# Cherry shrimps and black beard algae???



## wastewater (Apr 5, 2010)

Fishhippie said:


> Does anybody know if cherry shrimp will eat a small amoumt of black beard algae? Thanks.


I have never seen mine eating BBA. Not saying they won't (maybe if there was no other food source, really don't know, but then again I always keep mine well fed). I've never seen my Amano's eat BBA either. I've seen them graze on other types of algae. Msjinkzd did a good job at documenting amano shrimp doing a number on black beard algae Algae eating capabilities of amano shrimp - Invertebrates by Msjinkzd


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## Fishhippie (Jul 4, 2017)

Its a relatively new tank with a small amount of BBA being the only algae present and the only other food source is left over food my CPDs dont eat so maybe they will if not I have heard ramshorns do a number on BBA


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## Fishhippie (Jul 4, 2017)

I read that article do you think I could add one or two amanos in a 3 gallon with 4 RCS and 3 CPDs or would that be overstocked or is there issues with amanos and cherries or amanos and celestials?


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## wastewater (Apr 5, 2010)

Fishhippie said:


> Its a relatively new tank with a small amount of BBA being the only algae present and the only other food source is left over food my CPDs dont eat so maybe they will if not I have heard ramshorns do a number on BBA





Fishhippie said:


> I read that article do you think I could add one or two amanos in a 3 gallon with 4 RCS and 3 CPDs or would that be overstocked or is there issues with amanos and cherries or amanos and celestials?


I've never seen my ramshorns controlling BBA. They will graze it down if dying or dead. You mention your tank as relatively new with a small amount of BBA. Where is this algae forming in your tank? Was it introduced into your tank or is it just recently starting to show up? No other algae problems? What is relatively new (how long has your tank been set-up)? Additional information, including: water quality/parameters, lighting/duration of photo period, filtration, plant mass, ferts, etc. would help out if you are looking to troubleshoot for algae (and/or other problems). You may want to just carefully zap your BBA with some 'glut' or hydrogen peroxide. If it starts turning a pinkish/red color, the poisons worked. 

A 3 gallon tank is a small volume of water to work with, so "overstocking" should always be on the front burner. Mixing amanos & cherries together (IMO) is fine. Amanos will be larger in size and seem to more aggressive gathering their food. Should be fine with the CPD's too. From experience, I've learned anything can happen (especially in small volumes of water and tight quarters)... so, give the amanos a shot if you desire and see what happens.


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## Fishhippie (Jul 4, 2017)

The tank is extremely new as in about a week it was introduced on anubias and has not spread the few snails i had were doing a swell job at cleaning it but were soon killed by my assassin snail. I have cut about 3 leaves that were coated heavily in BBA and all thats left is some spores on the leaves nitrates/nitrites are in normal level, ammonia is at 0 ppm the water is a bit hard at 7.8 but thats because the tap here is just hard water other plants i have are java moss, various other anubias and some crypts the light is somewhat low and runs about 8-9 hours a day.


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## Fishhippie (Jul 4, 2017)

Here is the affected leaves on the anubias petite


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## Fishhippie (Jul 4, 2017)

I have decided a soak in hydrogen peroxide or bleach is nessecary could anyone give me a very specific step by step on how to do a bleach or hydrogen peroxide soak on anubias petite


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## katas (Jan 12, 2015)

Let's make this super easy for you. Great video on the bleach process but peroxide wouldn't be much different. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB2ZPlVR4VU&t=78s


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## Fishhippie (Jul 4, 2017)

katas said:


> Let's make this super easy for you. Great video on the bleach process but peroxide wouldn't be much different. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB2ZPlVR4VU&t=78s


 Thanks for the video, it was very helpful. How long do you think I should do it? He mentioned sometimes anubias has problems at 30 seconds, but I have a very little amount so I think 15 will be sufficient.


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## Zoidburg (Mar 8, 2016)

I wouldn't personally recommend putting amanos in such a small tank, nor would I recommend putting shrimp in a tank as young as that is.

Was the tank cycled? What are nitrites at?


It may be a good idea to raise the light up and/or put a "siesta" in the middle of the light being on... i.e. 4 hours on, 2-4 hours off, 4 hours on. That is, in addition to doing the plant dip to get rid of the algae.


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## Fishhippie (Jul 4, 2017)

Zoidburg said:


> I wouldn't personally recommend putting amanos in such a small tank, nor would I recommend putting shrimp in a tank as young as that is.
> 
> Was the tank cycled? What are nitrites at?
> 
> ...


 I will start doing a break in the light in the day. The amanos were never really on the table just an idea for the BBA. As of right now it is stocked with 4 RCS and 3 CPD all of which are thriving and well.


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## Fishhippie (Jul 4, 2017)

I bleached my anubias in a 5% ratio for 20 seconds a piece and some of the BBA rubbed off so I think it worked...


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## MsJenny (Aug 21, 2017)

Nothing eats BBA. Although one time I saw my endler picking at but, but given it's size, it made no dent into ridding my tank of algea.


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## Rnasty (Jun 30, 2017)

I have a 3 gallon currently with endlers who pick at the BBA when there is no other food source. If there are other types of algae available they will avoid the BBA. Same with amano shrimp. I just watched two clean off a rock the size of my palm from all its BBA a couple nights ago. However, I have an incrediby hard time keeping amanos alive in such a small amount of water.


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