Best Algae Eaters?

[Dreamsing]

It depends also on the kind of algae you want to get rid of. If it's a long algae then SAE (Siamese Algae Eaters) are the best. They eat any sort of algae and get about 3 inches long. Do your research before buying them though, flying foxes will be sold under the wrong name sometimes and they aren't any good at algae control.

Otos are good with green spot algae, but don't get them unless you have a large tank with small stock. They like to be in groups and max out at an inch long.

Bristle nose are good for general algae control, but they are pretty small for keeping with some big fish and will skin broadleafed plants if you have any.

 

[floridagar]

common plecos i dont like them. Not to get on anyones nerves but seriously some that you may buy at the LFS will not do the job. I think any bristlenose will do the job way more efficient and with better quality than your average common pleco. Since i have a common and he does not do anything but come out and then he will see someone and then go back under the rock. Its not a really good choice IMO for a common pleco.

 

[dadecountyalan]

Common plecos and bristle nose have been great algae eaters in my tanks just depends what size you want

the only thing ive ever had that actually ate poop was crayfish.

 

[Laticauda]

BNs do a good job. I had a small clown pleco in a 30 gallon, and he kept up on routine maintenance algae eating (diatom and spot algae) but when I added him to a tank with a "spot green algae problem" he barely even dented it.

The bristlenoses do rasp my leaves of my broadleafed swords, so if you get them, make sure you provide lots of fresh veggies to protect your plants!

 

[chris_zx2]

I had 4 Otocinclus and the cleaned all of the algae out. I have even heard of them doing such a good job that they run out of algae to feed and can die unless fed wafers.

But as previously stated they max out around 1" and my Oscar did a quick number on it.

I have a red sailfin pleco and a bristlenose now, but I find the bristelnose doesn't clean much and only at night while the sailfin is always cleaning but isn't very good at it.

Just my 2 cents...

 

[mofisher]

my CAE (chinese algae eater) cleared up a tank full of algae in one night

 

[Sab_Fan]

bushynose (ancistrus) or bulldogs (chaetostoma) ... those are my faves ...

and otocinclus for smaller or more peaceful tanks ...

 

[Zeetrain]

Thanks for all the replys. I had figured the bristlenose was the best. i was talking to a guy at an LPS and he told me I was just lucky that the bristlenose I have does a good job cleaning my algae. I was thinking about getting another for a small community tank and was just curious to see what you guys think.

 

[sc2dave]

the only bad thing about plecos is that they poop way to much

But don't they poop only as much as they have eaten? A lot of poop= a lot of junk eaten?

 

[dadecountyalan]

once i kept a pleco in a bucket over night with an airstone in there. keep in mind he was a juvenile and i woke up and the whole bottom of the bucket was full of crap