# I need a glass cleaning fish?



## [email protected] (Jun 13, 2018)

What kind of algae?


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

Welcome to TPT.


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## Amy9 (Jul 4, 2012)

Nerite snails. I never use my algae scrubber anymore. They are the best things I’ve added to my tank as far as a clean up crew. They keep the glass super clear. 


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## IntotheWRX (May 13, 2016)

Arold Ari said:


> Hi i just setup a new 20 gal tank and its has 2 blue opaline gouramis,1 gold gourami (use to have 2 since it just died due to poor water quality in the old tank) 4 cory cats but they are bottom and not suitable to clean algae on the glass. I need to add plants and im not into plecos cause in my experience they get too big and create a huge mess and hillstream loaches are difficult to find nowadays in malaysia.feather fin catfish wont suit too.what is my alternative?????? i need this within 1 week.


prevention and razor blade is my best recommendation


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## [email protected] (Jun 13, 2018)

I would suggest Nerite snails as well. They eat up all the algae and they can’t reproduce in freshwater, so they cant take over the tank.


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## Arold Ari (Jun 14, 2018)

[email protected] said:


> I would suggest Nerite snails as well. They eat up all the algae and they can’t reproduce in freshwater, so they cant take over the tank.


will the gouramis border them ?:|

Bump:


[email protected] said:


> I would suggest Nerite snails as well. They eat up all the algae and they can’t reproduce in freshwater, so they cant take over the tank.





[email protected] said:


> What kind of algae?


moss and i normally feed the corydoras using sinking algae pallets.


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## Amy9 (Jul 4, 2012)

Fish ignore them. They eat many types of algae 


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## Doogy262 (Aug 11, 2013)

https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Clean-Multi-Surface-Cleaner-Original/dp/B0071SCSO0

best thing to clean glass I have ever used "ORIGINAL ONLY,"aquarium safe no soap or additives.Won't solve your algae problem but will keep glass spotless...


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## Amy9 (Jul 4, 2012)

Agreed. The magic erasers work great, but when you get tired of cleaning algae...nerites =no scrubbing. [emoji16]
Also, they clean algae off plants without harming the plant whatsoever. 


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## CT_Ram (Sep 10, 2017)

FYI nerites leave eggs everywhere. The aquarium can get full of white dots. I am not their biggest fan because of that.


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## Amy9 (Jul 4, 2012)

CT_Ram said:


> FYI nerites leave eggs everywhere. The aquarium can get full of white dots. I am not their biggest fan because of that.




I wouldn’t say everywhere, but they do leave them, and that is the only negative thing I can think of. I have 12 in a heavily planted 75g and with a blacked out tank (black sand, black back, they are very visible) I only scrape them off every 6 months or so. No big deal, and no more cleaning algae off my glass. 


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## Doogy262 (Aug 11, 2013)

Amy9 said:


> I wouldn’t say everywhere, but they do leave them, and that is the only negative thing I can think of. I have 12 in a heavily planted 75g and with a blacked out tank (black sand, black back, they are very visible) I only scrape them off every 6 months or so. No big deal, and no more cleaning algae off my glass.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I guess I don't fully understand,your in this hobby as a way of enjoying taking care and learning about your tank but you can't take 5 minutes a couple times a week to keep your glass clean???If you have that much algae it is time to fix the problem not cover it up.No offense meant...


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## Amy9 (Jul 4, 2012)

No offense taken. I’ve been in this hobby for many years. It’s perfectly normal for some algae to build up on the glass and other equipment in the tank, and I routinely cleaned it off for a while. I had some hard to reach places, and when a fellow aquarist suggested nerites, I gave them a shot. They literally clean everything...intake tubes, spray bars, plants, and glass. I do not have an excess algae problem, however like I said it builds up over time. The snails make life easier, while I continue to enjoy the hobby immensely. Water changes give me all the opportunity I need to be hands on with my tanks. 

Edit: not sure why the op is looking for a clean up crew in a new set up though. There shouldn’t be any algae yet. 
*I wouldn’t add anything to clean up algae until the tank is cycled and more established.* 

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## Doogy262 (Aug 11, 2013)

Amy9 said:


> No offense taken. I’ve been in this hobby for many years. It’s perfectly normal for some algae to build up on the glass and other equipment in the tank, and I routinely cleaned it off for a while. I had some hard to reach places, and when a fellow aquarist suggested nerites, I gave them a shot. They literally clean everything...intake tubes, spray bars, plants, and glass. I do not have an excess algae problem, however like I said it builds up over time. The snails make life easier, while I continue to enjoy the hobby immensely. Water changes give me all the opportunity I need to be hands on with my tanks.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I agree and meant my last reply more for the op than you as they sound like a newby and we have all been there...Ed


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## Amy9 (Jul 4, 2012)

Doogy262 said:


> I agree and meant my last reply more for the op than you as they sound like a newby and we have all been there...Ed




Gotcha. I edited my post because I realized I had veered off the main topic. The op shouldn’t be focusing on algae cleaners at this point in my opinion. 


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## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

If you're going for the Magic Eraser you might want to look at the generic offerings. Do a search for melamine foam. It's the same thing without the brand name. You can buy 100 for about $6-7 on Amazon.


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## ChuckM (Jan 11, 2018)

*Nerites and puffers?*



Amy9 said:


> Nerite snails. I never use my algae scrubber anymore. They are the best things I’ve added to my tank as far as a clean up crew. They keep the glass super clear.


Anyone care to chime in on nerites and dwarf (pea) puffers together? I've already read a lot about them but always open to other thoughts.

I have a nano (Fluval Edge 6) with a puffer, some corys, otos, rasboras, medium planting and a healthy crop of algae. The puffer gets a steady diet of (pond?) snails from another tank but they're tiny. I could move him to the 65 gallon but it'd be nice if it was intimidated by snails bigger than it.


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## Mike A. (Jan 6, 2018)

ChuckM said:


> Anyone care to chime in on nerites and dwarf (pea) puffers together? I've already read a lot about them but always open to other thoughts.
> 
> I have a nano (Fluval Edge 6) with a puffer, some corys, otos, rasboras, medium planting and a healthy crop of algae. The puffer gets a steady diet of (pond?) snails from another tank but they're tiny. I could move him to the 65 gallon but it'd be nice if it was intimidated by snails bigger than it.


Tried it. Even with a ton of other small snails my 3 still mercilessly pursued and picked at the Nerite. I pulled it out after a short time but have no doubt that they eventually would have seriously injured or killed it.

Wish that wasn't the case. Would make it a lot easier to maintain that tank.


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