# Plant brain was right again-GDA



## rick dale (Feb 26, 2014)

Plant brain responded to my post on Green Dust Algae. He said BNP would wipe it out. He was right. I had it pretty bad on all four tank walls. I bought 5 small BNP , and 10 days later , the GDA is gone. I know it wasn't the 10 days with not touching it , I tried that and it didn't work. Now I will have to feed the BNP. 

Thanks Tom


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## Donald Corbett (Apr 1, 2015)

BNP are pretty badass. I put two tiny ones in my 55 that 10+ nerites weren't keeping up with and they have the glass sparkling and they're growing pretty quick. I'm thinking the nerites will go in another tank at this point. 


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## philipraposo1982 (Mar 6, 2014)

I just recently added 18 otocinclus catfish to my 75g. I have all broad leaf type plants (swords, crypts, aponogeton, and ferns) and figured they would be perfect for keeping them clean. So far so good 

I was going to get some plecos but I don't have any driftwood in the tank. They also add a lot more waste unlike otos which have a very small bioload


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## mattinmd (Aug 16, 2014)

True, although plecos are able to scrape harder at the algae than otos can, which should make them a more versatile algae eater... 

I've never kept them but plecos are reported to be able to scrape off GSA like nerites can... otos can't really touch GSA, but do a good job on GDA and diatoms.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

Yeah but now you have a pleco problem!


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## jasa73 (Jun 3, 2007)

Dont forget to feed your plecos if they wipe out your algae. They'll need something to eat! Veggies or algae wafers.


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## brooksie321 (Jul 19, 2014)

Yah now you have 5 serious poop machines, the do nothing but eat and poo.


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## rick dale (Feb 26, 2014)

*Plecos problem*



BruceF said:


> Yeah but now you have a pleco problem!


Not a problem. I will keep 2 in my 60 gallon , put 2 in my 55 gallon , and one in my 30 gallon. I will rest at night knowing the GDA is taken care of , and I can feed the plecos as needed. I didn't know they could eat gsa. But I have noticed less of it on my glass. Wow ! BNP are better than I thought.

I can take care of the poo once a week with a good vacuuming , wich I do anyway. I couldn't stop the GDA .


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## brooksie321 (Jul 19, 2014)

They only really attack the algae when they're young, once grown they will get lazy and expect steak dinner nightly just dispelling the algae cure all fish myth here..


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## rick dale (Feb 26, 2014)

*Plecos*

Yeah my Siamese algae eaters did the same thing. I ended up giving them to a lfs. I will do the same with the plecos when they stop doing there job , and get some more babes.these are really small. They did a great job though.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

brooksie321 said:


> They only really attack the algae when they're young, once grown they will get lazy and expect steak dinner nightly just dispelling the algae cure all fish myth here..


No, they still have kept the GDA at bay for 2 years for several folks now. 
My Bristle noses have bred a few times. 

My tank gets few water changes, hardly a troublesome fish:



I've also added them to client tanks, GDA is gone in about 3 days. 
Never has come back, even with age. I suppose if you only have one in a 55 gallon tank, but then again, that's not my advice either.
Certainly a tougher critter than shrimp. Can handle rougher tank mates etc.


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## THE V (Nov 17, 2011)

My BN pleco's have bred so much the population is becoming a problem in my 125. I brought in around 100 to the LFS last year and this year I've already done about 50. I don't have a clue how many of the little guys are in the tank now. The parents are 5 years old now (1 female & 3 males). Apparently the guys watch over the eggs and fry so one lady can keep multiple males busy....

As for GDA it doesn't stand a chance against these guys both young and old. They constantly eat algae for as long as I've had them. My driftwood is also slowly shrinking in size from them.


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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

Call me crazy but I'd rather deal with gda than the poop from 5 plecos. :red_mouth


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## brooksie321 (Jul 19, 2014)

plantbrain said:


> No, they still have kept the GDA at bay for 2 years for several folks now.
> My Bristle noses have bred a few times.
> 
> My tank gets few water changes, hardly a troublesome fish:
> ...


So there is consistently younger fish present in the tank?


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## rick dale (Feb 26, 2014)

*Gla*



burr740 said:


> Call me crazy but I'd rather deal with gda than the poop from 5 plecos. :red_mouth


Have you ever had GDA ? I have. I tried everything. The only thing to eradicate it was the BNP. These guys are so tiny , I can't see any way they can become a waist problem. Some of your larger , standard plecos , yes , but not these little guys. And when they get a little bigger , I can trade them for a couple of baby's. And as I stated above , I have cut down to no more than 2 per tank. As fast as the 5 wiped out the GDA , I think 2 can do a good job of maintaining the GDA. We will see. I guess it boils down to what you want to put up with. And for me , its no GDA.


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## klibs (May 1, 2014)

burr740 said:


> Call me crazy but I'd rather deal with gda than the poop from 5 plecos. :red_mouth


lol true that. I gave away my albino BNP a while ago because he just crapped everywhere and made a mess

algae eating machine though


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## Donald Corbett (Apr 1, 2015)

rick dale said:


> Have you ever had GDA ? I have. I tried everything. The only thing to eradicate it was the BNP. These guys are so tiny , I can't see any way they can become a waist problem. Some of your larger , standard plecos , yes , but not these little guys. And when they get a little bigger , I can trade them for a couple of baby's. And as I stated above , I have cut down to no more than 2 per tank. As fast as the 5 wiped out the GDA , I think 2 can do a good job of maintaining the GDA. We will see. I guess it boils down to what you want to put up with. And for me , its no GDA.



I have 2 in a 55g and they handle it no problem. I read somewhere that more then that in a 55 can lead to territory issues when they become full grown. 


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## NeonFlux (Apr 10, 2008)

I had one before and it does a great job; just be careful not to get one if you're substrate is seriously breaking down or something like Aquasoil. They'll bulldoze around when they feel like it and bam ya got a cloudy mess in the tank and sometimes uprooted plants.. but they're cool though.


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## Donald Corbett (Apr 1, 2015)

I have Kitty Litter substrate which is the worst ever for dust getting blown around. My SAE kick up dirt but my BNP never have or uprooted a plant. 


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## johnpfaff (Oct 18, 2013)

Now have nine baby bristlenose long fins in my 80 gallon heavily planted tank. They do not make a dent in my GDA. Suppose I need more like 20-25, but what would I do with the babies when the fish mature? There is not a tropical fish store in over 100 miles of my location, only a Petco about 50 miles away. They don't have the smarts or decency to take the dead fish out of their tanks and every tank has at least one dead in it. I suppose I could kill the adults after they breed.


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## rick dale (Feb 26, 2014)

*Babies*

I found the young ones do a better job of cleaning. I would do away with the older ones . are you sure there bristle nose ? Mine do a great job.


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## tylergvolk (Jun 17, 2012)

With my mild case of GDA, I just turn my lights back an hour and GDA never comes back. I have a full grown long fin BNP but he doesn't seem to take care of business...


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## RisingSun (Jan 5, 2014)

philipraposo1982 said:


> I just recently added 18 otocinclus catfish to my 75g. I have all broad leaf type plants (swords, crypts, aponogeton, and ferns) and figured they would be perfect for keeping them clean. So far so good
> 
> I was going to get some plecos but I don't have any driftwood in the tank. They also add a lot more waste unlike otos which have a very small bioload


How did the 18 otos fair against your GDA? The internet is giving me mixed reports on whether they eat GDA or not. I'm ok with getting some ottos but BN might be too much.


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## johnpfaff (Oct 18, 2013)

*Baby bristlenose..*

Added seven baby bristlenose to my 80 gallon about two months ago. Prior to adding them, I was cleaning the glass twice a week. I have not cleaned the GDA off the glass for two weeks now. There is still some GDA there but is more of a fine haze on the glass than a covering.
All I can figure out is the bristlenose have reduced the overall amount of GDA and making it harder to spread.


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## RWaters (Nov 12, 2003)

I think my guy heard that some of you are talking smack about BNPs! He doesn't look happy about it.


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