird but do their job of eating
algae very well. They can grow up to 4 inches, & a medium sized fish tank
is enough for keeping them. Bristlenose Plecos are the best replacement for
Sucker Fish that grows up to 2 feet. Bristlenose Plecos have the skill to clean
aquarium algae despite their small size. Males of Bristlenose Plecos develop
large whiskery growths on their faces.
Bristlenose Plecos have different
colors too, such as gold or albino. This is a great addition to your fish tank.
It is suggested to add a driftwood & hiding places in your aquarium for keeping
this fish happy.
Other names of Bristlenose Pleco
are Bristle Nosed Pleco, Bushynose Catfish & Bristlenose Catfish.
Bristlenose Plecos become darker
when they grow up. Also they are available in multiple colors.
Aquarium Size & Conditions for Bristlenose Pleco:
Minimum aquarium size for Bristlenose
Plecos is 25 gallons. They need pH between 6.5 to 7.5, & they live well from
slightly soft to slightly hard water.
Bristlenose Plecos Care Level:
Bristlenose Plecos does not need
high care & they can grow a maximum size of 5 inches.
Bristlenose Plecos Tank Mates:
Bristlenose Plecos can be kept
with most of the aquarium fish due to their peaceful nature.
2. Siamese Algae Eater (Crossocheilus Oblongus):
Siamese algae eaters are great
fish that can eat algae in your aquarium. They live peacefully in aquarium
& can eat different kinds of algae such as Black Beard algae. Due to their
capability of eating various types of algae, makes them a great addition to a
variety of tanks. Siamese algae eaters are ravenous in nature.
Siamese algae eaters not only
feed on different kinds of algae, but can also control flatworm populations
& can eat debris in tank. Siamese algae eaters are also a great addition to
planted tanks because they do not hurt plants.
Siamese Algae Eaters like to live
in planted tanks with lots of broad leaved plants that offer resting place for
the fish. It is not a fussy eater; they would like to eat algae growing on
plant leaves & would love to eat a mix of protein & vegetable based
diet.
Aquarium Size & Conditions for Siamese Algae Eater:
Minimum aquarium size for Siamese
Algae Eater is 30 gallons. They need pH between 6.5 to 7. Ideal temperature for
Siamese Algae Eater is 75 to 79 degree Fahrenheit.
Siamese Algae Eater Care Level:
Siamese Algae Eater needs
moderate care level. They grow up to 6 inches in size.
Siamese Algae Eater Tank Mates:
Siamese Algae Eater is suitable
for community tanks, & can be kept with a range of fish such as tetras,
barbs, plecos, corydoras & more.
3. Chinese Algae Eater (Gyrinocheilos Aymonieri):
Chinese algae eaters are not the
top algae eaters but can do that other algae eaters can’t. Do not keep them in
community aquariums because of their aggressive nature. The older they grow,
the more aggressive they become. However, their aggressive nature give benefit
to some aquarists. They can grow up to 10 inches in size & due to their
large size & agility, they are among the few algae eating fish that can
endure with large semi aggressive inhabitants.
They are not amongst the best
algae eaters because they become lazy in eating as they grow up, but when they
are young, they eat variety of algae types.
Chinese Algae Eaters Care Level:
They like to live in clean water
with pH level from 6.8 to 7.4 with a KH level from 8 to 10. They like to live
in warm water & need herbivorous diet to help them eat more algae.
Aquarium Size & Conditions for Chinese Algae Eaters:
Chinese Algae Eaters do not need
high care & can do great in aquariums that contain at least 30 gallons of
clean water.
Chinese Algae Eaters Tank Mates:
Chinese Algae Eaters grow up to
10 inches & can be aggressive as they grow up. So they can hurt delicate
fish if you put them in community tank with mates. But their aggressive nature
makes them an ideal choice for aquarists who want to keep them with large &
semi aggressive fish such as cichlids.
4. Twig Catfish (Rineloricaria Lanceolate):
Twig Catfish are long, have thin
bodies & can grow as long as 4 inches.
Twig Catfish were fairly common
once, but they are available in many fish stores now because of their high
demand. Many aquarists are knowing about their advantages & their demand in
increasing.
Twig Catfish needs more
specialized care than other types of algae eating fish. They need places to
hide in aquariums because they are shy fish.
They are one of the top catfish
algae eaters. They like to eat various types of diet & can quickly clean
your aquarium of any green algae. They need most care as compared to other
algae eater fish discussed in this post.
Twig Catfish Care Level:
Care level for Twig catfish is
from easy to intermediate.
Aquarium Size & conditions for Twig Catfish:
Twig Catfish can do great when
kept in aquarium in pairs & can do well in a tank size of at least 12
gallons.
They love to live in moderately
soft water having a pH from 6 to 8. They do not like changes in chemistry of
water & they eat most of algae types but also need supplement diet.
Twig Catfish Tank Mates:
They are docile in nature &
can be kept in community with other peaceful fish including tetras & livebearers,
though they can’t do well in tank of cichlids & other aggressive larger
mates.
5. Otocinclus Catfish (Otocinclus Sp.):
Otocinclus Catfish are among the
top algae eating fish. Otocinclus Catfish are the smallest algae eating fish mentioned
in this post. They can grow only up to 2 inches. Their small size & very
calm behavior makes this specie perfect choice for most of community aquariums.
They can do well in communities in planted tanks.
Otocinclus Catfish do not damage
plants & can do a great job at eating brown algae & fresh algae growing
in the aquarium before they find an opportunity to spread in the aquarium.
Otocinclus Catfish are one of the
best algae eater & suitable for smaller tanks. Keep this fish in small
communities. Otocinclus Catfish can grow up to 2 inches.
Otocinclus Catfish Care Level:
Otocinclus Catfish need medium
care level.
Aquarium Size & Conditions for Otocinclus Catfish:
Aquarium size for Otocinclus
Catfish is about 30 gallons. They need pH level from 6.5 to 7.5. Your aquarium
should have driftwood & abundance of leaf litter.
Otocinclus Catfish Tank Mates:
Otocinclus Catfish lives peacefully
in community aquarium. Do not keep them with large aggressive species such as
large cichlids.
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