# What kind of algae eater.



## Psionic (Dec 22, 2011)

Is there any kind of particular algae you want them to eat? Some critters like different meals. For general use you can go with nerites and amanos. 


-Val


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## supergreeneye (Oct 29, 2011)

what eats bba


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## BBradbury (Nov 8, 2010)

*What Eats BBA*



supergreeneye said:


> what eats bba


Hello super...

Have you tried "Ramshorn" snails? Most pet stores sell them. Not the Giant or Columbian, but the small brown, red or white variety that get no larger than a dime.

Best algae and fungus eaters ever! I've had them in my large, planted tanks for several years and have no visible algae in any of them. A great "clean up" crew. They'll also eat any decaying material in the tank, plant or fish.

These are an important part of my very clean and stable tanks.

Just a thought.

B


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## aweeby (Oct 1, 2011)

Not sure what sort of ramshorns you have, but ime they won't eat bba unless it's dead. But then again, if you nuke it with h2o2, anything will eat it. Many people swear by SAE. Try those. I like otos myself, but whatever floats yours.


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## TWA (Jan 30, 2012)

I never had any luck with SAE, (yes, true SAEs) they just do not eat bba like they're said to.

On that note, ramshorns won't eat BBA. You can do hydrogen peroxide or if you own excel, put that in a syringe and dose it straight onto the BBA and it'll die.


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## sketch804 (Mar 2, 2011)

i dont get people that have had no luck with SAE's..my friend was talking to me about that, but i think it all depends on the amout of food and/or algae they have around..like for instance my SAE is in a 29 (moving soon to 33L or 40breeder)he eats bba but there is still a decent amout of it lying around..that tank is very well fed so he can get his fill from other sources than just eating algae..
but for a 20 i would suggest shrimp or otto's..remember at the max a SAE can get 5-6"..a 20gal is no place for a fish that large..


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## mystichaze32 (Mar 11, 2012)

i will try the algae eater and the snails the small ones. ty guys!


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## supergreeneye (Oct 29, 2011)

@ bbrad i have 2 nerites and 2 ottos my lfs doesent sell ramshorn snails but im thinking about getting some sae in replacement of my nerites im not entirly shure cause the snails are cleaning the glass but stay off the leaves and my ottos dont eat it at all


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## EdwardN (Nov 7, 2008)

*Sae*



supergreeneye said:


> @ bbrad i have 2 nerites and 2 ottos my lfs doesent sell ramshorn snails but im thinking about getting some sae in replacement of my nerites im not entirly shure cause the snails are cleaning the glass but stay off the leaves and my ottos dont eat it at all


A few weeks ago I bought half a dozen SAEs for my 180 beliving in their supposed ability fo eat algae. They eat it all right ... for a desert!
When I noticed SAE eating shrimps, that was time for them to go. The only problem is catching them. My whole landscape was upset and I managed to catch only four of them!!!

So think about that pest!!!


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## psalm18.2 (Oct 16, 2010)

Nerite snails and otos in my tank keep algea at bay. I also dose Excel at every water change.


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## Aquaticfan (Oct 30, 2011)

Everyones experience will vary. Much of it will depend on different things. You have to make sure your getting the right critters for the job. For those of you that tried sae's and didn't have any luck..... You have probably more then one issue. First would be and most of the times the issue is you don't have real deal sae. A lot of the times they get mis-labeled with fish that look very much like sae but are not. Unless you know how to identify them you won't know and even at that juveniles are even harder to tell. The flying fox, Chinese algae eater and the false sae are all similar but don't have that same desire to eat algae like a true sae ( Crossocheilus siamensis) . Yes sae and lots of various fish will eat shrimps if they can fit them in their mouths. 

I use various different fish to do the job. Oto's are detail oriented, sae like hair, and BBA and red hair, bn pleco are larger job oriented. Certain snails can work but never seen any do BBA or hair. 

Another thing is to try correcting the issues causing the BBA or hair. Clean up by hand and with excel or h2o2. Fixing thw issue makes it never come back.


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## supergreeneye (Oct 29, 2011)

@ aquatici have some co2 supplement\ booster by api will that work for excel and i also heard it melts some kinds of plants mainly anacharis. sae are the one with the stripe all the way down the body i think my lfs sells them im thinkin about gitten some soon


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## Aquaticfan (Oct 30, 2011)

supergreeneye said:


> @ aquatici have some co2 supplement\ booster by api will that work for excel and i also heard it melts some kinds of plants mainly anacharis. sae are the one with the stripe all the way down the body i think my lfs sells them im thinkin about gitten some soon


Yes the API co2 booster will work. It's basically the same glutaraldehyde as excel. Yes it can melt some plants, Vals, crypts and some others so start off lightly. Then gradually increase as those plants will handle it as long as you do that. Yes true sae are the ones with a full stripe all the way. It even goes all the way thru the tail fin. If you have shrimps though they will eat them. Ask your lfs if they are true Crossocheilus siamensis, not flying fox, not false sae and not Chinese algae eaters.


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

I wouldn't get SAE for a 20 gallon tank, in a couple months it would be a bull in a china shop. They will eat fine leaved plants too if they get bored.

Guppies, platies and swordtails also nibble on filamentous green algae and the first two are fine in your tank. They will eat dead BBA for you but not live. I like the way my platies pick at the tank constantly, has to be keeping algae spores from setting up shop.


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## mystichaze32 (Mar 11, 2012)

at petsmart they have the "mystery snail" i think two of these would be good for my 20 gal fish tank with 3 guppies, 4 danios (since one died) and 2 african dwarf frogs.


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## supergreeneye (Oct 29, 2011)

thankx for the advice ill try that. should i apply it to the water or with a droper when i do a water change it also just a 8 gallon


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## mystichaze32 (Mar 11, 2012)

*algae*



sketch804 said:


> i dont get people that have had no luck with SAE's..my friend was talking to me about that, but i think it all depends on the amout of food and/or algae they have around..like for instance my SAE is in a 29 (moving soon to 33L or 40breeder)he eats bba but there is still a decent amout of it lying around..that tank is very well fed so he can get his fill from other sources than just eating algae..
> but for a 20 i would suggest shrimp or otto's..remember at the max a SAE can get 5-6"..a 20gal is no place for a fish that large..



i had three ghost shrimp and they all died so no shrimp for me i will try the snail and the algae eater i know will survive in my tank without plants.


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## mystichaze32 (Mar 11, 2012)

i don't have green algae i never said what algae i have there is white film like stuff on my tank wall and uneaten food at the bottom of my tank (which my frogs take care of when they come out of hiding) but yea i did two sae's i think they were the Crossocheilus siamensis my friend had gotten one from walmart and still going strong but then again she has a 10 gal and not a 20 gal but i will try the mystery snail maybe only one and i am not sure about plants since i have sand only and not really wanting gravel in my tank at all . so idk


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## TWA (Jan 30, 2012)

Don't get Chinese algae eaters. Ever. Those things are nasty. I had one, it was a pretty nice fish, ate all the algae. Then it grew up and started showing aggression towards the tank mates. Final outcome, three dead angelfish and a chinese algae eater who spent the night in the cool outside temperatures.


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## mystichaze32 (Mar 11, 2012)

i got two blue mystery snails they are chillin in the bag in the tank for a while lol they are soo cool  ya no more sae's for me. i dont' want aggressive anything in my tank. besides i don't think i was supposed to have them anyways.


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## TWA (Jan 30, 2012)

Chinese algae eaters (CAE are different than Siamese algae eaters (SAE) SAEs are generally peaceful, while its the opposite for CAE


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## mystichaze32 (Mar 11, 2012)

ah ok still no want i will have my snails if not i will go with my orignal algae eater


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