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well i had a 40 gallon with like 6-7 fish in it but downgraded b/c i have almost no time in my scedual for that much maintnence and my pleco's died so i now have good 20 gallon tanks with 1 rummy nose 2 platys 4 mollies and 1 betta (bettas real nice to every one) and i just wantd to know what are sum good algea eaters that will do a good job like the plecos but but wont over crowed the tanks? amy ideas? thanks.

>>>>>>a learning experience as an aquarist can be fun but you must be ready to take and obey advice and criticism but most of all be patient<<<<<<<

1st_signer

A very good algae is the Siamese Algae Eater.

What ever you do dont get a Chinese Algae Eater it will take a liking to all your fish as it gets older.

Keith

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so itl try to eat them? ok but i need a better alge disposer my mollies seem to like it but they cany do it them selfs

>>>>>>a learning experience as an aquarist can be fun but you must be ready to take and obey advice and criticism but most of all be patient<<<<<<<

Otocinclus are also good at munching and you could easily have up to 5 in a 20 gal. SAE will grow to about 6 inches so 1 is all I would put in a 20 gal tank. SAE are also harder to identify so if you do decide to get one study the difference between the CAE, false siamese algae eater and the flying fox. Just curious, do you have an algae problem?

what does evry one think about snails b/c my buddy recomended those?

>>>>>>a learning experience as an aquarist can be fun but you must be ready to take and obey advice and criticism but most of all be patient<<<<<<<

I know you want to add more fish (as we all do!) but in a 20g you really are limited. I think snails would add more waste than do good.
How about cleaning the algae? If its on the glass you've only got to wipe it off. What sort of algae is is? Brown, green, stringy? Algae presence can be reduced by looking at your water quality etc.

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Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

yea im tryinfg to stay under my limmit but its like brownish algea that grows on it and i just want like 2 more fish my betta died of old age today so im down to 4 mollies, 2 paltys and 1 rummy nose tetra (which should drop any day now to b/c its kinda old also) but iwant sum fish for it b/c the alge grows on the decorations and the like glass but does anyone know if replacing the subtrate has any affect on that b/c i wanna get rid of the chezzy colorful rocks and all fine gravel or sand

>>>>>>a learning experience as an aquarist can be fun but you must be ready to take and obey advice and criticism but most of all be patient<<<<<<<

a bristlenose pleco will take care of most of the brown algae for you. Be sure to use bottom feeder tablet food when there is no visible aglae for it to eat. BN's often die of starvation because people dont realise its not getting food.
Change the substrate before you add anything else to the tank.

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Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

will sand do good in fresh water tank? beacuse i also want grvel and i kinda want a better idea im still an ameture i need lots of help i raised gold fish when i was young and that was wrong even then i didnt know that my tank was to small for them or what the white spots on them where i really apreciate this guys thanks for all the help

>>>>>>a learning experience as an aquarist can be fun but you must be ready to take and obey advice and criticism but most of all be patient<<<<<<<

Sand is fine in a freshwater tank, just don't get coral sand, aragonite sand, or any other sand with calcium carbonate, which will buffer the water and raise the pH.

You have to be careful with sand. Sand can compact and cement together, forming anaerobic pockets (no oxygen) which accumulate toxic gases such as hydrogen sulfide. To prevent this, you must regularly mix the sand if it is any thicker than a couple millimeters. My experience is that most bottom feeders actually don't dig past the very top layer.

You'll also want to watch out for any power filter; a power filter that takes in sand can have their impeller cut up by sand that enters it, so if your power filter intake is near the bottom you may have to raise it a little so that it's a few inches away from the sand. Cleaning sand with a gravel siphon is also a bit trickier, because the sand is lighter so it is more likely to get sucked up.

Also, you can't really mix sand with gravel; eventually the gravel moves to the top and the sand trickles down, so if you have them together you just end up with gravel on top and you can't even see the sand.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

well gravel is probly the easiest chose then b/c red white green and purple graved got on my nerves after the firtst 2 day of having it and the sand requires alot of maintenence and the reason this thread is up is b/c i dont have time

>>>>>>a learning experience as an aquarist can be fun but you must be ready to take and obey advice and criticism but most of all be patient<<<<<<<

well, I had what I thought looked like a major algae bloom in my tank, a 29gal. My pleco had passed so I was lookin for a newe one. I got a small bristlenosed pleco and within 2 days she had the walls clean and was working on the bottom.

Lindys right don't forget to feed them once they've cleaned the tank! An supplement to algae discs is some thawed veggies. I like feeding frozen peas that have been thawed and had their outer shell removed. You can also try a leaf of lettuce tied to a small rock or piece of wood. Just be sure to remove any leftovers after a few hours and feed them something fresh the next time.


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