Article Algae Eaters

Algae Eaters

[*]Algae Eating Shrimp- Most are Excellent for planted and Nano sized tanks, but caution must be used when selecting tankmates (they may consume the shrimp due to their size).

• Amano Shrimp (Red Algae & Soft Algae)
  Black & Blue Midget-Caridina sp.
  Blue Shrimp-Caridina sp
  Brine Shrimp (Dunaliella, when not available will eat golden brown algae)
  Bumble bee shrimp (Soft Moss & Soft Algae)
  Cherry shrimp-Neocaridia denticulata var. red
  Glass Shrimp
  Rainbow Shrimp-Palaemon hendersoni (Brush Algae)
  Redfronted Shrimp-Palaemon scarletti
  Taiwan Pale Blue Shrimp-Neocaridina denticulata sinensis
  Wood Shrimp/Bamboo Shrimp (Suspended Algae/Surface Algae)
  Etc.

[*]Bristlenose Catfish- Excellent algae eater for just about any setup, Reaches aprox. 4" and are peaceful (but may quarrel amongst selves...especially when breeding).

[*]Chinese Algae Eater- Good algae eater when young, but when full grown may become aggressive and can get on the largeish size.

[*]Common Pleco- Eats Green, Brown, & Brush Algae. Many will grow to large for most tanks and due to the possible large size can/will disturb planted tanks. Also, the larger the species the more waste produced.

[*]Otocinclus Catfish- Won't damage plants and small size makes them ideal for smallish tanks. Said to eat young/new algae only.

[*]Peckoltia Catfish- Dependant upon which species it is, it may or may not consume algae.

[*](True) Siamese Algae Eater- Thread & Brush Algae

[*]Snails- Various species are known to eat algae.

• Neritina natalensis (Green Spot, Beard, Etc)
  Malaysian Trumpet snail
  Ramshorn snail

[*]Whiptail Catfish- Some species consume algae and are usually good for a medium sized tank, but good water quality is a must!

Make sure BEFORE getting one you know if it's:

• A) Compatible with what you have

• B) Max size so you know if you'll need to rehome it in the future

• C) Are aware of it's diet and if your lacking it within your tank your ready to supplement it wtih something that will sustain it (Driftwood, Algae Wafers, Zuchinni, NO Sodium Canned French Cut Green Beans, etc)

• D) Have a Soft Net Handy such as A Large Brine Shrimp (unless you plan to handle them by hand) for transfering (this also applies to shrimp).

**Sidenote ...Discus & Goldfish are susceptible to Pleco Attacks so please be sure to AGAIN research BEFORE adding algae eaters to your mix.
In some situations algae eaters are definately beneficial, however in other situations they can wreak MAJOR havoc.
RESEARCH IS ALWAYS KEY!!

 

List of shrimp have been added, but I've had large plecos that have not stopped eating algae and did NOT prefer slime coat of fish...so I'll leave your comment there as I'm sure it varies per personal experiences

 

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