This tank-cleaning fish has a healthy appetite for brown algae. In fact, they have been known to eat it quickly, which helps to prevent the algae from becoming a major problem. Otocinclus can eat other foods, too.
They appreciate the occasional algae wafer or green leafy vegetables. They need a gallon tank, a pH balance of roughly 6. Found throughout rivers in Florida, the Flagfish is a colorful species that has a penchant for chowing down on algae. They only get to be about 2. However, they have a girthy body shape and shortened snout. The Flagfish gets its name from its colorful appearance. Stripes of iridescent red, blue, and green create a passing resemblance to the American flag.
While they are omnivores, Flagfish does like to eat algae and plant matter. Luckily, these fish will happily take standard fish flakes, live food, and pretty much anything else they can get ahold of. Twig Catfish are some of the most distinct-looking freshwater algae eaters available. They have grown very popular in recent years. However, they can be a bit challenging to care for. Generally, these fish are quite peaceful and do just fine with other docile species.
That said, they can get very skittish. They need plenty of good hiding spaces in their tank to feel safe. Speaking of the tank, Twig Catfish need at least 35 to 40 gallons.
They get to be 4 inches in length. But, they must be kept in pairs to stay happy. A gallon tank is perfect for a pair. This species is sensitive to water conditions, so do your best to keep temperatures between 73 and 79 degrees and pH around 6. Twig Catfish are master scavengers. It can reach lengths of more than 19 inches!
Though, 11 to 13 inches is the average for fish in captivity. At the very least, they need a gallon tank. More is preferred, as they need some room to swim around. When it comes to temperature, these algae-eating fish can adapt to nearly anything. However, pH requirements are a bit more strict. They require levels between 6. Algae is the food of choice for Sailfin Plecos.
Not only does driftwood continuously produce algae, but the cellulose in the wood can also improve the digestive system of the fish. Also known as Glass Shrimp, this invertebrate will almost exclusively feed on algae. They may also consume some organic plant matter, but algae are their main dish. Ghost Shrimp are relatively small, reaching lengths of about 2 inches when fully grown. As a result, you only need a gallon tank to keep them healthy.
Many aquarists prefer larger tanks to keep a large group together, which can do wonders for keeping algae under control. Preferred temperatures are 68 to 85 degrees. The pH balance should be stabilized around 6. Like most shrimp, Ghost Shrimp are very peaceful scavengers. They can be kept with non-aggressive community fish. These fish come in a wide range of colors and patterns. As adults, they are about 4. Mollies are known to reproduce very quickly, so be wary about your tank size.
A single pair can do just fine in gallon tanks. Though, 20 gallons is preferred so that they have ample room to roam. The preferred temperature for Mollies is a moderate 72 to 78 degrees. Meanwhile, the pH should be on the alkali side. Around 6. Whether you call them Doctor Fish or Red Garras, these fish are born to eat algae. You might have seen these small silver fish being used in spas and clinics. You can supplement the algae with dry or frozen food.
Despite their appetite for algae, they do appreciate protein-rich foods every once in a while. Doctor Fish grow just shy of 5 inches as adults. Temperatures can be on the cooler side. They prefer cool waters between 57 and 68 degrees. As for pH, keep things relatively neutral. We love connecting with other aquarists and swapping stories. My sister and I keep a 7. Not enough info here to really help you out. We would need to know water parameters pH, ammonia, etc.
Water change frequency? When did the aquarium change from 50 to 70 gal happen? Also, when plecos live with goldfish and algea levels become too low to sustain them, they can eat the slime coat off of the goldfish.
If this happens they can get infections, get sick, and possibly die. Maybe there was something toxic for them in the water. Do u have water testing kits? Try some api master test kit. Check the temperature. If the water gets too cold, the plecos will die.
Unlike goldfish, made to adapt. Hi, Sorry to read about this. Is this a planted tank? If so, how densely planted is it? If not, how do you deal with ammonia? Do you do water changes? If so, how often and how much volume do you replace? Are you feeding your Plecos directly with food designed for them like sinking wafers? Or are you simply allowing them to find their own food?
Do you know your water parameters before and after water changes? Where did you purchase both plecos from? Another thing to think about is that you got these plecos when they were already inches.
There are several variables that may have affected their health long before you got them. For all you know, these plecos could have already been years old. This very well may have been a result of nothing you did.
You stated you have a large tank and good filtration. But do you have high oxygen content? I would always recommend having a bubbler that puts out a good amount of bubbles along with your filter.
Most plecos also like a medium to high water current in the tank because most are native to rivers , which can require an extra step to achieve. Depending on how your filter works, you may need to add a circulation pump. Another thing to take into consideration would be lighting and hiding spots, which kind of go hand in hand. Plecos are all nocturnal, as far as I know, and are disturbed by being constantly exposed to bright light.
The last factor would be diet. Most plecos are highly omnivorous, which means a diet of just algae is incredibly insufficient. Most need a few fresh veggies as well as frozen thawed blood worms in addition to algae at the very least to keep them healthy. Drift wood is also necessary. They will eat this as well as it helps them to digest their other food properly. Overall, they are much more complex than a lot of people realize. If there are any of the things I mentioned that you are not doing, that could be your problem.
If you ever see this, I hope it helps! Plecos are aggressive to eachother. It could have been lack of food, aggression, or it grew to big for the tank. You should have a minimum of a 75 for just the pleco. And gold fish are notoriously dirty fish. If you have a well planted 75 gallon with your 3 gold fish and a pleco at exactly 74 degrees high end for gold fish, low end for plecos , it would still be wise to have your pet store check your water levels periodically.
Typically if you take a sample in they will do this for you for free. I had the same issue with a beautiful Pleco i had too. I gave it algae pellets and it at whatever was also in the tank but i learned that you cannot just depend on the pellets and what is in the tank. I learned you need to add things like zuchinni or cucumbers and let them eat on it during the night.
Not clear if your plecs were bristlenose? I have one who lives in a 50 gallon live planted community tank. I feed a mixture of flakes and wafers once a day early evening. Occasionally blanched courgette. I have many places for fish to hide and mr pleccy has a favourite place in a potter tube. He enjoys grazing on driftwood and comes out when it is feeding time.
I have a mixed tank of shrimp, nerite snails, pygmy loach cardinal and neon tetra, harlequins, siamese algae eaters and five banded barbs. I do love goldfish but read that a goldfish requires a 50 gallon tank! Could this be the problem. Not sure about your water changes etc but do know they create waste plus plus. Maybe not getting enough food Goldfish tend to out out with food And so nothing left for bottom feeders Also some wood needs to be available to feed.
Swim bladder disorder is usually caused by a mechanical issue like constipation, so I doubt you did anything to cause it. Some Algae eaters will dig into the substrate and eat and dig out old material old fish food, leavings, fish droppings, etc.
So this could be a sign its doing its job. Also I would suggest you clean or replace your tanks water filter more frequently until the cloudy situation is resolved. They eat algae. How old is your set-up? Is it fully cycled? How many new fish have you added at once?
There are a lot of variables. Water changes. Goldfish can take a lot more of these variables. Also the larger the pleco, the more food it needs. Hi Plecs are tropical. Goldfish are cold water fish.. They hibernate and in my pond under an inch of ice for 2 months. Then they wake up and breed. Plecs at 22 C or below will slow down and die. Is the tank being newly cycled? Other water parameters pH, ammonia, etc? Substrate change or aggitation recently?
Type of substrate? White cloudy water or brown or green? There are a couple of possibilities. Plecos are known to produce lots of waste and thus could be clouding up your water.
Either way my suggestion for all of these is getting a UV sterilizer, and do frequent water changes. The UV sterilizer will help clear up the cloudiness while also helping to get rid of any harmful bacteria in your tank. I know it helped me quite a bit when my fish came down with ich. Hope this helps and sorry it was so long. These algae eaters are also great because they will eat some of the algae that other algae eaters ignore like black beard algae.
This species is also fairly peaceful and relatively easy to care for so they may be a good choice for beginner aquarium hobbyists to help control algae in a new tank. Siamese algae eaters need a tank size no smaller than 30 gallons and they prefer a pH between 6. These fish can be housed in community tanks and they are moderately easy to care for as long as they have enough algae to eat.
The Chinese algae eater is easy to care for and does well in tanks at least 30 gallons in capacity. These fish do grow fairly large, however — up to 10 inches — and they tend to become more aggressive as they grow.
For this reason, you should be careful about keeping them in a tank with delicate species of fish. On the other side of the issue, their aggression can be a good thing — they are one of the only algae eaters that can be kept with large and semi-aggressive species like cichlids.
Chinese algae eaters prefer a pH between 6. They prefer warmer water temperatures and they require an herbivorous diet to supplement their feeding on algae.
They are not one of the most effective algae eaters on the list because they tend to grow lazy as they get bigger, but they may feed on different kinds of algae while young. Though they were once fairly uncommon, these fish are becoming increasingly more available as more aquarium hobbyists are learning about their benefits. They prefer moderately soft water with a pH between 6.
Out of the algae eating fish on this list, the twig catfish is one that requires more specialized care than the others. They also need places to hide in the tank because they tend to be very shy. One of the smallest algae eaters on this list, the otocinclus catfish grows to a maximum of 2 inches.
These fish are similar in appearance to the larger Chinese algae eater, but they are much more peaceful. Otocinclus catfish are moderately easy to care for, but they do need a large tank of at least 30 gallons to ensure they have enough algae to feed on and because they are best kept in schools.
They prefer a pH between 6. These fish are particularly good at removing brown algae diatom algae and they eat it quickly, before it becomes a problem in your tank. You can check out our detailed guide on Otocinclus care here. A species of armored catfish, the whiptail catfish is moderately easy to care for and has a peaceful temperament.
These fish come in neutral colors like black and tan, and they grow up to 6 inches in length, so they require a tank at least 50 gallons in capacity. The whiptail catfish is omnivorous, so in addition to feeding on algae it will also feed on detritus such as uneaten fish food. These fish prefer a KH between 4 and 8 with pH in the 6. Also known as the bristlenose catfish , this species is named for the whisker-like projections on its snout.
This species does an excellent job of eating algae and also leftover fish food. These fish are easy to care for, though they do grow to a length around 5 inches. Bristlenose plecos are compatible with most peaceful species and they will tolerate a range of tank conditions.
The minimum recommended tank size is 20 gallons and they generally require supplemental feeding with algae wafers, though they will feed on most types of algae and specifically green spot algae. Though they may not feed on algae as some of the other fish on this list, mollies and other livebearers will feed on algae from time to time if it is available. Other livebearers you might consider are swordtails and platies.
Swordtails are unique because they come in a variety of different colors and you can tell the sexes apart because males have a long sword-like projection at the base of their tail. Platies also come in many different colors and patterns.
Mollies and other livebearers are very peaceful fish and they do well in community tanks at least 20 gallons in size, or larger depending how many you have. Mollies can also do well in slightly brackish conditions, so consider adding a little aquarium salt to your tank but always consider others in your tank before adding anything.
One thing to keep in mind with mollies and other livebearers is that they reproduce quickly — make sure you have enough space to accommodate them.
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