What type of algae eater should i get in my 10 gallon tank (planning on getting mollies and platies with it)?

Question

i am planning to get molies and platies to go in my ten galoon tank. what type of algae eater should i get (doesnt have to be a pleco)

I am planning to get mollies and platies to go in my ten gallon tank. what type of algae eater should i get (doesnt have to be a pleco). Also how can i tell the difference between male and female mollies and platies

Answer 1

Don't get a pleco. Most get too big for a 10 gallon tank and are high waste producers, meaning they'll muck up your water really fast.

Platies actually eat algae, so you don't really have to worry about an algae eater.

Someone else suggested a chinese algae eater and I'll answer that with a big fat NO. They are nasty, aggressive fish and will grow too large anyway. In a 10 gallon tank you should not have any fish that grow larger than 3 inches.

The only algae eaters I can think of for that size would be algae eating shrimp, algae eating snails or MAYBE some oto cats (these are very sensitive to water conditions though and should be added only to an established tank).

Also, I'd suggest getting mollies OR platies. Start with 1 male and 2 females. You don't want more than this in a 10gallon (especially if you've got more fish in there) because, as I'm sure you know, they'll be having babies in no time.

Sexing them is the same as with other livebearers: the male has a gonopodium (thin stick-like fin) in place of the anal fin, while the female has a normal triangular fin.

I think your best stocking would be 3 platies (one male, two females) and 3 corys as your cleanup crew. Also add some live plants, since they help to keep algae levels down.

Answer 2

I would suggest getting shrimp, either amano shrimp or cherry red shrimp (the cherry red will actually breed in the tank, but the mollies will eat the babies and the cherry reds if you don't get large enough ones to begin with). You could also try a small school of otos (3-4). As long as you don't have too many mollies or platies to begin with, then it should be fine.

In response to the other question, you can tell live bearers as being male or female by the shape of the fin protruding from halfway down their body on the bottom. A female will have a triangular fin while males have a long, thin fin. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

You should not get an algae eater if your putting mollies and platies in their livebearers and will breed. You'll be overcrowded with a pleco. The biggest algae eat you could afford (space wise) is 1 or 2 snails. You should try and clean the algae out by hand if you can first.

Answer 4

properly it extremely relies upon how a lot of each and every you intend to positioned to illustrate in a 20 gallon i ought to positioned: -6 tetras(ideally on the small area like neons) -0 mollies (would properly be very unpredictable and some can and could be aggressive +they go with the addition of salt) -3-5 platies -6 danios/glofish -3 ottos -6 rasboras -a million or 2 dwarf gourami(s) -0 cherry barbs(can nip at gourami fins) And a 30% water replace a week with 2 maitenence days in accordance to month must be fantastic(maitenence days are only once you sparkling out the gravel and filter out with a water replace and in a water replace properly you only replace previous water with new water)

Answer 5

First choice has to be a pleco, or you could get some "Chinese algae eaters" AKA "Sucking loaches".
Male fish have the anal fin adapted to form a "Gonopodium", which is the organ that they use to impregnate the female. The male fish will swim up alongside the female & "stick" her with this organ. You can see that the anal fin is elongated with a point at it's lower end.

Answer 6

I like rubber lip plecos in 10 gal tanks. They're small, harmless, and their mouth size to body ratio is huge.

Answer 7

i think amano shrimp prefer the brackish water mollies and platies will do better in. i have bamboo shrimp that do a great job getting it out of the water before it lands on anything. try shrimp!

Answer 8

a rubber lipped plecostamus is about the best one. if you can't find one of them then ask your local pet store what they think would be best. most pleco's can get to be a foot long.