Question:I have an algae eater in my tank right now but it starting to get too big. I'm thinking of giving it to my local pet store but I'm not sure if I should get a small one in its place.
I also have a few guppies and a beta in my tank.
Answers:
Honestly aglae eaters are not a needed item in a tank. You should keep one only if you like the fish and want one in your tank. Otherwise, it's just taking up space. Keep up with your weekly water changes and watch how long the lights are on in your tank and you shouldn't have a algae problem
MM
If its getting big either get rid of it or get a bigger tank, there are many small algae eaters, not the plecos that do a good job and stay small too.
get like 3 corydoras in replacment of the pleco, they do a GREAT job in cleaning my tanks
get a bigger tank, you need to upgrade every once and a while. they will only grow to the space you have allowed them
you dont need one but whats going to happen is that the new one is going to grow too and then you will give him away then replace him, and it will keep going on and on. I don't think you should get a new one if they cant live in your tank forever.
i don't keep algae eaters unless you want to count ghost shrimp as algae eaters. if you have live plants they reduce algae growth by using the nutrients the algae needs to grow. i also wipe down the sides of the tank weekly. the whole "you need a bottom dweller" is kind of a myth. if you don't overfeed and learn how to keep your aquarium clean you don't need them.
Try this kind of algae eater, they're perfect for 10g tanks. they don't grow bigger than 3 to 4 inches. But they need a little care the first month or so because they're delicate fish.
No...you don't need algae eaters. Actually they eat such small amounts that they don't really do anything for your tank besides adding to the diversity of your aqua sphere. One gallon of water per inch of fish.
No.
Just clean the tank yourself.
I am assuming you have a common pleco as your algae eater, see pics- http://www.frontiernet.net/~tegifts/fish... http://www.fishpondinfo.com/photos/fish/...
http://www.tropicalfish4u.co.uk/acatalog...
It would be a good idea to find him a larger home before you stunt his growth, craigslist.com is a great site! You don't necessarily need them in your tank, I would recommend a group of 3 panda corydoras. Cories are so much fun to watch and are good at eating stuff that falls to the bottom. Though they need other food in their diet though, 5-7 shrimp pellets a day would make a nice meal for a group of 3. Here is a picture of a nice shoal of panda cories.
http://www.viherkala.fi/catalog/images/t...
Hope This Helps!!
There are more exotic algae eater you can try .... but the common one you can try are Otocinclus.
Exotics ones are :
Head Stander. - get the type shown in the picture, it eats algae and doesn't get too big. Other type of this species might be nippy depending on individual character.
http://www.smartsurat.com/fish/the_cleve...
Yamato Shrimp.
http://www.thekrib.com/fish/shrimp/...
Get cory cats... I've got 2 10 gallon tanks, and in each one I've got 3 corys. One tank has 3 albino corys, and the other has 3 green corys. So get albino corys IMO. They are hilarious and never stop moving. They need to come to the surface for air a few times a day or they suffocate, so you'll see them fly across the tank to the top, then go back down and do their business. They will really help keeping the tank clean though. Also, get them Hikari Sinking Wafers, they love em.
No, you don't need one. Those guys do get real big, I would try to do a trade for maybe a couple more guppies or some supplies, some stores will do that and then sell the larger fish for a good amount. Just get a gravel syphon, algae eaters put out more waste than they clean up. Good luck!
If you have too big of one then you can either place it in a bigger tank, sell it, or give it away. If you don't have a problem with algae, then you most likely don't need an algae eater. But most pet stores sell an Otociniclus, which is a miniature algae eater. They rarely grow above 2 inches, and they suck on algae without damaging live plants.
~ZTM
More Questions & Answers...