Algae control without algae eaters

ian2mic · 04-19-2008, 08:45 AM

My 55G tank has a Goldfish and a ropefish. I've tried a pleco and a chinese algae eater to control algae. Both of these think my ropefish needs cleaned instead of the tank. Anything smaller could get eaten. Is there a fish that eats algae that anyone can reccomend for this tank OR how do I control algae without an algae eating fish?

andysutt · 04-19-2008, 10:55 AM

I've never heard of a pleco trying to eat another live fish.. even my 6''+ pleco doesn't bother my black molly fry or other small fish.

You might try a albino catfish for bottom type algae but I dont think they will clean the glass very well. So maybe a snail will help somewhat on that area.?

mad87man · 04-19-2008, 11:57 AM

i always use to have a snail in my 10 gallon which i never had an algae prob with. you can always use an algae scraper too if you dont want anything alive to help

Tommy Gun · 04-19-2008, 12:46 PM

Hey ian2mic,

Believe it or not, it is pretty common for plecos to "clean" off other fish, although in this case, it is probably doing so because it is not getting enough to eat and is resorting to finding nutrition within the slime coat of its tank mates.

IMO and IME, it is relatively easy to go without any assistant from 'algae eaters' and in your case, that is probably the safest way to go. Ropefish definitely pose a threat to smaller tank mates. To be honest, everything I have ever heard/read about them is that they are best off in groups so in another thread I think you said you only have the one ropefish along right now and this could be something to look into if you want to add more.

Anyways, to keep it simple, if you can monitor and control the amount and type of light the tank recieves as well as the amount of phosphate, potassium and nitrogen in the water, you can have a big impact on algae (...keep in mind that ammonia and nitrate are actually nitrogenous compounds and at least two forms of nitrogen that plants can use). Heck, sometimes algae can be curbed by something as simple as promoting gas exchange in order to limit the amount of CO2 that is available at any given time.

To be honest, even though I do have two tiny plecos right now, I haven't relied on any "algae eaters" in a freshwater tank for more than a year now and have done just fine. Besides, there is a big difference between having algae and having an algae problem and from the picture of your tank that I have seen, it doesn't look like you have an algae problem at all.

oOOOo · 04-19-2008, 04:43 PM

It has been suggested to me - and I'm not fully through trying it out yet - that encouraging the right amount of plant growth can zero your phosphates and nitrates therefore leaving nuttin' left over for the algae. Encouraging plant growth can involve improving lighting, picking plants appropriate to your lighting level and providing some additional nutrients to enable the plants to consume the phosphates and nitrates. I was specifically encouraged to supplement potassium and iron. Communist lfs plot to sell me an over-priced bottle of metallic goo? Possible ... but the logic does seem to hold up. I'll tell ya in 6 months ...

orb4me · 04-19-2008, 04:59 PM

Is that algae I see on the smaller rocks in Ian's tank?

Make sure you dont have any direct sunlight on your tank Ian, thats all I know about algae (keeping fingers crossed)

Pinantanjohn · 04-21-2008, 02:49 AM

If you don't have any other live plants in the tank then a little algae is a good thing. It's helping remove the nitrogen that the bacteria are unable to do. The primary causes are high nitrates (poor bacteria growth) high lighting and overcleaning. What type of filtration do you have? I have both active bottom filters and a large HOB. I don't have very good lighting (one little 22 watt flouro) in a 20 gal and still have a little bit of greenery on my rocks. It's helping to keep my nites at near 0.
Plecos aren't technically algae eaters. They eat algae when there isn't anything else for them to eat.

Snails and a good bacteria culture are the best choice for living algae control but with your fish I would think you may have a hard time keeping them from being eaten. A good way to help that is to have a lot and keep lots of little nooks that can harbor the lil buggers so they can lay eggs and reproduce.

Oh... Where in the tank is the algae growing? The substrate, the glass? Having a band of algae just under the surface of the substrate is perfectly normal, especially with an active bottom filter.
Unless it's totally out of hand, I wouldn't worry about it.

Peace...
John

oOOOo · 04-21-2008, 10:10 AM

Another avenue of exploration is to refine your choice of algae eater. Pretty much everything I read about CHINESE algae eaters (CAEs) is negative - with that fish-sucker behavior very high on the list of fishy no-no's. Whereas what I read about SIAMESE algae eaters (SAEs) is good. Haven't acquired my own SAEs yet, still working with Otocinclus cats. And trying to figure out the difference between SAEs and Flying Foxes...

Note that I have seen Petco label SAEs as CAEs, no doubt the reverse is possible as well. CAEs and SAEs are similiar. Know the difference before bringing any home.

Additionally, I have also slowly come to understand that an algae eater or two of whatever flavor(s) is(are) not likely to be a magical solution to algae. One element in an organized counter-offensive, yes. Panacea, no.

Another mistake to avoid IME: getting impatient and doing a chemical algae kill. 'Cause then your AEs of whatever variety have nothing to eat ... until the algae re-appears.

ian2mic · 04-21-2008, 10:42 PM

Thanks for all the replies. I have a regular hang on the back filter and also a marineland canister filter. I do have a few plants although one type that I had 4 of has dwindled down to 1. I've always used some sort of algae eating fish and it's worked great so that's why I'm sort of freaking out coz it's only been a few weeks without it and there's algae on the decorations and the gravel. It's not out of control, it's just not pretty

I don't like it! I guess I will worry more about it if it gets worse.

No, I would never use chemicals. I understand the bacteria processes going on especcially since I laboriously got the darn thing cycled so I wouldn't think of killing all that and starting over again.

FYI, I don't think I have a recent pic posted of this 55G, so I wouldn't bother looking at my pics

Kevman · 04-22-2008, 06:44 AM

I've tried Otocinculus Cats, and I have a pretty good amount of snails.. The best way to get a hole on Algae is to limit your lights to 7 hours a day, and use a razor blade to scrape the glass..