Shrimp

[adampetherick]

it's either green or brown, I'm colourblind so will have to get the missus to confirm it, it's clumps rather the hair algae

[angelfish83]

it's either green or brown, I'm colourblind so will have to get the missus to confirm it, it's clumps rather the hair algae

Ya you're good to go. Ancistrus.

You mentioned clown loaches so I assume you have a fairly sized tank. Get juvies, about 3", they'll eat the most algae. You must supplement their diet. Things like mysis shrimp, tiny amount of blood worm, brine shrimp, bottom feeder tablets, cichlid pellets, like NLS, spirulina, They must consume wood. The easiest way to get that into them is SERA CATFISH CHIPS in the yellow bottle. Has the right kinds of wood and bark in it.

Feed just enough that they are plump, but not so much you notice the algae not being eaten. Once they lose the lust for algae it wont come back and they will starve themselves waiting for canned or frozen food.

Also, they will be utterly outcompeted by loaches. You have to feed them in near pitch dark and drop the food right beside them for them to have a chance.

There are many varieties, some are stunning




In a sufficiently long, ie 6ft tank you can house numerous individuals of 2 species, but with a four foot tank you'd want no more than an adult pair of one species.

If you want to keep it simple, buy 3 medium 3" juvies, find a pair, if the third wheel gets harassed, trade it out.

[adampetherick]

not overly keen on adding more algae eaters, the garra are doing a fine job on everything else, it's just the anubias leaves they are not touching

[Glostik]

My SAE's do a good job of cleaning all my leaves of algae, I have 5 in my 150G.

[angelfish83]

not overly keen on adding more algae eaters, the garra are doing a fine job on everything else, it's just the anubias leaves they are not touching

Well... I dont know what to tell you then...

If you have a huge tank and a small amount of anubias and a lot of time you can kill the algae and rub it off but its painstaking.

Make brine with some water and pure (preferably, not cuddy iodized prussiate of soda ridden table variety) salt and water. Mix until totally clear. Pick it up in a big syringe or turkey baster with a very fine tip.

place it against the surface of the anubias while supporting the back of the leaf with your other hand and just go along the areas where the algae is very slowly releasing the brine against them. Algae is porous. By pressing ever so slightly against it and squeezing you create pressure that gets the brine into the algae as well as on its surface. A couple of passes and the algae should be rub-offable with firm pressure with your thumb. As per the ridges in the leaves, if the algae is still in there, you can try to very gingerly get it out with the tip of the syringe but I dont recommend it. This method will definitely get rid of the algae on the surface. I discovered this by accident but it works like a charm. You have to go at each leaf for about 2 minutes+ though. It doesnt work instantly. I said painstaking


As per putting salt in your tank overall you're looking at maybe 15ml (one tablespoon) total volume of salt to wash about 15 anubias leaves. In a big tank thats nothing.

[palaeodave]

I have amano shrimp in my tank with the yoyo's. The biggest loach is nearing 5" and I've never had any problems at all. If I get new shrimp that are very small then I'll put them in the other tank first, that has striata's in it and they don't even bother the little shrimp. I'd imagine your clown loaches would destroy them when they got a bit bigger though!

There are other species of shrimp you can go with, some heavily armoured.