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Many aquariasts, upon keeping tropical, highly lit tanks,
often encounter one of the scourges of fish keeping, algae!
Suddenly, its scrubbing and washing and vaccuuming, trying
to be rid of that infernal green (or brown or black or red or that lovely white stuff that looks like a stags horns), and the tempers flare and
jaws tense and then it is decided.....off to the local fish store for an
algae eater.

Now, one gets into the fish store and looks around helplessly,
what fish could possibly fit the need? Sure there are your
Chinese Algae Eaters (suspiciously only labelled as Algae Eaters),
then theres your Plecos, and your Cyprinids of all sorts, and then
too are the shrimps and the snails who also are purported to eat algae.

So then, which do you pick? I hope to help enlighten by providing a little info on the more common "algae eaters" found in the pet and fish stores across the country.

The most common by far is the reknowned Chinese Algae Eater...
one thinks, wow, so good is this fish at eating algae that it is only usually called an "Algae Eater". So, is this fish the one we have been dreaming of to save us from our algae woes?
Alas, it is not. The name is very intriguing, and mostly a misnomer. The chinese algae eater is not, by nature, an algae eater. It is not even by nature an herbivore at all, but an omnivore that, as it ages, leans heavily towards the carnivorous side.
Yes, but you say, these fish as young fish indeed eat algae, and yes indeed they do. They heartily work at eating as much algae as they can and grow rapidly. Then suddenly, your cute little sucker faced algae eater morphs into an 8-11 inch behemoth who, sick of algae and craving fresh meat, turns on its tank mates and you find them eaten, or worse - you dont find them at all. So, we pass the fish by and say, well, I dont need a fish who will grow to 11 inches and eat live fish! Heck no!

Next, we turn to the also equally as common Pleco group. Many of the larger species, are also just labelled "algae eaters", such as the goliath Hypostomus/Gibbiceps "Common Pleco", of which some species may reach as much as 18-24 inches! And does this fellow eat algae - indeed he eats some algae, but he too is an omnivore, and when little, yes he will clean your tank spotless, but as he grows large, your tank no longer provides enough nutrients, and he needs more meatier foods.
And again, you have to deal with the impending issue of what to do with this 8 inch....12 inch.....18 inch behemoth when he is no longer of use or outgrows your tank - as certainly for a common pleco nothing shy of 125 gallons will do. Not just that, but they poop like crazy! A single 8 inch pleco can produce more poop than 12 4 inch cichlids!

So, we turn to the smaller members of this family, many of which are very colorful and highly prized. Amongst many of these dwarf plecos who mainly are carnivorous or eat wood mainly by nature (clown plecos, tiger peckoltia, etc), we find a few gems. The Bristlenose Pleco, and his Ancistrid cousins....many of which excell at eating algae throughout their whole lives.
The Bristlenose/Bushynose/Medusa/Starry Eyed wonders they are, range from 4-8 or so inches, depending on variety, and all chow algae down with zeal! Devouring so much algae in fact, that the BN Pleco must indeed take at least 3rd place for the very best algae eaters of all!
Again, space constraints considered, and the fact that these fish are quite poopy as their larger cousins too, a BN pleco could be kept in any tank 15 gallons or larger, provided you have a 4 inch variety, with larger tanks being suitable for the rest.

So again, having discovered a great algae eater, we move on and peruse some more. A quick glance spots these tiny little critters that look like their larger cousins the Plecos, and see they are called Otocinclus catfish, or just Otos, for short. They are adorable and small, suited for any small space. They too enjoy and thrive on an almost 100% algae diet.
A trio of these could easily enjoy a 10g tank, even a pair would do wonders in a 5g. Just remember, a little voice says, that Otos should be supplemented with the occassional meaty treat, in case the algae runs low, and oh yeah....they are one of the hardest fish to acclimate and transport. Less than 50% of the otos sold in stores actually survive being put into new tanks. Highly recommend if you want to have 3 that you buy twice that number, and hope 3 will survive. The drip method of acclimation over several hours is the best way. Otos should also only be put into a tank rich with algae, or they can actually starve. When stocking a tank, they are recommended to be your very final additional, long after your tank has cycled and aged and developed a nice algae store. If not for the Otos extreme sensitivity, it perhaps would tie with the BN pleco for the 3rd spot on the list of the top algae eating fish.

Moving on again we see some snails. Aha! Snails eat algae! Yes,
most snails do eat some algae. However, most prefer either live, or rotting and decaying plant matter over algae, and many will thrive entirely on meaty diets! Sure, they may be blue and yellow and black and all the colors of the rainbow, and indeed make a wonderful addition to most tanks, they cannot be expected to keep a tank clean of algae, or even make a noticeable difference!

Passing these by, we spot the shrimp. We see one in particular labelled
"Amano Shrimp" or "Japanese Algae Eating Shrimp", and we think woohooo, we have alighted upon a fabulous looking, fascinating critter that eats algae! And indeed they do, with zeal! For a small, or even nano- tank with heavy light and lots of algae, Amano shrimp can be the one critter you can depend on to meticulously keep it free of algae.
For larger tanks however, you would need to keep an immense number of these to keep the tank clean, and remember - if it can fit in a fishes mouth, it will be eaten. Many fish relish shrimp! So, best to keep them in smaller tanks with small fish that wont eat your prized Amanos!
Also, ghost shrimp, while being smaller, also do a very good job of keeping small and nano tanks not algae-free, but with less algae to be seen.

Next, we pass into the realm of the livebearing fishes. What you say? There is no fish to be had in this section that will fit our need, is there?
Why yes! There is actually 2! Well more, but you will see.
The first that grabs our eye is the common Molly fish. Take a look at the Mollies lips? They are designed to scrape algae off rocks and logs! The molly is a busy little fish, forever munching down anything it can find, including algae. These fish are suitable for most tanks where they wont be eaten, and most tanks that are large enough. Most mollies grow to be 3 inches, and some, like the sailfins, as much as 6 inches or even more in big old males. The only downside to these fish is that they can be sensitive, depending on the species, so much so that some people insist on keeping them in brackish water, which, while not necessary, will often result in healthier, longer lived fish. The key to molly keeping is super clean water ....so remember, keep up on your water changes, and keep those nitrAtes below 40ppm to keep your mollies looking their best!

The second livebearer that we see is the American/Florida Flagfish.
It looks kind of like a molly, kind of like a platy, but is smaller and more colorful. They are also one of the most excellent algae eating fish on the planet, suitable for most tanks, including nano-tanks. The only concern is on caution mixing them with certain fish. Flagfish are notorious fin nippers, so should not be mixed with any fish that have long flowing fins of any kind- like guppies, bettas, angelfish, gouramis, and the like.
Again, if your tank supports them, and youve no long finned fish, then the Florida Flagfish could be for you.

As we continue to peruse the pet store, we spot off in the corner 2 more fish that might fill our need, and these fish have to take the #1 and #2 spot on the top algae eaters list.
The first one we encounter is a long, slender lady...a quick glance would leave you feeling as though you had encountered a stick or twig. This is the reason that the Twig Catfish gets its name! The Farlowella Catfish (farlowella acus), is a long, pencil thin fish, with a round sucker mouth and tall fin. Its cousin, the royal farlowella, sports a fin so large, its been called the king of the whiptail catfish! The common farlowella, is much smaller. It is a shy, reclusive fish, growin to about 5-8 inches in length, and not gaining much more girth than a #2 pencil. These fish are tireless workers, always munching algae. They are small and capable of working in the smallest, tightest fitting areas, and are peaceful, and mix well with most fish - assuming they wont be eaten.
Most fish ignore them, as they do look much like a peice of driftwood.
They are remarkable algae eaters....the one I had cleaned my 25g tank of algae in less than 24 hours.....what would have even taken a BN pleco a week or more to clean off.
The only downfall is that the farlowella can easily starve to death if not provided with enough food. To counter that, drop in algae wafers, spirulina wafers/flakes, and even fresh veggies like zuchinni and cucumber and squash in after lights out. Stocking levels suggest 1 farlowella per approximately 25-30 gallons, simply to provide them with enough food.
Beware netting your farlowella, hes so stiff he could break! The best way to move this fish is by sliding your fingers down its back, and grasping it just in front of the tail, and carefully removing the fish slowly without bending him. Pop her in the bag or bucket etc. This will prevent damage to your long thin fish. Remember - hes got scales like armor, your touch wont hurt him so long as your fingers are clean and damp, and your grip is feather light. The farlowella is indeed, our #2 contender for the best algae eater ever.

Turning away from the Twig Cat, we move onto our final fish.
We spot them, they are about 6 inches long, sharky looking, bronze on top, white bellied, and with a dramatic black stripe that travels from snout tip to tail fork. The stripe upon close inspection looks like a checkerboard egde, nothing straight to it. The fish has short whiskers on its face, and enjoys swimming with its companions with no squabbling, except over the occassional algae encrusted leaf.
This fish is the Siamese Algae Eater. They are probably the most confused fish in the aquarium trade...with Flying Foxes (Epalzeorhynchus Kallopterus), Stone Lapping Barbs (garra cambodgiensis),and even our grouchy old friend the Chinese Algae eater, all being called SAE's all over the place.
But there is only one true SAE, species Crosscheilus Siamensis.
These fish are cyprinids, and look much like their more colorful cousin the Denisoni barb, and much like their larger cousins, the Bala Shark.
Being a schooling fish, and being 6 inches at maturity, it is suggested to stock no less than 2 SAE in your tank, and provide at least 55g minimum of space.
If your tank matches these criteria, youre set.
SAE's not only eat your garden variety green algaes, but they also devour hair, beard, bush, staghorn, red, thread algaes, and even diatoms!
They can scour a tank clean when other algae eaters will turn up their nose!
This wins the top spot on our list of algae eaters, for being the hardest working, most efficient, and least disciminate of all the algae eaters!
Also, probably the best looking too.

So, to summarize, when looking for a primo algae eater, heres the list of the top ones, just choose the one that you like best and suits your tank best!

#1 Siamese Algae Eater
#2 Farlowella Acus
#3 Bristlenose Pleco/ Otocinclus Tie
#4 Florida/American Flag Fish
#5 Mollies
#6 Amano Shrimp / Ghost Shrimp
way down at the bottom - Snails.

Worst Algae Eater Ever:
Chinese Algae Eater - omnvirous, large, aggressive, territorial, and a known piscivore reach 8-11 inches. My Suggestion - leave em in the store, and best yet, tell the clerks this fish is large and unsuitable for the chore they sell it for.

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That is an excellent article on algae eaters sneaky!
that should definately be pinned.

Lots of interesting information especially for beginners who are having lots of problems with algae in their tanks and dont know what to do about it.

---

Truth doesn't always win friends but it influences them

I also find it an extremly interesting paper well done.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

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Keith

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Very nice article!

Here is a link so tell some of them apart.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

That is a great article sneaky! If you want some pictures of some of the algae eaters to put on there, I have one of an otto and one of a bristlenose. They are my personal pictures so you don't have to worry about copyrights or anything. I'm not sure you want pictures, but I thought I'd offer!

Its great!

*Kristin*

Nice job.

Some minor criticisms I have are:

[1] The Florida Flag Fish, Jordanella floridae, is actually a Killie, not a livebearer. It lays eggs.

[2] Among the other livebearers you could have included (and which were very popular here in the UK until the Bristlenose Plecs appeared on the scene) are members of the Genus Limia. One or two of which have the added attraction of being pretty to look at. Limias are excellent algae eaters, but sadly are now incredibly rare in the hobby, far rarer than they ought to be.

[3] I'd put the Siamese Algae Eater down as the number one choice for decent sized aquaria. I bought two of these in 1999 to deal with a hair alga outbreak. Which, to their eternal credit, they utterly nuked. The only problem was that they grew ... mine went from tiny 1 inch specimens to four and a half inches in about six weeks. Now yes, Ihad a lot of algae for them to graze upon at the time, which probably contributed to their spectacular growth. But I would NOT recommend Siamese Algae Eaters for small aquaria. For these, I'd recommend Otocinclus.

When Adam gets around to resurrecting the Articles section, my Otocinclus article should help avoid some of the acclimatisation woes that many people face.

[4] Otocinlus aren't the only small Loricariids around - they just happen to be the ones you see in the shops. if you can find them, other small and efficient algae eating Loricariids include Parotocinclus maculicauda, which has lovely bright red pectorals to brighten up your tank (why this fisn isn't more ofter seen beats me), and the Hypoptopoma species, which I can only conclude are missing from the hobby because few people can get their tongue around the scientific name! Track these fishes down, and snap them up when available, because they're lovely little fishes, good algae eaters and suitable for a modest sized aquarium.

It simply remains, however, to say well done, and commend you on an article that is a creditable effort. I'll give it an A-, but only because you dropped a minor clanger over the Flag Fish!

PS : having had to edit this 3 times for minor typos, don't make the same mistake I just did and post without previewing


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Cali!
Thank you for the very useful criticism!
My first "article" so to speak!
Thanks for the corrections!
I actually didnt know flag fish were a killie!
Wow! Geez! Well, now I know!
Im pretty sure I did mention in there that SAE were
only suitable for tanks 55g and up!
Ive never seen any Limia here either! Didnt know they ate algae!
Anyway thanks for comments and criticism! Espescially useful !


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Glad to be of service.

If you can get hold of a copy (Amazon.com usually has a couple of second hand ones on offer) the venerable Innes book, despite being 70 years old or more, is still a valuable reference source, even though it omits some of the species we're now familiar with because they weren't around in his day. Not only does it give the reader a compelling insight into how far the hobby has progressed since his day when you compare it with modern texts, it still contains much advice of value that has remained timelessly valid. Use this as one of your research tools and you'll wonder how you ever managed without it. It's got to the stage now in my case where the first thing I do when someone mentions a fish species that sounds vaguely familiar is dig out the venerable Innes book (shouldn't be long before VIB is included in the FishProfiles acronyms ), and chances are that if it isn't in there, a related species that provides some useful pointers will be. For example, Cochu's Blues aren't in there, but two relatives called Glandulocauda inequalis and Mimagoniates microlepis (the latter being known in innes' day as the "Blue Tetra" are featured, and possess peculiarities that prove to be helpful when considering the maintenance of Cochu's Blues. These two characins, by the way, are still puzzling with respect to their breeding, because it's possible that they engage in internal fertilisation, though there appears to be no anatomical feature allowing this to happen ... a conunudrum that is still, in all probability, teasing aquarists and scientists alike to this day ...

As for algae eaters, Innes mentioned that Otocinclus die off like flies if kept in bare aquaria way back in the late 1930s, and that if they're kept in aquaria with algae present while awaiting sale, their survival rates are much higher. Wonder why it took some people in the wholesale business 70 years to wake up to this?

Among the Limia species, Innes devotes pages to individual species descriptions of Limia caudofasciata (the "Blue Limia", Limia tricolor, Limia nigrofasciata (The "Humpback Limia, whose males develop a humped back but compensates for this change i shape by acquiring a sail-like dorsal, for all the world like a cut down version of a latipinna Molly), and Limia vittata. There are actually 21 valid Limia species recognised by Fishbase, several of which are brackish fishes. The following is a list of valid Limia species (those annotated with a "*" are brackish fishes):

Limia caymanensis *
Limia dominicensis
Limia fuscomaculata
Limia garnieri
Limia grossidens
Limia heterandria
Limia immaculata
Limia melanogaster
Limia melanotaenia
Limia miragoanensis
Limia ornata
Limia pauciradiata
Limia perugiae
Limia rivasi *
Limia sulphurophila
Limia tridens
Limia versicolor
Limia vittata *
Limia yaguajali
Limia zonata

Innes' old Limia caudofasciatia has been moved to Poecilia, while Limia tricolor is now considered to be the same species as Poecilia (formerly Limia) caudofasciata.

Some photos of these fishes are of interest:

Limia heterandria

Limia melanogaster

Limia nigrofasciata

Limia perugiae

Limia sulphurophila

Limia tridens

Limia vittata

One of the stranger aspects of the taxonomic situation is that while the former species caudofasciata and tricolor have been merged, and furthermore moved into Poecilia, Innes' illustrations depict them as visually distinct fishes, and furthermore Innes cites that tricolor will hybridise with Limia nigrofasciata ... make of that what you will!

Incidentally, these fishes tend to do best in alkaline conditions, and this may be a reason why they fell out of favour in aquaria containing South American fishes that like soft, acidic water, though the Limias are fairly adaptable. Give them a pH of around 7.5, and moderate hardness, and they fare very well indeed, usually reproducing at a fair rate of knots, and if given vegetable matter in the diet, doing so even more vigorously!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Just bumping this thread up again to be visible to newcomers.
Perhaps it could be pinned somewhere to avoid loss.


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You might want to consider adding a couple more algae eating fish to this list...Variatus platys and Ruby/Rainbow Sharks. I currently have or have kept both fish, and they're constantly eating algae between feedings.

Eric

Rainbow sharks dont really eat algae.
They eat small microscopic organisms that live
in the algae.
Platies eat a little algae, but not enough
for me to really consider them high quality algae
eaters.


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Well hmm... where to begin.
First of all yes it is a good general artical but i believe a few things could be added to it. First thing that come to mind is that not one particular kind of algae eater is go to help with all types of algae. Perhaps putting them in categories. For instance mollies, flag fish are really only good for hair algae.

Also you could point out that bristle nose pleckos are not above stripping the outer lay off plant leaves, not to mention the fact that they really should have some drift wood to snack on.

Oh and also I believe Ameca Splendens should be added to the list of great algae eater for hair and black beard algae.

Also expand on the invert section a bit Atyopsis sp. of shrimp and fresh water clams are some of the few critters that can help with algae suspended in the water.

I believe you should stress that there are no better algae preventer than good tank maintenance, the right light spectrum and time left on(no sun light either) and to make sure that your water source does not contain nitrates,phosphates or silicates.

Fishbase.org, and first hand experience, shows Rainbow sharks do eat algae...not just the organisms in it. I've kept true SAEs, and the feeding habits, and constant rasping activities, of these fish is very similar.

Also, I agree Maculatus platys don't eat a significant amount of algae, but my Variatus platys seem much more intent on picking algae throughout the day. As a long term shrimp keeper, Variatus platys eat signficantly more algae than ghost shrimp and are easily on par with Amano shrimp. On your original list, I'd place them just below Mollies.

Eric

I have never noticed my rainbow shark
actually eating algae.
Nor the one I had before.
Interesting observations Big E.


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I'm not alone on the Ruby shark eating algae observation front...here's one of my favorite long time fish keepers observations on them (down near the bottom of this link): http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/fishes/loaches.shtml

His quote on their feeding habits is this: "In their home waters they rasp at the biofilm, without getting the kind of credit that goes to Siamese Algae Eaters, and they relish a pretty constant supplement of spinach and other greens, as well as sinking spirulina wafers."

Quite a few other sites list them as needing a significant herbivorous side to their diet...they really color up if given enough green matter, and like many algae eaters in your list (amano shrimp, SAEs, Flag Fish, Mollies) they'll jump at flake or pellets as much as they will at algae.

OK, I'm done beating a dead horse now, but I do feel these fish are misunderstood...

Eric

Interesting article there!
Thanks for posting it!
I still havent noticed my Rainbow shark eating
algae, but he definitely chows down on Zuchinni
and other fresh veggies. Perhaps if his food
options were move limited he would eat more algae,
I dont know.
Perhaps it also depends on the individual personality
of the fish....I also have an otto that wont
touch algae (or the wafers), and feeds almost exclusively on shrimp pellets. Strange little creature.
Well, just like people, each fish is unique!


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That is one odd oto! Mine are ceaseless warriors in the battle against algae. In contrast, and not really too surprising, my clown pleco loves algae waffers but won't touch the real thing (as far as I know).

Where would you throw the Chaetostoma (rubberlip/bulldog) plecos in your list? I've only had one, but he was quite the algae hog...much like a bristlenose but smaller.

Eric