best algae eater?

[BikBok]

what's a good algae eating fish?

I was thinking of getting 3 ottos to put in my 160L community tank but not adverse to cory or flyign fox.. although the fox might get a little too big

they need to get on with guppys, kuhli, dwarf gourami and a single rainbow shark.

Any suggestions or advice?

I don't want a bristlenose becuase the last two bothered the kuhli loaches and they're a lot happier without the BNs.

I do have malaysian trumpet snails which i'm trying to weed out, and a few ramshorns (the ones that survive the femalle fighter)

[Southerrrngirrl]

Ottos I believe are good algae eaters but sensitive to water conditions so need to be added to a well established and well maintained tank.

I've read that Rainbow Sharks will take offence to anything of a similar shape to them. This would make sense since they are both from the Cyprinidae family and Epalzeorhynchos genus. Flying Foxes are also apparently quite aggressive so this might not be a good idea.

As far as I'm aware corys do not eat algae.

So looks like you either wait until your tank is well established and add some Otocinclus or employ an algae scraper on a regular basis

[firefish]

My rainbow shark is in with 2 siamese algae eaters. They don't fight. The SAEs were good at eating algae when they were young but less interested now they're older.

The only thing i've had my rainbow shark fight with was my red tailed black shark. The other shark was in the tank for up to an hour while I emptyed his tank and moved it.

[Zev]

Jordanella Floridae is supposed to be a good algae eater - it is a killifish - don't know about jumping habits, though.

[Nymox]

algae eater killi! I need to get some algae eaters myself, want a rare plec for the large tank and ar380 needs one too, could be a Jordanella Floridae in there one day then, fingers crossed.

[phoenix44]

I know the american flagfish devour BBA.

[SamH]

My young BNs seem to eat a little bit of algae, the guppies you gave me are having a good go at it too.

[Moya]

Apparently black lyretail mollies are partial to algae, though ive never actually owned any myself, and would guess they weren't as ruthless towards it as the flying fox, which are my all time favourite. They remind me of bunnies! Their noses are all rounded and constantly wriggling, they're so cute.

[BikBok]

Apparently black lyretail mollies are partial to algae, though ive never actually owned any myself, and would guess they weren't as ruthless towards it as the flying fox, which are my all time favourite. They remind me of bunnies! Their noses are all rounded and constantly wriggling, they're so cute.

that sounds cute Moya!

but think I might wait till the tank is well established and try Ottos.

[Jennifer]

Hands down Siamese algae eaters are one of the best algae eaters around. The others like otos, BNs, CAE etc, are cute but they don't eat near as much algae. So it comes down to how much algae you need eaten.

Yes SAE can grow quite large but many shops are happy to swap them out as they get to large.

HTH

[Moya]

that sounds cute Moya!

It really is! Ottos are pretty cute too though. I had a school of them a while back and they would all trip round the tank together and then all land on this little rocky outcrop, all pointing the same way next to each other, and then take off again and land 5 mins later. Like little fighter bombers. They'd do this all day. They're very sweet and graceful looking when they perch on things too, resting on their pectoral fins.

Like southerrngirrl said though, they are rather sensitive to water conditions. Mine didn't last too well, due to the copious water changes I do on my young discus.

[johnny]

Hands down Siamese algae eaters are one of the best algae eaters around

Have to agree

[BikBok]

ok, I'm a bit confused between Siamese algae eater and a flying fox , these are different fish right? .. and if they are different - which is better and why?

are they compatible with a rainbow shark, dwarf gourami, guppy, kuhli, female betta?

I would still like a small group of Ottos but am beginning to wonder if I'm up to keeping such a sensitive fish - just how sensitive are they? what are their needs?? I do fortnightly 25% Water changes and 10-20% on the offweek - more or less depending on nitrate levels etc.

[DennisP]

There is a difference. I believe the "flying fox" is far more lazy than the SAE. And it also doesn't eat the same algae.

A real SAE, can be distinguished from a Flying Fox by its stripe. The flying fox has sharp/straight edges, whereas the SAE has a jagged edge, like shark teeth. Haven't look into this part, but I've read in a few cases that SAE's have a tan line above the black line.

Also, in petshops, they are often wrongly labelled. So remember to check.

HTH

[SamH]

Google it!

[Adrienne]

A flying fox is not an SAE but a blackline flying fox is. The difference is that with a true SAE (otherwise known as the blackline flying fox) is that the blackline extends right through the body and through the tail. If you can't see the black line in the tail then no matter what anyone tells you it is not the true SAE. I purchased three supposedly of these last year and I couldn't see the line on one of them. True to the end, this one is not the SAE and while it mixes and mingles with the other two it doesn't contribute to the tank cleaning much at all. In saying this, now mine are about 10cm long, they would rather eat the fish food and only really use the plants and driftwood as resting places for their great bulging bellys.

[Caryl]

Here is a true Siamese algae eater. Note the black line goes through the tail? (Sorry I didn't clean the glass first)

[Adrienne]

Great pic Caryl - I grabbed my camera and both batteries are flat :evil:

If you can't see the line as in the photo don't purchase it no matter what you are told.

[BikBok]

that photo really helps.. thanks for that.

[dcase]

I have 2 SAE's in a 200 litre tank along with a Rainbow Shark & have no problems ... occaisonally he Shark will give the SAE's a little rev up but never anything serious (they just shoot out of his way and he gives up straight away) ... just make sure you have plenty of plants/ornaments, etc so they can have their own space. btw ... same tank also has platies, harlequin rasboras, keyhole cichlids, clown loaches & BN's (who have no trouble with anyone)

[mcrudd]

Apparently black lyretail mollies are partial to algae, though ive never actually owned any myself, and would guess they weren't as ruthless towards it as the flying fox, which are my all time favourite. They remind me of bunnies! Their noses are all rounded and constantly wriggling, they're so cute.

I have three black lyretail mollies (still young) and they love algae, my poor bn has to hurry to get a hold of algae in the tank. They even peck at me while I clean the tank LOL. It is interesting to see them peck at the glass eating algae and they love pecking at the algae on the heater's suckers.