How many algae eaters per gallon

Ideally, the pH would be between 6. These would be slow-moving and the current would be even weaker at the river bed where they live. This makes them good candidates for a community aquarium.

Since these fish spend their time at the bottom of the tank, you need to think about what else will be living there too. Lots of bottom-dwellers can be territorial or just bully those that get in their way.

Red tail sharks are a good example; they harass others to protect their territory when they mature. There are plenty of peaceful bottom-dwellers for you to choose from. Corydoras are some of the most popular; this genus contains lots of different species. This usually means avoiding cichlids , many of which should only be kept in a species-only tank anyway. There are some peaceful exceptions though, like angelfish.

Other animals can be added, most of which tend to eat algae too. The most common are shrimp amano , cherry , and ghost and snails like nerite snails. Mixing in shrimp and snails with your fish shows off some different behaviors, adding extra interest to your tank. You can keep more than one Siamese algae eater in the tank. They show off their best behaviors in schools of at least The main part of their diet is in their name.

This includes flake and pellet foods from stores, algae wafers and live foods. Good examples of live foods are brine shrimp and bloodworms, frozen varieties will work well too. Overfeeding can be a problem because they already have some algae and plants in the tank before feeding time. Sometimes Siamese algae eaters will stop eating algae in favor of the other foods you give them if you keep adding too much. They can eat a lot, they would eat all day if you let them.

Limit feeding to an amount that they can easily finish in a couple of minutes each day. Most diseases give off signs, some are more obvious than others.

Lots of diseases have treatments and medicines that you can buy which work well with quarantine tanks , but there are ways to help prevent your siamese algae eater getting diseases in the first place.

Simply sexing them is hard enough and needs a keen eye. Spawning could probably be triggered by changes in water conditions temperature, pH, etc.

Are Siamese algae eaters the best at cleaning aquariums? Let us know your experiences in the comments section below…. Thanks, Robert. Sometimes a Chinese algae eater does. I think. This fish are amazing at cleaning up the tank. And I find them fun to watch work. I bought two Chinese algae eaters which he also ate.

There may have been a issue inngenes some fish just pass early could have inbred or just natural cause. Be careful with the shrimp, some fish will eat them…found out the hard way when I found my Red-Eye Tetra enjoying its meal. Plecostomus varieties usually need certain things in their diet like wood to help with digestion.

This wont cause a sudden death but rather cause a break down in them over a long period of time of slow deterioration. I dont think this is likely in your case.

Goldfish are dirty fish. Plecos are dirty fish. Most likely the temperature and the waste is your issue over time. A high nitrate level causes slow health issues over time. A ammonia spike cause sudden health issues such as swim disorders and appetite loss.

Provided cover driftwood for any pleco species or plants for the rest and if you go with common bristlenose if you get a male and female and place a cave in they will readily breed for you. I had the exact same problem! I had a wonderful Place for around 3 years, bought him the size of my finger and he grew to around 25 centimetres and lived in a 50 gal with 3 goldfish as well before he died. My theory was that he was just getting older and his lifespan was coming to an end, or that the goldfish would suck up some of his pellets and maybe that while it was ok when he was smaller, it became a problem as he got older and needed more?

It really is strange though and I was also scared by the death as his condition and his colour just deteriorated over the timespan of less than a week! He also had a massive filter. I have thousands of them in my filter to prove it. This has happened in more than one aquarium. Your email address will not be published. Do your current fish or critters mesh well with your chosen algae eater? Oxygenation Levels: What are the oxygenation levels in your tank? Pick an algae eater that matches the same requirements as your existing ecosystem.

Does your speed of current rule out any algae eating critters? How will that affect a potential algae eater? Stacy on February 5, at pm. Kenneth on May 12, at pm. Mike on May 29, at pm. Reid on June 5, at pm. Ka on July 9, at pm. What are your water parameters?

What is the temp? Carly on July 13, at am. Peter on July 20, at pm. Fishman on July 27, at am. Ibrahim on August 5, at am. Alyia on August 23, at am. Kevin on August 27, at am. Regards, Kevin Reply. Llyra Jamar on September 18, at pm. Matthew on October 3, at am. Im no expert but my guess is your plecos ran out of food once they got so big.

Only a guess. Zachary on October 5, at am. What are you feeding the Plecostomus and what species have you been having? Margot on October 10, at am. S Bricker on October 21, at am.

What was the temperature of the aquarium and was it filtered? Maddie on November 3, at pm. Chuck on November 11, at pm.

Joe on December 13, at pm. Alison Thompson on January 8, at am. Greg on January 12, at pm. Maybe not getting enough food Goldfish tend to out out with food And so nothing left for bottom feeders Also some wood needs to be available to feed Reply. Genevieve on February 28, at pm. Jay on March 18, at pm.

Why is the water cloudier with alge eater Reply. Marlyna on June 4, at am. Steve on June 18, at am. Ange on July 19, at am. CelesteDurel on August 13, at pm. Hi Jay, This is an interesting question. They can be nasty to the water column if not maintained properly Are your fish aggressive? I hope I gave you some valuable things to think about. Aric on September 24, at pm. Kate on October 18, at am. Hi I can only think it is scuffing up dirtfrom the substrate, try cleaning your gravel. Stacy on February 19, at am.

Out of the algae eating fish on this list, the twig catfish is one that requires more specialized care than the others. They also need places to hide in the tank because they tend to be very shy. One of the smallest algae eaters on this list, the otocinclus catfish grows to a maximum of 2 inches. These fish are similar in appearance to the larger Chinese algae eater, but they are much more peaceful.

Otocinclus catfish are moderately easy to care for, but they do need a large tank of at least 30 gallons to ensure they have enough algae to feed on and because they are best kept in schools.

They prefer a pH between 6. These fish are particularly good at removing brown algae diatom algae and they eat it quickly, before it becomes a problem in your tank. You can check out our detailed guide on Otocinclus care here. A species of armored catfish, the whiptail catfish is moderately easy to care for and has a peaceful temperament.

These fish come in neutral colors like black and tan, and they grow up to 6 inches in length, so they require a tank at least 50 gallons in capacity. The whiptail catfish is omnivorous, so in addition to feeding on algae it will also feed on detritus such as uneaten fish food.

These fish prefer a KH between 4 and 8 with pH in the 6. Also known as the bristlenose catfish , this species is named for the whisker-like projections on its snout.

This species does an excellent job of eating algae and also leftover fish food. These fish are easy to care for, though they do grow to a length around 5 inches. Bristlenose plecos are compatible with most peaceful species and they will tolerate a range of tank conditions. The minimum recommended tank size is 20 gallons and they generally require supplemental feeding with algae wafers, though they will feed on most types of algae and specifically green spot algae.

Though they may not feed on algae as some of the other fish on this list, mollies and other livebearers will feed on algae from time to time if it is available. Other livebearers you might consider are swordtails and platies. Swordtails are unique because they come in a variety of different colors and you can tell the sexes apart because males have a long sword-like projection at the base of their tail.

Platies also come in many different colors and patterns. Mollies and other livebearers are very peaceful fish and they do well in community tanks at least 20 gallons in size, or larger depending how many you have. Mollies can also do well in slightly brackish conditions, so consider adding a little aquarium salt to your tank but always consider others in your tank before adding anything.

One thing to keep in mind with mollies and other livebearers is that they reproduce quickly — make sure you have enough space to accommodate them. A type of killifish, the Florida flag fish is named after its resemblance to the stars and stripes on the US flag, is a stunning little nano fish covered in bright green, red,blue, and gold iridescent spots.

It is also known to eat black beard algae BBA , and other fuzzy types. They are known to jump, so you should have some kind of aquarium lid.

Male bristlenose typically have larger tentacles that extend up the head, while females have smaller tentacles around the snout area. Bristlenose catfish are amazing algae eaters and can quickly clear algae off of glass, decorations, and driftwood.

The wonderful thing about bristlenose catfish, as compared to the common pleco, is their reasonable size. Bristlenose catfish grow up to 6 inches in length, but many remain around 4 inches in home aquaria. In contrast, common plecos can grow to over 12 inches in length, and will rapidly outgrow most tanks. Juvenile bristlenose catfish are perfect algae eaters for tanks between gallons, but will need an upgrade once they reach their full size. The common pleco Hypostomus plecostomus—say that 5 times fast is what many think of as the quintessential algae eater in home aquariums.

All too often, these plecos are sold as babies, looking like the perfect addition to a newly setup 10 gallon tank. Common plecos are best avoided unless you have or plan to have a gigantic aquarium.

They have armor plating, huge eyes, and kind of look like a dinosaur. If you have they room, a common placo makes an excellent algae eater, otherwise check out the bristle catfish, which stays a much more reasonable size. One thing to note is that while plecos are known as algae eaters, they are also opportunistic and will eat small fish and shrimp if they get the chance. Hillstream loaches of the genus Sewellia are one of the most unique looking algae eaters available in the aquarium hobby.

The body of a hillstream loach is suprisingly flat, giving it an alien like appearance think facehugger. This helps the fish remain attached to rocks and wood even in environments with strong water flow, like a stream.

In the wild, Hillstream loaches live in fast flowing, oxygen rich, tropical rain forest streams in Asia. In home aquaria, water flow tends to be much weaker than what is found in their native habitat.