How big do flag tails get and what tank size is good for them.
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Algae eaters...help me!
- Thread starter RWaltman
- Start date
Do water changes every 2 weeks, 20% or more...run 2 canister filters on the big tank....I doubt its maintenance or stocking, they are near windows, when it's sunny out I get algae. it's about a 8" patch on both tanks, specifically on the glass. I do not think a flagtail would take care of the algae on the glass but I could be wrong?
Also, I know what algae is and do not need help with the "why"...but since I cannot black out the sun, I'm looking for an alternative.
Flagtails get big - 12-16". Yes, they will eat algae off of glass. I am looking at my flags lips right now. BTW, if you have a lot of rough rock in your tank, their lips get great big and rubbery from calluses.
I have a few suggestions;
(1) There are hundreds of species of plecco, depending on your taste; there are some beautiful patterns out there. Search a zebra plecco or try out some phantom pleccos just as an example. (Note- some species like the zebra aren't great algae controllers but I would say that finding the right fit is a great answer to start)
(2) Constant lighting dramatically increases the growth rate of algae, turn them off at night
(3) You can easily get snails large enough that cichlids wouldn't bother, and they reproduce like crazy. So your fear of losing the entire population is very unlikely; it's much more likely that you'll end up with a lot of snails in a short period of time. If that ends up being a problem assassin snails are just about your only answer to control that issue
(4) Create a current, it won't stop algae growth but it would decrease the rate at which it grows. I use this myself; I have a large bubble wand in the middle of the tank and strong filters on either end of the tank. This process creates a constant circular current on both sides of the tank; you can see it during feeding when the flakes swirl all over the tank. This process with only 2 pleccos keep my 90 gallon tank spotless with 2 pleccos and water changes every 3 weeks.
(1) There are hundreds of species of plecco, depending on your taste; there are some beautiful patterns out there. Search a zebra plecco or try out some phantom pleccos just as an example. (Note- some species like the zebra aren't great algae controllers but I would say that finding the right fit is a great answer to start)
(2) Constant lighting dramatically increases the growth rate of algae, turn them off at night
(3) You can easily get snails large enough that cichlids wouldn't bother, and they reproduce like crazy. So your fear of losing the entire population is very unlikely; it's much more likely that you'll end up with a lot of snails in a short period of time. If that ends up being a problem assassin snails are just about your only answer to control that issue
(4) Create a current, it won't stop algae growth but it would decrease the rate at which it grows. I use this myself; I have a large bubble wand in the middle of the tank and strong filters on either end of the tank. This process creates a constant circular current on both sides of the tank; you can see it during feeding when the flakes swirl all over the tank. This process with only 2 pleccos keep my 90 gallon tank spotless with 2 pleccos and water changes every 3 weeks.
