Loaches Online Forum

I have a 29 gal. tank with three Angelfish, two Clown loaches, and two Queen loaches. Which, for the past few months has been showing lots of brown algae all over the walls, plants, and everything else. I siumply wipe it off when I see it but it is nevertheless, unsightly. I was wanting to get some algae eating fish to take care of the job for me, but I can't seem to find any fish that don't become aggressive once they get bigger. I read that snails will eat algae and can help to keep the tank clean of other debris. But I also know that loaches love to eat snails. Will a loach eat large snails or do they just eat the smaller ones which they can fit into their mouths? If so, can anyone recommend any algae eating fish I could try. I appreciate any help with this, Thanks.

I wouldn't add any more fish to a tank that size - the angels and clowns probably don;t have enough room already. "brown algae" is, I think, usually diatoms rather than true algae and should die off of its own accord - you don't tend to get it in an estavlished tank.

To the best of my knowledge, neither fish nor snails will actually control algae. Algae eating fish are happy in tanks where there is an abundance of algae or a uitable replacement, but they won;t get rid of it. If they do, there isn't enough of it to feed them adequately.

And, fwiw, I think you'll probably need another tank sooner rather than later ...sorry. But there are people here with lots more experience than me who will be able to give you more concrete advice.

hth

the best thing to do with brown algae is:

1. lessen the light period

2. Feed minimally for at least 2 weeks

3. Clean it off the walls and plants

4. Vacuum right after you clean it off

5. Rinse the filter media in tank water after the vacuuming

It will take about a month of careful tending, but if you are consistent and stop overfeeding and leaving the lights on too long, it does work. Been there, done that.

Clown loach has a head like a suction pump: it can suck the snail out of its shell. larger snails are too strong however and can survive, though they often get eyes, sexual organs or other projections that the fish can get a grip on ripped off. Sorry if this is too graphic for children. You're supposed to be 13 to join this group. Removed snail bits grow back.

Andyroo

Bristlenose catfish will also eat that brown stuff and they get about 5".

I had a bunch of brown algae in a tank I was getting ready for a guppy mother so I cut out all the lighting and covered the glass with newspaper for about a week.

When I turned the light back on, the algae was gone but it left a bunch of really hard white algae skeleton thingies. I scraped them off but it wasn't easy and I still don't know what they were.

Otocinculus love brown algae, i have a few in all my tanks

Whatever you do, don't make my mistake and get a Chinese Algae Eater. They are often sold as just a unnamed algae eating fish. After bringing one home I found that the fish can grow to 12 inches and as it matures, it stops eating algae and tries to suck on fish.

I'm still trying to figure out what to do with this fish. So far he is well behaved, an algae eating machine and growing at a rapid rate.

your current fish are going to outgrow that tank fast.
get a real SAE (google it)

fishnose wrote: ... it left a bunch of really hard white algae skeleton thingies ...

... looks like Diatomeen (Bacillariophyceae, theoretically they don´t belong to alges) ... the skeleton is "made of" SiO2 ...

... here some mikroskope-pics of one of the many Diatomeen kinds:

http://www.aquamax.de/HG06UG07.htm


... perhaps you find them beautiful now and save the cleaning ... ?

Wolfram

MTS wrote:Whatever you do, don't make my mistake and get a Chinese Algae Eater. They are often sold as just a unnamed algae eating fish. After bringing one home I found that the fish can grow to 12 inches and as it matures, it stops eating algae and tries to suck on fish.

I'm still trying to figure out what to do with this fish. So far he is well behaved, an algae eating machine and growing at a rapid rate.

I too have a CAE, and he has been good so far, and while there isn't any visible algae on my tank, he enjoys sucking on everything around and is quite socialable with my other fish, even playing with them. But all is well until they grow older. -_- then they become menaces, although I have heard accounts of larger CAE's getting along with other fish. My friend used to keep a very, very large 'common pleco' I believe they're called, the dark ones that just stay stuck in one place. She had it in with two HUGE oscars, and it seemed to do a good job. But you'd definitely need the room for it.

Most freshwater shrimp will eat brown algea.

I have suffered from brown algae and found that the addition of zebra snails has well got on top of it.
They don't breed either as they require brackish water to reproduce.

Im Haveing the same prob. Alothough my prob is slightly different than this. Could u guys check out my thread its under the loach fourn and its called lots of Alge Thanks

Buzzy4p