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I have a ten gal, with some guppies and a ADF. I have heard that the chinese alage eaters are good... alage eaters. My parents say to get a common pelco. But those both get large and agressive. Ottos stay small and are peaceful, but I've heard that they arn't good alagea eaters. (Except the brown stuff) Would they work better in groups? What is a good, common, algea eater? I have green algea.

If pets are so stupid, how did they weasel free room and board out of us?

i think common plecos are best, but like you said in a 10 gallon a 20 + inch fish isn't going to work, and generally the fancy"er" plecos dont tend to get the job done.

if you tank wasn't so full a mollie would be an ok algae eatter, but if it was up to me, given your tank size, 3 ottos should be good

given you dont have too many guppies in the tank.

i wouldn't got with a SAE as they will get into the bigger range for a 10 gallon and CAE will just be horrible in a tank like that.

Depends on the type of algae.

I dont think there is any fish that will eat all types of algae. I have 5 ottos in my 11g Betta tank. The best advice is to control the algae before it gets a hold.

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Keith

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Green algae isn't very descriptive. Do you have flat spots, short fuzzy patches, long strands, or how about this stuff I'm calling green goo. It makes a bubbly green layer over everything. Odd stuff and prefers to stick together floating plants or leaves that are close to the surface of the water. I need to get a picture.

My otos ate everything that showed up in my tank but the mysterious green goo which the guppies actually seem to enjoy and spot algae. There isn't much that eats spot algae. It's too hard and flat on the glass.

I would add a Snail.

Otos need to stay in schools & Algae Eaters need a bigger tank than a 10 gal.

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It doesn't look like slime of any type, just flat, green stuff clinging to the tank, and yeah, I figured that the two larger algea eaters wouldn't work, but I really don't want to get a snail... Some carry disease, and although some are hard to get to reproduce, I can see 3 snails one day... and a month later, 20 small ones... Also, The fact that I see the guppies picking at the algea, (not really getting rid of alot of it) Do they just like algea, or are they lacking somthing in their diet?

If pets are so stupid, how did they weasel free room and board out of us?

Guppies eat anything and will pick at most types of green algae. The large snails like applesnails cannot live on algae alone. So many starve to death in tanks because the stores sell them as algae eaters or even worse say they eat fish poop. In fact the little ones that would fit in a 10g are mostly carnivorous and while they'll eat some vegetables and scrape algae in passing they do not grow or survive well without a heavily meaty diet. Frozen food is best but any fish foods are good. Snails also eat alot of food so just leaving them to clean up leftovers all the time isn't going to be good for their health either. Small snails like red ramshorns do make good algae eaters but it's hard to control their population unlike the applesnails and they may take over the tank given there is lots of food.

Yeah, that is pretty much why I shy away from snails...

If pets are so stupid, how did they weasel free room and board out of us?

Well, definetly by far in my opinion the very best algae eater is the Siamese Algae Eater.
However, not only do they grow to 6 inches, but they
also are schooling fish, not a good choice for a 10g.

Ottos are very very very good at eating green algae.
I have never found ottos touch the brown stuff though.

For a 10g tank there are really 4 choices I can think of:

Amano Shrimp - the true japanese algae eating shrimp.
A group of 2-3 would do well in your tank.

Snail - apple snails are also very good at eating algae, and do not reproduce asexually. They come in many types and colors, including the giant columbian ramshorn, which is actually an apple snail. Japanese trapdoor snails also eat algae and also do not reproduce asexually.

Ottos - small and agile, great algae eaters for a small tank. Espescially good for the soft green type of algae.
A group of 3 would do well in your tank.

American/Florida Flag fish. This fish is small, attractive, and a fabulous algae eater. A single individual or a pair would do well- though they have been known to be slightly nippy.

Chinese Algae eaters are a very poor choice. Not only are they not algae eaters by nature but actually omnivores leaning to the carnivorous side, they grow to 8-11 inches and a very aggressive and territorial as adults. Not a fish for a community, nor for a tank under 55 gallons. And a very lousy algae eater.

Common plecos are not aggressive, but grow very large, from 12-24 inches depending the species.
There are no real small plecos suited for a 10g tank.
All are too messy and either grow too big, or require too much space and they poo a ton.


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I think some inverts would be your best bet, but I have had problums with my applesnails eating my guppies. If you don't go with ottos, go with the shrimp

A Brittle nose or a rubber lipped pleco might work too.

Inky

Apple Snails dont generally eat fish, unless
they have died or are very sickly.


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I'd recommend a Rubber Lip Pleco
http://www.planetcatfish.com/scripts/clog_link.php?q=chaetostoma+cf_thomsoni Chaetostoma cf. Thomsoni (L187b)
http://img101.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rl230march20068kh.jpg
or
http://www.planetcatfish.com/scripts/clog_link.php?q=chaetostoma+nudirostre Chaetostoma nudirostre (L188)
http://img117.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rl130march20065lv.jpg

Both are small adult size 4" and great at cleaning algae. I wouldn't put more than one in a 10 Gallon tank, I have two in a 40 gal. breeder

- j

So_Very_Sneaky: I had perfectlly healthy fish I had bought them from a store that I trust and they were doing very well before I added my snail. Adult applesnails have been known to corner guppies and attack, at least thats what I was told when I posted about it awhile back (I didn't think they could do that) Some apples will eat anything they can get, at least that is my experience with them.

I agree that a rubber lipped pleco or an otto would go good in your tank if you don't go with shrimp


Inky

Well gosh man,
I have kept huge apple snails and never
once have they ever "cornered and attacked"
a guppy.
Mine lived very happily with guppies and guppy
fry until it simply outgrew my tank and I gave
it away.
Same with all 3 that I had.
I have never heard of a snail trapping a fish.
Snails are too slow and fish too fast - usually.


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Applesnails do not eat live fish. Not even newborn fry. I doubt they could even eat a sick fish, unless it was paralyzed and very near death. Snails don't have teeth. They have what's called a radula, which rasps/scrapes things. What healthy fish would allow a snail to rasp it to death without simply swimming away?

I've kept them for years with guppies, and ended up with... a ton of guppies.