How many algae eaters do I need? Does the tank still need cleaning? Please refer to details before answering.

Question

I know someone who has 2 fish tanks that are extremely filthy & have never been cleaned & I feel sorry for the fish. One small to medium fish tank & one medium to large fish tank. How many algae eaters would they need in the medium sized one & how many in the larger sized tank? Would the tank become & remain cleaner if a person added more to a tank than the average amount?

I wouldn't be able to guess well the amount in gallons. The tanks aren't mine. I'm sure the owner wouldn't know since he doesn't seem to care anything about it. I told him his beautiful catfish would die because of the lack of concern for them. I was right. :(

Answer 1

The number of algae eaters needed for any tank is NONE. Keep them because you like them, not because you think they'll keep the tank clean for you.

Although they may help, not all algae eaters will eat all types of algae. And any fish that eats (anything) produces wastes which in turn, feed the algae. Keeping the tank clean is the responsibility of the tank owner, not the fish (or snails, shrimp, etc.).

Even if algae eaters were used, not all types are suitable for all tanks. Plecostomous (at least the "common" pleco") gets 18 inches long. Chinese algae eaters only eat algae as juveniles, then eat the slime coats of their tankmates as adults. This leaves fish open to infections, and smaller fish may be killed outright. These get around 10 inches, and are territorial/aggressive as they mature. Otocinclus are probably the smallest algae eating fish - they only get around 1 1/2 - 2 inches. They are sensitive to water quality, and shouldn't be added to tanks less than 6 months running. They're also a schooling species, and do best in groups of three or more.

Really to get rid of algae, you need to control what it needs to grow - nutrients and light. If there aren't any plants in the tank, shut off the tank lights completely. If there's no light for photosynthesis, the algae dies. If the tank is near a window, cover that side (or draw the curtains/blinds) so no sunlight reaches the tank

Algae also needs nitrate and phosphate as "fertilizer" for growth. Fish wastes provide the nitrate. Nitrate can also be found in tapwater in some areas, and that's usually the source of phosphate as well. Nitrate from wastes can be removed just by regular 25% partial water changes, but this doesn't do much good if you replace it in tapwater. Both the tank water and tapwater should be tested for nitrate to make sure you aren't "feeding" the algae when you do a water change. If you have high nitrate in the tapwater, you can use reverse osmosis water to combine with the tapwater to dilute it. You can also get phosphate and nitrate- absorbing pads to use in your filter to help get the algae under control.

At this point, I would advise scraping as much of the algae as you can from the sides of the tank and using a gravel vacuum to siphon it out (don't rely on the filter or leave it in the tank - as it decomposes it will remove dissolved oxygen and add ammonia to the water). Change around 25-30% of the water in the tank today/tomorrow, then do another change after skipping a day. After that, do 25% changes each week, using a gravel vacuum to clean. And be sure these fish aren't being overfed - they should only get enough food that they can eat all of it within 2-3 minutes, no more than twice a day. Extra food = extra wastes = extra algae fertilizer.

Also, be certain what you have in the tank is algae, not cyanobacteria (see photo: http://www.aquamax.de/Shop/Artikelbilder/Zusatzbilder/Algen%20im%20Aquarium_Blaualgen%20-%20Cyanobacteria_STUG_cyano1.jpg) (on control of this: http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/algae/cyano.shtml

Answer 2

Algae eaters are NOT the best way to clean a tank.
Especially if they are as filthy as you say.

Generally, the algae in the tank should be considered a snack for the fish. They need regular meals just like all the rest.

So, when considering an algae eater, consider what other fish are in the tank already. How many and what kind.

Also, biological load. Algae eaters poop too, and will dirty the water.

The poop and pee in the water is a separate issue from the algae, but just as problematic/important/damaging to the fish. There's nothing to do but clean it. You have to change the water, and scrape out the algae.

Basically, what I'm saying is that you can't expect an algae eater to do the work, or even help with tank maintenance. They add more mess than they clean up.

It's part of owning an aquarium, just like cleaning up the yard after you've house broken your dog.

Answer 3

The size of a tank is relative to each person. What is your tank? Generally, I go with one oto algae eater per 10 gallon of water. The reason is that too many otos will starve when there is not enough algae in the tank. Of course you could feed them algae wafers, but that would defeat the purpose of an algae eater. So try not to go over the recommended amount or you'll find starving, (and soon to die) fishes!

Answer 4

maximum "algae eater" fish do not eat plenty algae. those that do gets thank you to huge for that tank. the superb thank you to regulate algae growth is to shrink the lights that the tank gets. this might incorporate gentle from homestead windows. additionally, determine to only feed what the fish will eat in a pair of million-2 minutes. Overfeeding will reason algae growth to boot as water high quality subject concerns. With 2 mollies and a ten gallon tank, you ought to upload approximately 5 cory cat's. maximum of those are not getting very great, yet they do superb in communities of a minimum of five.-

Answer 5

Small, medium, and large mean different sizes to different people. Tell us the exact, or close to, size in gallons ad we can help you out. All the algae eaters do is eat algae and some leftover food on the bottom. In return, they create more waste. So you still need to do regular maintenance. All you can cross out by adding one or a few is scraping algae.

Answer 6

You really should change out at least one third of the tank's water to clean it at the minimum. I recommend you break it down to and scrub it out before adding the algae eaters. Algae eaters can only do so much! The tanks you mentioned should be cleaned out first and foremost. Fish need to have balaced water to swim in, after all they live, eat and sh!t in water and it should be clear at the least. I have a 55gallon tank with three trap door snails and one pleco. This seems to keep the algae down to an acceptable level. I break down the tank completely once every six months for cleaning and replace evaporated water as needed. Good Luck.

Answer 7

Algae eaters will grow to the size of your tank. So if you get one and are patient, it will grow to it's food supply. If you get more than one, there won't always be enough food for all of them. The best thing to do is clean the tank, then get one algae eater.

Answer 8

i,have two algae eaters one beta fish.my fish tank is sparkeling.I,have a 20gallon fish tank my water fine.