Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => New Fishkeepers => Topic started by: skybluejay on April 15, 2013, 07:19:11 PM
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Hi All,
I am thinking of getting a couple of algae eating fish but am unsure what type to get. I am also experiencing a fair amount of brown algae on my rocks within the tank which i clean off most weeks. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Tank 8 weeks old
Amonia levels 0.0
Nitrite level 0.0
Nitrate level 20
PH level 7.5
Fishbox 48 litre tank
2 leopard danio
3 zebra danio
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The brown algae is most likely diatoms caused by the ammonia in a new tank - even trace amounts that are too low for our testers to detect can cause diatoms.
Strictly speaking, you shouldn't buy a fish to get rid of algae; you should find the cause of the algae and cure that. But algae eaters do make an attractive addition to tanks.
At 48 litres, your tank is not suitable for any algae eating fish. The only one that would physically fit needs to be in a shoal, and a 48 litre tank wouldn't be able to grow enough algae to feed a shoal. But that doesn't mean there aren't creatures that would work. Shrimps and snails eat algae. At 48 litres, I would look at cherry shrimps and/or nerite snails (making sure they are the freshwater ones not the salt water type). But I would wait to add them last. Shrimps and snails are more sensitive to ammonia and nitrite than fish are. You need to wait till you have all your planned fish, and the tank has run a few weeks without problems before getting any. Until then, I'm afraid it's up to you to clean the algae off.
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As Sue says, this is typical of a new tank. I had loads of diatom brown algae.... it will disappear over the next few months as your tank matures.
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Hi Guys,
Many thanks for the quick replies. Looks like i will be cleaning algae for the next couple of months :D
Once i have my full stocking levels i think the cherry shrimp sounds a good proposition.
Just think about what to stock, it would be great to have some colourful fish. What suggestions would you recommend from the fantastic fonts of knowledge you all have.
Look forward to your response.
Jay
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With a small tank, I would stick to small fish :D
Do you know if you have hard or soft water? Your water supplier's website should help with that info. For hard water, endlers are a colourful fish, but males only. Females are bigger, plain beige and have a lot of fry which would overpopulate your tank in no time. If you water is middling to soft, look at ember tetras (orange, brighter once they've settled in, they can be pale in shop tanks) or one of the microrasboras (Boraras brigittae, the chili rasbora is bright red for example)