# going to need an alge eater soon



## redlessi (Jul 22, 2009)

I am going to need an algae eater soon. What kind would go with the rest of fish in my tank? I would like to only have 1 so I need to get one that does not mind being alone, if possible.

Thanks much


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## DragonFish (Mar 31, 2009)

Hmm....I hear BN(Bristle Nose)Plecos are good for algae and stay small....and then theres Otos but I hear they can be super picky about water and liked shoals, though they are very small. 
I'd say if scrubbing the algae off is an option, go with that instead ;-)


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

I had a brown algae issue after my tank cycled (from what i read, this is normal) I got a common pleco (named him Algae-non - literature fans will get that one) and he did an amazing job cleaning up what didn't go away naturally. He did such a good job that now I have to feed him algae wafers so he has something to live on.

He hides out all the time in his slate cave and never bothers any of the other fish. 

The only downside is that they can get pretty darn big. I have a 45 gal. hex which has plenty of room height wise but not enough room to house a bottom dweller that can get really large. My LFS will take him off my hands when he gets too big or I can transfer him to a much larger tank whichever comes first.

Good luck.


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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

I have an albino Bristlenose pleco and he does a great job of cleaning the algae off the side of the tank and the driftwood. They stay small, around 4-6". Don't get a common pleco. They'll get much too large for your tank (35 gallon, right?). I've had ottos before also but they are hard to keep alive. They'll seem to do fine for a month or so and then just suddenly die. They're just hard to keep alive unless you have a fully planted tank.


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## Deac (May 21, 2009)

I've got 2 SAE's, 3 ottos and about 6 or 7 zebra Nerite snails in my planted tank - and between them - they do a great job. Of them all, the snails do the best job and are easy to keep. Nerite snails don't eat plants - only algae. Much depends on what kind of algae problem you have - some algae eaters won't touch certain types. Here's a link to an informative site that helped me.....Aquarium Algae ID (updated 16th Spet '08) 
If your algae problem is not that big a problem...you'd be better off just removing it manually, otherwise you stand teh risk of starving any algae eaters you put in your tank. If you do decid to go for teh natural method.then make sure you supplement with good quality algae wafers or veggies (like frozen peas - with their out skins removed) to keep your workers happy.


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