Best Algae Eaters for a Planted Tank - How to Reduce Algae

Unsightly Algae

 

Algae is unfortunately a certainty when keeping an aquarium, even the best aquascapes in the world get some algae. You may find your aquarium only gets a tiny amount of algae on the glass or you could be battling an algae bloom which is threatening to take over the whole tank. Whatever the case, the aim is to have as little algae growing in your aquarium as possible, algae can distract from the beauty of a planted tank and all that effort spent aquascaping can be washed away. A common misconception is that algae is bad or dangerous for your fish, this is not the case, in fact some fish eat algae! However, plants are at risk during an algae bloom, the algae can start to smother plants by blocking out light and can eventually start to grow on the plant leaves. It is worth noting that an algae bloom can signal a more serious water quality issue occurring in your aquarium. Algae is essentially a microscopic plant which uses light and nutrients to grow. Although unsightly on rare occasions fish keepers enjoy the natural look and let algae grow freely in their setup.

 

Beginners note on algae: If your aquarium is only a few months old and you are starting to notice a small amount of green algae growing on the rocks and you are having to wipe the glass every few weeks do not be concerned! This is completely normal and if your normal maintenance sessions are keeping it under control, you have nothing to worry about. If things start to get worse consider doing more frequent water changes before resorting to any more drastic measures.

 

Algae forms and solutions

 

I wanted to start this section by stating that preventing algae is a hundred times easier than getting rid of it once it is there. Multiple forms of algae can grow in an aquarium. Your first port of call should be to try and identify which type of algae you have; some forms of algae are not edible to most algae eaters. Once you have established the type of algae you have you should check your setup to see what the cause could be. Check your lights and filtration to make sure everything is working as it should be. Make sure your aquarium is not situated in a spot which get direct sunlight all day as this can cause an algae bloom.

Brown algae: Brown algae otherwise known as diatoms can look ugly and can completely take over an aquarium. Is your tank relatively new? If your answer is yes then you can relax, breathe a sigh of relief as you have the easiest type of algae to remove. Diatoms use up silicates released by gravel and rocks, within the first month of setting up any aquarium you will experience a diatom bloom. To get rid of diatoms you don’t have to do anything, this phase will pass on its own and green algae will start to take place of the diatoms. If you wish to speed up this process, you can do extra water changes, but rest assured this phase will pass. Older planted tanks can experience a diatom bloom if you change the substrate or add in new rock to the aquascape.

Green dust / Green hair algae: These forms of algae are very common; they use light and nutrients to grow and an excess of either can cause an unsightly algae bloom. Your light maybe on for too long or maybe too intense. Excess nutrients such as nitrate can cause algae growth, if you have an overstocked aquarium, are not doing enough water changes or are feeding too much this will also cause an algae bloom. On rare occasions where something has gone seriously wrong with your beneficial bacteria, ammonia and nitrite can build up which can also cause an algae bloom. If this is the case, get your filter working correctly and perform multiple large water changes until levels of ammonia and nitrite drop to get your aquarium back on track. Manually removing algae before a water change is a useful technique to use.

Black Beard Algae: Black beard algae or ‘BBA’ is the bane of most planted tank keepers. Your aquascape has finally grown in after months of hard work and suddenly you notice a patch of BBA… your heart sinks as you worry this troublesome algae will slowly creep into every corner of your scape. If your nutrient levels are too high, you have intense lighting and you do not keep up with water changes then most likely this will be the case. However, I have seen many instances where a under stocked and well maintained planted aquariums have just a small stable amount of BBA which did not require drastic intervention.  

Freshwater red coralline algae: This is a relatively new form of algae in the hobby. Although found in lots of

The Best Algae Eaters

 

I’m going to start this section by saying if you are experiencing an algae bloom adding algae eaters is not your answer. Adding a pleco or snail to the tank is like stopping a leaking dam with a cork and could possibly make things worse. Find out what is causing your algae bloom and fix it before you add any algae eaters to your tank. Your bloom will be water quality or equipment related. Once you have established and acted on this problem manually remove as much algae as possible and ensure your water quality is back on track, then and only then consider adding an algae eater.

Some experienced aquarists may choose to add a clean up crew even if they are not experiencing any algae problems, this preventative measure can work wonders when trying to keep your general week to week algae at bay. Remember to supplement algae eaters with wafers if there is not enough algae within the aquarium.

 

Peaceful algae eating Fish:

Bristlenose, Ottocinclus and Flying Fox. Bristlenose are great at eating algae especially when young. You can keep Bristlenose singularly in a planted tank, they can grow to around 6 inches long when fully grown and are very hardy fish. Ottocinclus are smaller, reaching only a few inches in length, they need to be in groups of at least six to thrive and require pristine water parameters. Flying foxes are fast moving attractive fish which do best in groups. Some people say true flying foxes are the only fish which eat BBA, in my personal experience they do not eat actively eat mature BBA but do seem to keep new growth at bay.

 

Shrimp:

Amano Shrimp and Cherry Shrimp. Amano shrimp got their name after the world famous Takashi Amano who pioneered aquascaping as we know it today. Naturally found in Japanese rivers, Amano Shrimp are fantastic algae eaters. Amano Shrimp are fun to watch and very hardy. For aquascapes with nano fish Cherry Shrimp can be a great option, they scavenge uneaten food and algae. Cherry shrimp come in a range of bright colours and will breed readily in a mature planted aquarium.

Snails:

Nerite and ‘pest’ snails. Nerite snails are available at most local fish shops, they do a great job cruising around the tank eating any algae in their path. It is worth noting nerite snails can lay eggs on surfaces within the tank. By ‘pest snails’ I am referring to the snails which you don’t buy but end up in your tank. These small snails hitch a ride into your aquarium on plant leaves and breed prolifically. Before you label these as pests and start you mission to eradicate them, think about the role they play. Small snails like this are fantastic detritivores and algae eaters. Although unsightly when in large numbers they can pay an important role within your aquatic environment. If snail numbers grow out of control this is a signal that there is too much left over food and detritus within the aquarium. Certain ‘pest’ species such as Malaysian Trumpet Snails are nocturnal and reside in the substrate, meaning they are less visible during peak aquarium viewing times. Do not overlook these little gems when setting up your planted tank.

 

A Natural Sight:

 

Remember all algae is natural, there are not many places in nature where we do not see algae growing. Freshwater fish originate form rivers and lakes in the wild. Rivers have constant water changes with water flowing down from upstream every second and lakes have a massive water volume. Because of this, in nature high nutrient and nitrate levels are not an issue most of the time and no one can accidentally leave the sun on 24/7 whilst you go away for the weekend. It’s no wonder when we keep fish in comparatively small environments we can run into algae issues. Some aquascapers perform 80% water changes a few times a week and some aim to achieve a balance with live plants. Good aquarium husbandry and keeping the water quality perfect for your fish will go a long way to reducing algae.

 

AQUAnatur

 

Good luck with your planted tank, if you have any questions feel free to contact us, our friendly expert team are always happy to help. AQUAnatur supply a range of aquascaping products to help you create your dream aquascape.

By Alasdair McPhail