Algae Eater help

[Dexter Morgan]

I had a butterfly pleco that died off recently and my tank is starting to show some green algae on the back glass walls.
Current stock:
x1 4" Firemouth
x1 3" Green Terror
x1 Striped Raphael Catfish
x1 Algae Eater (that's what PetSmart calls it: http://www.petsmart.com/petsmart-north-america/live-fish/algae-eater-zid36-15193/cat-36-catid-700002?var_id=36-15193&_t=pfm=search_

I was hoping you guys could recommend some type of pleco or snail or something to help.

EDIT: The tank is 55 gallons

 

[celebrist]

That looks like a "Chinese" algae eater, they are notorious for eating slime coats. Is it already in your tank?

 

[Dexter Morgan]

That looks like a "Chinese" algae eater, they are notorious for eating slime coats. Is it already in your tank?

Yes, you think the ""Chinese" algae eater" killed my pleco?

 

[BrookKeeper]

Yes, you think the ""Chinese" algae eater" killed my pleco?

I bought two of those peckerheads and put them in my first "adult" aquarium... they are the only two fish I have ever pulled out of a tank perfectly healthy and killed.

 

[Dexter Morgan]

I bought two of those peckerheads and put them in my first "adult" aquarium... they are the only two fish I have ever pulled out of a tank perfectly healthy and killed.

How would I go about killing them? Also, the fins on my GT have been bitten but that's probably the Firemouth. Idk if I should actually try to kill it or not though.

 

[BrookKeeper]

How would I go about killing them? Also, the fins on my GT have been bitten but that's probably the Firemouth. Idk if I should actually try to kill it or not though.

OK, I lied... I have had to kill healthy fish before, but it was for research, and I used MS-222, and it made me really sad to do. These two, I used my thumb and pointer finger to remove their heads, quick and easy. It was that or they were going to take out my entire tank, and I certainly was not going to set up another tank just for them.

 

[Dexter Morgan]

OK, I lied... I have had to kill healthy fish before, but it was for research, and I used MS-222, and it made me really sad to do. These two, I used my thumb and pointer finger to remove their heads, quick and easy. It was that or they were going to take out my entire tank, and I certainly was not going to set up another tank just for them.

Alright, I may have to do that to be better safe than sorry. What would you replace it with then? IDK if I should get another small pleco like butterfly or rubber lip or just get a few snails.

 

[BrookKeeper]

Alright, I may have to do that to be better safe than sorry. What would you replace it with then? IDK if I should get another small pleco like butterfly or rubber lip or just get a few snails.

I have a rubber lip two tanks, one with my oscar and one with my tropical community. I like them, they are like little bulldogs, and one of the two actually does a good job cleaning the tank!

 

[celebrist]

Rubber lip and bristle nose are both good little workers but I don't know what your cichlids might do as I have no experience with those species

 

[BrookKeeper]

Rubber lip and bristle nose are both good little workers but I don't know what your cichlids might do as I have no experience with those species

My oscar picks on "his" rubberlip, and I go months without ever seeing him. He comes one at night and works on small areas of the tank, and I only know he is alive sometimes because he has started a new patch. Point being... if you give him a place to slip into and hide all day, I think he will be okay. The question is, can he keep up with the work. I did try three rubberlip in a 75 gallon tank of tropicals once... and that didn't work out, neither did two. I never thought that they themselves could be an aggressive fish, but they were NASTY to each other. The one survivor is still in my tropical tank, although they moved to my 60 gallon. He is a beast, he is also NEVER out during daylight, although he does not have any aggressors. He does a much better job keeping the tank clean, but the rainbow shark helps him out... The picture of him is blurry because he vanished before I could get a better one, haven't seen him since.