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wat is better for eatting algae

Voted: Plecos
For those who can't read the choices, highlight them. You should fix that chris.
Back to fish, although it depends on the species, I think plecos are all-around better for algae. Although some like zebras don't touch the stuff, most species do.

when u vote u can see the choices. i am talking about a common pelco.

a, ok then my vote stays, but you should fix it up so they can see it on the screen. I'm edit it to specify what kind of plec. and change the color. Black on black doesn't look too good.

This poll is too vague. Some plecos are algae eaters, and a lot of them aren't. Some species will only resort to eating algae if there is no other food available, such as clown plecos.

And "algae eaters" as a choice does not make any sense, because obviously since not all "pelcos" as you put it are algae eaters, the ones that are algae eaters would fit in with both categories. And since all "algae eaters" theoretically eat algae and not all plecos do, that must mean that the "algae eaters" are better (and I'm assuming that by "better" you mean "eats more algae"].

If by "algae eaters" you mean SAEs or CAEs (or any of the other algae-eating Cypriniformes), then you need to specify which, because they are completely different fish. SAEs are peaceful fish that do a better job at clearing a tank of algae than any pleco could, while CAEs are footlong fish with monsterous personalities, and they only browse on algae when they are young.

As my last point, I will explain that not all algae eaters are the same. SAEs are good algae eaters, but generally they prefer hair and black brush algae, which are very difficult for humans to deal with. They only eat regular green algae when there is none of their preferred types available. Bristlenose plecos, however, which are probably the most algae-hungry of the Loricariids, will not touch hair or black brush algae. Instead, they only eat the soft green algae that is easy for aquarists to remove. Algae eaters should never be used to "clean" an aquarium. Before adding a fish to a tank with an algae problem, it would be smarter to find out what is causing the algae and to fix it.

Please put more thought and research into your polls before creating more like this.




Last edited by Cory Addict at 10-May-2005 21:30

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

I found that my common pleco did a right fine job on both algae and snail control

heidi michelle

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Common P-L-E-C-Os (yes, I'm anal retentive, but "pelco" just sounds odd) make great algae eaters throughout life.

Both CAE & common Plecos are good Algae eaters. I had a CAE that cleaned my tank from Algae in 24 hours.



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i just heard that the CAG when large are very agressive.

None of the above.
I have no idea what type of "Algae Eater" you are referring to.
For my money, best algae eater around is the Farlowella Catfish (farlowella acus).


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I've no experience with algae eaters but do have a pleco. He does quite well controlling any algae growth in the tank. We did have an algae eater in the tank when I was little, but that was about 20 or so years ago and I don't remember. Also, you really should fix it so people can see what the choices are before they reply.

Chinese algae eaters do get aggressive as they age, and they usually stop eating algae as well. CAEs have been known to latch on to other fish with their sucker mouths, not letting go at all. They're definitely not a good choice for an "algae eater", if you want it to serve peacefully in that capacity.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

I have no idea where they recieved this "don;t eat algae after they grow" reputation. They are not vegetarians in the first place. Being detritus feeders, they will only eat algae when given no other choice. That being said, though, the koi pond is spotless, and I assume a large part of the credit should go to the trio of CAEs in the pond, all of which are around 6-8"