Algea Eater or Catfish?

Question

i have two African clawed frogs and am trying to decide weather to get an algea eater or a catfish which would be better for the upkeep of the tank i am not planning on putting any gravel in the tank due to the fact the frogs will eat it and get sick i like algea eaters but if a catfish would be better i will get one of those currently i dont have either please suggest and give reasons so i can be informed

i need something that will grow with the frogs they are currently less then an inch and should grow to the size of an apple according to the petstore

Answer 1

Clear up a few things: a chinese algae eater is not a catfish, not all algae eaters are catfish, and a plecostomus is indeed a catfish.

Chinese algae eaters don't eat as much algae as they are reputed to, and tend to be very aggressive as they grow to adults (when they stop eating algae altogether)

I have heard that Siamese Algae Eaters are very good algae clean up crew, (also NOT catfish) but they are very hard to come by in my neck of the woods, so I have no personal experience with them.

A common plecostomus will eat algae, but they also grow VERY large - 12" - 24".

A bristlenose plecostomus eats algae like nobody's business, and there are some varieties that grow no larger than 4".

Other catfish won't eat aglae, but will eat leftover food from the floor of the tank. Some, like corydoras, are happiest in groups of four or more, so don't just get one to eat the scraps.

Snails also eat algae, but have a way of reproducing in HUGE numbers.

I assume your tank is a minimum of 10 gallons, which would house a bristlenose pleco or four corydoras (depending on whether algae or debris is your main concern) easily with two frogs.

If your tank is 5 gallons or smaller, go with snails, or buy a scrubby and clean it yourself.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Personally, I like the chinese algea eaters. They can get up to 6 inches and they don't just sit there like a pleco. We also have a pleco and he's like 7 to 8 inches long. He's really big. We have a couple of catfish too but they don't clean the tank. Either your chinese algea eaters or a pleco would be the best choice to keep your tank cleaner.

Answer 3

If you are going to get an algae eater, MAKE SURE your tank is very large. They can grow to about 7 inches (my grandparent's one is!). Regular catfish eat food that falls to the bottom of the tank, they don't eat algae. Plecostymus's (algae eaters) eat algae and sometime the food that falls. I have an African Dwarf Frog (cousins of the clawed frog) and he and my catfish are quite good friends. lol The algae eater pretty much left him alone although he was much bigger than him. If your clawed frogs are going to get around 5 inches (and you have a large enough tank), I would recommend an algae eater so it gets close to the same size as the frogs.

Answer 4

Algea Eaters

Answer 5

The algae eater is a catfish that specializes in eating algae. there are several varieties and the choice will be dependant on how large your aquarium is.
The catfishes job in the aquarium is to eat the food that falls past the other fish (NOT to eat the poo!)
in your set up with no gravel it should be easy for you to siphon out uneaten food so the algae eater is more practical HOWEVER
the african clawed frog as he gets larger will eat fish as part of his natural diet. so keep this in mind. good luck!

Answer 6

bot, algea eaters eat ...algea, catfish eat like the exass food on the bottom of the tank

Answer 7

i suggest a algea eater because they will eat algea off your sides of the aquirium and keeps your aqurium looking nice. and there are all different kinds of breed and disigns!

Answer 8

Take care for when the frog matures. There is a good chance that he may mistake a fish for a female frog, with the consequence that the fish is killed. & no kidding, either!

Answer 9

Algae eaters can be agressive so i would definetley opt for a cory catfish ( or pleco)

Answer 10

algea eater ISSSSSSSS a catfish! trust me! so there is ur answer! 10 points plz lol