# Please recommend a voracious algae eater for a 20gal tank



## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

I noticed that that over the last week there has been a bloom of both brown and black brush algae in my 20gal tank.
It's not too bad yet so I want to deal with it as early and quickly as possible. 
The tank has been established for about 2 years.
I've added more plants to it lately, dosed Excel and Flourish every 2 nights (maybe I'm dosing too much Flourish?).
I'm planning to dosing Excel every night for the next week.
I just added a Rena Xp2 a couple nights ago.
I plan to do 40% water changes every 2nd night. I've already done 2. Before I was water changing every 2ish weeks.
Current fish: 1 Cosby Gourami, 1 Zebra Damio (he's old and a survivor), 4 Dwarf Rainbows, 1 Flying fox (who doesn't seem to do his job and lounges in front of the outflow since I added the Xp2. He wasn't doing that great of a job anyways.

Please suggest a voracious algae eater. I hope to pick up at least 2 to help deal with the algae outbreak.

I've read up a little on Otocinclus and Siamese Algae Eaters. What do you think?

I've heard that bristlenose tend to tear up planted tanks, is this true?


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## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

Hello. i have had a common pleco tear up my plants but never my bnp. imo bnp are the best, they don't get lazy like a common. and i have seen flying fox not eat bba when they are small, but happily eat it when they get bigger. i can't remember but someone on this site sells the best bba eaters, can't remember what the fish is called. Hope that helps. Cheers


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## ThePhoenix (Jul 23, 2012)

snails and plecos


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## macframalama (Apr 17, 2012)

charles just posted something aobut an oto he got in, aparaently they are excellent , ask him or he will probably post on here


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

The algae eater you are looking for is.......... Algae Eater (Crossocheilus reticulatus). The only challenge I have found with them is....... a covered tank is suggested and they can be prone to eating more exotic mosses like Weeping or Flame Moss. other than that they are the best algae eater I have used.

Best Regards,

Stuart


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## Lamplighter (Aug 3, 2012)

A 9W UV filter will eat your algae. I'm kidding but it's difficult to get rid of algae at least that's my findings. A UV filter will do it quickly.


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## Foxtail (Mar 14, 2012)

I picked up 2 juvi L144 plecos from mykiss for my sons 20 gallon as it became covered in brown algea. In 2 days the tank was spotless and crystal clear and has been ever since. 

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## ThePhoenix (Jul 23, 2012)

There are also algae-killing products you can buy from petstores, but these products are harmful, if not deadly to algae-eating snails.


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

oto will not eat BBA. But it will take care the brown and green one.


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

I got a Crossocheilus reticulatus from Pat (Canadian Aquatic), it takes care of my BBA. Charles of Canadian Aquatic also has some oto and pleco you can get. My BNP does not eat my plants and works really hard to clean up the glass and everything. My sister just got 2 BNP for $5 from Pat and they are small but very effective in cleaning up.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Looks like if BNP eats BBa then they're the way to go...


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## Mykiss (Apr 22, 2010)

Unfortunately the BNP will not each the black beard algae. The crossos will though


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## jkhcjris (Jun 1, 2010)

Mykiss said:


> Unfortunately the BNP will not each the black beard algae. The crossos will though


I second the crossos. I had BBA all over my tank. I picked up two from Pat and have never seen it again. Well worth it.

Chris


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## Luke78 (Apr 24, 2010)

Just a thought, once all your algae is gone they(Oto's/BNP) do need a varied diet to be happy.Otocinclus also do better in larger groups as well, where as one lone BNP will be fine, unless you have intentions to breed them in the near future or can provide more space for multiple numbers.


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

BNP are the way to go. I have 2 in my 20g and 3 in my 125g. They keep it spotless and they are hardy. They also seem to grow to the size of the tank unlike common plecos. I recomend feeding them once and awhile a piece of zucchini. Elastic band it to a rock. They will find it quick.

If you are getting an algea outbreak than their is a probably problem with your tank. How long are you leaving the lights on for? and How often are you feeding and what? If you are feeding flake food than I would recomend switching to pellet food. Flake fish food can be full of Phosphates which algea loves. Also I find when you feed flake food alot of the flakes break up into small pieces and get blown into the gravel. Never to be eatin. Once I switched over to NLS pellets I noticed most of my algea diapeared. I am also able to watch the food get eaten. I do crunch up some of the pellets for my smaller fish to eat. The xp2 will help once its full of bacteria.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

No worries I will ensure that whatever fish I get, they will get fed some veggies as well.
I'm back and forth on SAE and crossos. I've exhausted my budget on the tank reno so the price of sae is very appealing. Has anyone had experience with them and eating bba? If crossos at pat's are truly the way to go I'll cough up the 40 for the 2.


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

Seems like th SAE are a hit or miss. I read in an aquarium magazine that they dont eat hair algea. Some say they do. From my experience they would rather eat the food you feed the rest of your fish over algea. When I worked at mr pets one of the tanks that didnt have any hair algea had a bunch of SAE in it. I would move a few into other tanks to see if they would eat the algea. They didnt show any interest in it and the algea remaind. Id get the ones Patrick sells. Pretty sure they are proven hair algea eaters. The SAE are up for debate


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

Sae's learn that the food you feed tastes better and will stpp foraging algae as thwy age. If found low success rates finding real sae's from lfs aswell. There are a handful of species nearly identical to an sae they can buy often mislabelled at the distribution facility. Some store owners dont know the difference and still sell them as sae's causing confusion towards their success at handling bba.

Ive had sevral sae'a through the yeara and now will only stick with a crosso. They are a beautiful fish aswell

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## Foxtail (Mar 14, 2012)

Looks like I have to get a couple crossos aswell. I just took a close look at my 120 gallon and it looks like either BBA or some other kind of hair algea is starting all over everything...

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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

I like my crosso, it is a beautiful fish and is very functional. 
Pat is really nice to deal with, always very helpful and would really take his time to answer questions and so on. 
The BNP deal is awesome imo, only for $5 you get 2. I would get crosso and bnp if it was me.
My crosso once jumped out of my tank but luckily I was right there so I put him into a tank with a lid now. Not sure if that was just an isloated incident that it jumped. I would recommedn to place a lid on your tank.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

*Update!*

Currently I have 2 crossos and 1 siamese algae eater in the tank. I got the crossos about 4 days before the siamese algae eater. I gotta say, I'm very pleased with the crossos they went at eating the bba almost right away and within 3 days the 2 plants covered were completely clean of bba. The only sad thing is that one of the crossos jumped out of the tank within the first two hours (when I ran out to run more errands). I had to buy yet another to have a pair.

The siamese algae eater is pretty lazy when it comes to cleaning algae. He prefers to hang out infront of the spray bar and wait for pellets, flakes, or whatever I use to feed the mid/upper tank fish.

The tank isn't completely free of algae but its on its way. I've also cut the light's on time by 2 hours, but stopped dosing excel everyday since I had a problem with some plant melt.

Thanks to everyone for your advice on algae eaters.



CRS Fan said:


> The algae eater you are looking for is.......... Algae Eater (Crossocheilus reticulatus). The only challenge I have found with them is....... a covered tank is suggested...
> 
> Best Regards,
> 
> Stuart


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