fish/snail/shrimp that will eat algae and that wont get bigger than 5 inches in my brackish water aquarium?

Question

I heard something about a sleeper goby... i'd prefer a type of FISH. then i'd prefer a snail(maybe a tiger snail if it works), then atype of shrimp. thanks you very much!

Answer 1

RDD has some good advice for you. You should be aware that even a fish named "algae eater" won't eat all types of algae. Even fewer bother with cyanobacteria.

Since you have a brackish tank, you may want a fish that is a little larger if you keep scats or monos. Something I've never seen suggested in the forum, but will thrive in a brackish environment and will eat algae are mollies. I have a pair of bright orange sailfins I've acclimated to saltwater and the peck at algae on live rock - at times doing a better job than snails or crabs I've used as "cleanup crew". SAilfins get a bit larger than you're looking for, but there are silver lyretails, dalmations, and gold dust mollies that will stay smaller and still be able to be acclimated to brackish. To acclimate, use another tank of known volume and start with about 1 tablespoon of the salt you use in the brackish tank per 5 gallons of water. Add about a teaspoon more 1-3 times a day till it gets to the same concentration as you keep the brackish tank.

Answer 2

Before you can decide on which algae eater you need, you have to determine what type algae you have. Different fish and inverts eat different types of algae. And if it is the dreaded blue-green algae (not actually algae but an organism called cyanobacteria), nothing will eat it.

Before you buy anything, you should try to figure out why you have algae and correct that problem. Overfeeding (high nitrates), too much light and overstocking (high nitrates again) are 3 major causes of algae. The first site below has pictures and descriptions of different types of algae along with what AEs may help control it.

If you do decide on an algae eater and want to get a Siamese algae eater, make sure you get the real thing and not one of the 2 look-alikes. The second site has descriptions of SAEs and the look alikes.

Ghost shrimp do not eat algae. They are merely scavengers that eat leftover food.

Answer 3

I have ghost shrimp and they only grow to be 1-2 inches long. I have 3 and they do a really good job