Why my plecos are not eating these algae?

[professorjimjam]

Please see the photo below, it is a lot of algae in my tank and I have 9 plecos some of them large, why don't they eat these and why these kind of algae has grown in my tank?

does it mean I overfeed my plecos that they do not show interest in cleaning these algae? how do i force them to clean that? are these algae consume large amount of oxygen?

appreciate your help.

 

[Rtc/tsn]

Please see the photo below, it is a lot of algae in my tank and I have 9 plecos some of them large, why don't they eat these and why these kind of algae has grown in my tank?

does it mean I overfeed my plecos that they do not show interest in cleaning these algae? how do i force them to clean that? are these algae consume large amount of oxygen?

appreciate your help.


View attachment 1472477

Probably be better off with otto cats. Plecos ime don’t eat much algae unless they have to and actually prefer meaty foods like shrimp or tilapia. You could get an algae scraper like I have.

 

[professorjimjam]

thanks. will the otto cats eat these?

what is algae scraper ? is it the name or you referred to otto cats

 

[Deadeye]

Most plecos by nature aren’t heavy algae eaters. Bristlenose is one of the few that really go to town, and even then they don’t eat it all. Mine won’t touch hair algae but keeps diatoms off my glass. Otos are hit or miss, and often starve.
Algae scraper is simply a long object with a sharp, flat edge used to scrape algae off walls.

 

[professorjimjam]

Thank you deadeye.
do you have a airstone in your tank?

 

[Deadeye]

Thank you deadeye.
do you have a airstone in your tank?

I do not, I haven’t needed one. My filter provides a lot of surface agitation.

 

[professorjimjam]

Thanks a lot

 

[neutrino]

They're actually a diverse group and there's no blanket rule that covers them all. Some species are good algae eaters, some middling, some very little. Some species are good at 'nuisance' types of algae that others don't bother with. So it all depends on species; in some it depends on age, some eat more while they're young, not so much as adults-- or in some cases only when they're in the mood.

 

[duanes]

An algae scraper can be made with a length of PVC, and razor blade, or blade for an Xacto knife

Commercial magnetic algae removers are available, and come in tw pieces I put a piece of cloth on the outside piece to clean the outside glass of dry stuff, while the piece inside the tank scrapes the algae.
The one below is a Mag Float.

But the commercial magnetic ones are of questionable use, because the algae is often anchored deep in microscopic fissures in the glass.
You need a lot of strong magnetism to loosen it, and the strong ones aren't cheap.
and Just because its algae doesn't mean it'll taste good tall algae eating fish.
And your type may be Cyanobacteria (algae look alike) even the most algae eating fish won't touch it.

Algae is tenacious and I sometimes just use an Xacto knife blade in hand and elbow grease alone to get enough leverage to get the tough stuff off .
True algae feels a bit gritty, Cyanobacteria feels slimy
Here's another commercial type I have.
I made a couple up and down swipes, so you can judge its ability directly above and below, with the clarity of th unscraped glass on the left


Shrimp are also good algae eaters, but wait for me to use the magnets preferring the loosened bits.