# Bristlenose vs Siamese Algae Eater



## Betta132 (Nov 29, 2012)

Try 3 otos instead, or some amano shrimp. SAEs are difficult to find, at least the true ones, and false ones will cause a lot of problems.


----------



## ofthemountain (Nov 25, 2014)

Betta132 said:


> Try 3 otos instead, or some amano shrimp. SAEs are difficult to find, at least the true ones, and false ones will cause a lot of problems.


I added otos already and all 5 of them died (about 2 months ago)... not sure if I got a bad batch from the LFS or something was wrong but all my other fish seem fine. I have added other fish since then with no problem. 

I have heard from multiple sources that a specialty store in my area has true SAEs. Will amano shrimp eat BBA?


----------



## koiboi (Sep 4, 2011)

My Amanos graze on it, but never seem to destroy BBA completely. Otos won't touch the stuff.


----------



## alaskajeff (Jan 9, 2014)

ofthemountain said:


> So I have a BN pleco, hes very cool looking and an active fish. Unfortunately he also mercilessly eats my sword leaves, which I do not appreciate.
> 
> I have tried adding algae wafers, etc but nothing will stop him. On the other hand, I have some small amounts of BBA and have head Siamese Algae Eaters will take care of this problem.
> 
> I dont think I need too many algae eaters in there (its a 48g not heavily planted), so would replacing the bristlenose with some SAEs work? Does the BN eat certain algae the SAEs wont? Just wondering what the best decision would be. and for any of those concerned, I will give the BN away and not "dispose of it"


 Once my Bushy Nose Plecos have no Algae to graze on I switch to raw Zucchini they love it. I just cut it in slices put a few on the end of a stainless steel kitchen fork then poke the handle of the fork into the substrate ! They love it ! And it will help keep them off your plants.


----------



## Linwood (Jun 19, 2014)

I had plecos and they wouldn't touch either hair, staghorn or BBA (I had lots of the first two, and a bit of the latter).

I got 7 ottos and 6 died -- similar to your experience. The other wouldn't eat those algae either, though he does work some of the leaves and looks like he's trying (but he's only one).

I got 6 SAE's for a 220G and they were amazing. For a week nothing, but then they really started in on the staghorn and hair algae in particular, and it was just gone. The ones I got were farm raised, so fed flakes before I got them, and I think it took a while for them to make the transition (and fortunately I fed the other fish pellets which they are not as good at eating). Once they got a bit hungry they really cleaned up.

And they are VERY entertaining - extremely fast, are always playing with each other in all sorts of contortions and exploring all over the tank. Glad I got them I got two more for a 45G tank, and they are doing well also.

They have cleaned up some BBA, but I have a tiny bit on one anubias that they don't seem to be touching. Maybe too old, maybe wrong flavor... but all the other "fuzzy" type algae is just gone.

The 45G I more often use flakes, and they do eat that rapidly, so that may also be why they are not getting all the BBA. But they absolutely cleaned up the messy staghorn and hair algae I had trouble with.

I highly recommend them, very interesting and entertaining. I got mine from a local LFS for only $3 each, good deal.

But as mentioned -- make VERY sure you get real, honest SAE. Lots of confusion out there, in fact the guy I bought from said they were Flying Fox; when I asked he said "same thing" (it's not), so you cannot always go by the seller. Look up the various articles comparing Flying Fox with Chinese Algae Eaters with SAE, they give some distinguishing indicators, like 1 barbel vs. 2, transparent fins, etc.

I didn't try amano shrimp; in my big tank that's just considered "lunch". 

PS. The SAE do get a bit large, about 6", and they can also jump.


----------



## Clear Water (Sep 20, 2014)

My problem with sae is they get to big. Bought two of them two years ago and one was over 6" long. He also dug holes in my sand and up rooted plants. For me the otto's are the way to go.


----------



## frosty1 (Apr 4, 2014)

Are Ottos hardy? see several references to them dying here. I bought 8 and lost 6, but I suspect it was because the lfs has very soft NYC water and I have hard water. 
why do you think your fish died?


----------



## Linwood (Jun 19, 2014)

From everything I have read Ottos are hardy once they live for a month or two in your tank, but many/most die before then. They wild caught (I think exclusively), and often are starved during transit, mis-fed in the LFS before being bought, and perhaps parasite ridden when you get them. Some combination of things (or so I have read speculated) account for the high mortality most people see. 

My experience matches -- 6 of 7 died within 30 days (most within 7), but the one remainder is doing just fine, survived an outbreak of camallanus (heck, for all I know they brought it -- in retrospect the timing is about right), survived the treatments and a deep tank cycle that somehow followed. 

And the SAE are incredibly energetic -- they are EVERYWHERE, zipping around including right at the substrate, so I've seen them break off leaves, though not (so far) dig. But they aren't for a carefully groomed tank, small or sensitive to activity. Think "big three year old on birthday cake" that also happens to eat any algae they can find.

But personally I find them so entertaining I'll just plant a few extra plants if they break more leaves. But I have lots of tank room, your mileage my vary.


----------



## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

SAE eat fine leaved plants. Had a flourishing clump of Mayaca fluviatilis until mine decided to eat it all. I didn't grow P. gayi or Blxya at the time and don't want to find out they love them! They also jump out of the tank. They do go after algal films too. I had a strange graze pattern on the front of the tank back then, circles and crosses rasped into the thick and delicious layer of GDA. Later I watched the SAE eating from the glass, it was that fish's bite marks. I find them to be beautiful fish and fun to watch but not interested in getting fish that will jump and possibly eat some plants that I want left alone.

I don't have any sword plants and the bristlenose leaves my crypts alone. When I did have sword plants I shoved a root tab under it and the damage stopped. Plants got 12 hours of MH and CO2 at that time and the leaves were probably very thick and more resistant to grazing?

Platies, otos, Amanos and ramshorn snails seem pretty benign as algae harassers. Platies do eat plants to some extent but so far they haven't done enough grazing to damage appearance of any plants. 

The mouth shape determines what algae a fish can eat. Platies and SAE aren't going to be able to rasp films off surfaces as well as snails and otos can. Otos cannot nip thready stuff as well as Amanos and SAE. I have seen otos eating dead staghorn and BBA and I have seen SAE eating green dust algae, they just aren't as good at it.


----------



## Linwood (Jun 19, 2014)

Kathyy said:


> I don't have any sword plants and the bristlenose leaves my crypts alone. When I did have sword plants I shoved a root tab under it and the damage stopped. Plants got 12 hours of MH and CO2 at that time and the leaves were probably very thick and more resistant to grazing?


Interesting approach/speculation. I'll have to keep that in mind, maybe get more ferts to the plants my plecos are eating. Thanks.


----------



## ofthemountain (Nov 25, 2014)

Thanks for all the comments guys! I did have one oto in a 5 gal that lived FOREVER thats why I thought they would do well in my 48g. Strangely enough when I found him dead he was stuffed deep into an empty snail shell I had in the tank. Not sure if he got in there too deep and couldnt get out? Also a couple of the dead ones I had in my big tank were tangled up in anubia roots under driftwood. Maybe these guys just get themselves into prickly situations and strangle themselves or something? Super random but just my experience. 

My main objective is to stop my BN from eating my swords. I supposed I could just get different plants. I have some snails in my tank and they are eating the BBA sure enough. They dont seem to like the BBA on the anubia but I may just trim those leaves off.


----------



## KJCos (Jan 14, 2015)

I have 2 Siamese Algae eaters in my 45 gallon planted. They definitely went after the algae, although like others have said, some types they just won't touch.

They are so much fun to watch! I often compare my pair to a couple of dolphins playing in the water (have yet to see mine jump out of the water, but I won't say they cant).

They definitely are amongst my most favorite fish in the tank.


----------



## garfieldnfish (Sep 25, 2010)

A good crew would be 3 Amano shrimp, a few mixed types of nerites snails, 4 otos, 1 rubberlip pleco (my personal favorite) and several ramshorn snails. I believe together this crew will take care of almost all types of algae, except the blue green algae that only E.M. tablets will wipe out.


----------

